The Michigan FFA will celebrate its 75th anniversary in March 2004 at the Michigan FFA State Convention. In honor of the occasion, the Michigan FFA Foundation is inviting all living past state officers to a special dinner celebration on March 9.

"The Michigan FFA's diamond anniversary is a celebration for all FFA members. Our goal is to add something special for those FFA members who rose to the highest ranks in the state organization," said Corey Flournoy, executive director of the Michigan FFA Foundation.

"The men and women who served as state officers deserve recognition for their time and commitment to guiding, managing and promoting the state association for 75 years. By reconnecting with the past officers, we believe today's FFA members will also become more attuned to the rich history of Michigan FFA," said Flournoy.

The dinner will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. It will be preceded by a reception from 4-5 p.m. The event is being held in conjunction with the Michigan FFA State Convention, which runs March 9-11 on Michigan State University's campus.

Past state officers or persons who know their whereabouts, should e-mail contact information to pso@michiganffa.com or mail to: Corey D. Flournoy, Executive Director, Michigan FFA Foundation, P.O. Box 26111, Lansing, MI, 48909. The contact information should include: name, complete address, phone number, e-mail (if available), office and years of service, and a listing of any other past state officers and their contact information if possible.

The national FFA organization was founded in 1928, when 33 delegates from 18 states came together in Kansas City, Mo., and launched the Future Farmers of America. A year later, Michigan's organization was formed.

Notable past state officers include former Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus and Michigan Department of Agriculture Director Dan Wyant.

Although the organization's name was officially changed to the FFA acronym in 1988 to recognize the growth of agriculture and the diversity of its members, the same basic premise guides the organization today, "making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agriculture education."

For more information about the past state officer search and reunion, call the Michigan FFA Foundation office at (517) 323-6569.

According to AFBF President Bob Stallman, the organization's growth continues to be fueled by the recognition of Farm Bureau's strong record as an advocate for grassroots public policy developed by and for its members, and on the strength of the many outstanding programs and services Farm Bureau provides to members to help improve the quality of life and farm and ranch success.

"Having more than 213,000 new families join Farm Bureau this year affirms our ongoing effort to represent and serve America's farm and ranch families," Stallman said. "Farm Bureau makes a difference in peoples' lives and anyone associated with Farm Bureau should take pride in this obvious sign of approval."

Stallman said this year's outstanding membership achievement could be traced to Farm Bureau's overall effectiveness and its commitment to members.

"Families joining Farm Bureau at the grassroots level are the foundation of our national success," Stallman said. "This year's membership gain provides new resources that will help make Farm Bureau even more effective in the national public policy arena.

"The organization has never been stronger and I am proud to say that Farm Bureau will play a supporting role in the lives of more American families than ever before."

Stallman outlined a number of highlights from the recently concluded 2003 membership year, the 43rd consecutive year in which Farm Bureau membership has grown nationwide.

Tennessee Farm Bureau continued to claim the title of the nation's largest state Farm Bureau, with 580,525 member families. Joining Tennessee in the 2003 "top 10" Farm Bureau membership states were: North Carolina, 447,101; Kentucky, 442,969; Illinois, 385,146; Texas, 371,320; Georgia, 355,320; Indiana, 284,930; Arkansas, 235,401; Mississippi, 223,400; and Ohio, 217,531. Michigan Farm Bureau ranks 11th, with 204,621 total members.

Tennessee Farm Bureau also had the largest numeric gain, with 25,101 new member families. Following Tennessee, Texas Farm Bureau achieved the second largest 2003 membership gain: 22,647 new member families. Michigan Farm Bureau posted the third highest gain: 22,387 new member families.

Alaska Farm Bureau, at 254 members, achieved the highest percentage of 2003 quota (2002 membership plus one), with 164.9 percent. Following Alaska Farm Bureau in the category of largest percentage of quota, and percentage of 110 percent or more, were Oregon, 118.5 percent; Colorado, 113.6 percent; and Michigan, 112.2 percent.

The 2003 membership gain is the second largest in Farm Bureau's history. A gain of 219,098 new members was recorded in 1977. This is the second consecutive year that Farm Bureau membership has increased by more than 200,000 member families. Last year, the organization had a gain of 205,442 member families, which is now the third highest gain in Farm Bureau's history.

CAFOs
First up in March was Agriculture's Conference on the Environment (ACE). Sponsored by the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), the one-day event was believed to be Michigan's first farm-oriented environmental conference and the biggest of its kind. More than 600 people came to Lansing to learn about farm bill conservation programs, siting new livestock facilities, water quality monitoring, and a host of other timely issues.

Despite proactive steps like ACE, public scrutiny over concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and their management of manure ensued. CAFOs are livestock farms with more than 1,000 animal units - roughly 1,000 feeder cattle, 700 mature dairy cattle, 2,500 swine over 55 pounds, 500 horses, etc.

The scrutiny primarily focused on criticisms over the permitting of Michigan CAFOs. Currently to comply with the federal Clean Water Act, Michigan CAFOs that have had a state-verified waste discharge must apply for coverage under a state-held, general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, while CAFOs that have not had a discharge must either apply for coverage under the state's general permit or complete the MAEAP Livestock System. Critics want individual permits for CAFOs.

The public criticism came to a head in September when the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) filed a civil lawsuit against two Hudson dairy farms owned by Vreba-Hoff Dairy, LLC. The lawsuit claims that the combined farms have unlawfully discharged agricultural waste into local waterways and are operating without required groundwater discharge permits. At the time, DEQ Director Steve Chester suggested that similar lawsuits could follow.

Meanwhile, other farms, both large and small, were working toward verification in MAEAP, the state's voluntary agricultural pollution prevention program. In November, the state verified the first two farms to complete the MAEAP Farmstead System - the second system most recently launched in MAEAP's three-prong program. At the core of the Farmstead System is Farm-A-Syst, a program to assess how effectively farmstead structures, management practices and site conditions protect water from potential contamination.

Earlier this month, Chester attended the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Annual Meeting and proposed that all new CAFOs be required to receive individual NPDES permits. Farmers serving as MFB policy-markers voted to oppose the idea and reinforce their support of MAEAP and Michigan's general permit program.

Water
Farmers also spent the better part of 2003 concerned about agricultural water use and the potential for new restrictions and fees. MFB was successful in seeing that two bills signed by the governor took into consideration agricultural interests.

The first bill, House Bill 4087 introduced by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Midland), attempts to minimize water use conflicts between high-capacity water users and the public by directing the state to act as a third-party mediator.

"Farms that irrigate generally are high-water users, making them targets for potential water use conflicts," said MFB Legislative Counsel Rob Anderson. "We supported this legislation because it aims to mediate and resolve conflicts, not automatically point blame or restrict water use."

The second bill, Senate Bill 289 introduced by Rep. Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck), directs the state to implement a water use reporting system and create a statewide groundwater inventory and map with data collected from water users exceeding 100,000 gallons per day. MFB had objected to original language in the bill that simply aimed to regulate high water consumption and lacked supporting data.

Another success came in November, when the Michigan Commission of Agriculture unanimously approved a set of Generally Accepted Agriculture and Management Practices (GAAMPs) for irrigation water use. The action was sought by MFB and other agricultural organizations in response to growing questions about irrigation water use and pending legislation for water use reporting. The irrigation GAAMPs do not recommend water volume limits; rather, they provide direction in how farmers can use water resources wisely.

As the year comes to a close, farmers are keeping tabs on the ongoing dispute over groundwater withdrawals by the Ice Mountain bottled-water plant in Mecosta County. The concern is whether a permanent halt to operations there could become precedent-setting for agricultural water use.

Land Use
The formation of the governor's Michigan Land Use Leadership Council, of which MFB President Wayne H. Wood was appointed to, directed attention statewide to farmland preservation and urban sprawl.

In the end, the Council developed more than 160 recommendations designed to address the long-term consequences of unplanned and unmanaged growth. Based on the report, the governor outlined her own initiatives, stating, "Our interest in bolstering the state's economy through new business growth must be balanced with our need to preserve the best of Michigan - our farmland, our beaches, our waterways, and our forests."

Farmland preservation was also a high priority during the year in individual communities. With help from the Macomb County Farm Bureau and the Michigan Farmland and Community Alliance, a local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program for farmland preservation was developed in Armada, Bruce, Ray and Richmond townships, marking Michigan's first township-organized PDR program.

Meanwhile in Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor voters passed the groundbreaking Proposal B by a 2-to-1 margin, extending an existing 0.5-mill parks levy to 30 years and committing two-thirds of its annual revenue toward the purchase of development rights on open land on both sides of the city limits. In neighboring Ann Arbor Township, voters passed a complementary measure, approving 3-to-1 a new 0.7-mill levy devoted solely to the purchase of development rights on high-risk parcels just outside the city.

State budget
No one could escape talk about the 2003 state budget crisis, and nearly everyone worried whether the state programs they valued would be put on the financial chopping block. Thus far, baseline funding for the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has been reduced from $45 million to $31.5 million in the last three years. The governor's most recent executive order directs MDA to cut an additional $1.1 million, and further reductions are anticipated for the 2004 fiscal year budget.

The agriculture industry remains concerned about whether MDA will be able to effectively carry out its duties governing food safety and animal and plant health, and whether farmers will be forced to compensate for the budget losses by paying new or increased fees for services that benefit the general public.

Meanwhile, supporters of the Agricultural Enhancement Package, or "racino" legislation, continue to rally in support of the legislation as a new revenue source for the state's ailing budget and an impetus for the struggling horse racing industry.

The legislation would allow the state's seven horse racetracks to add video gaming, with revenue from the expanded gaming split between funds to support horse racing and funds to support the agriculture industry in addition to K-12 education and the city of Detroit. Without the opportunity to expand gaming options at the tracks, proponents say the state's horse racing industry cannot compete with Michigan casinos.

One of the biggest shows of support for the legislation came in October, when more than 100 people in the equine industry crowded a Senate committee meeting in Lansing to testify in support of the bills. The public turnout was so great that the room was over capacity, forcing the crowd of horse owners, breeders, trainers, racers and veterinarians to spill over into other meeting rooms.

Crops and marketing
Many factors ranging from rainfall variability to a split planting season that allowed some crops to go in the ground early and others late made 2003 a mixed bag for the state's farmers. Overall, though, the year was a rebound for most commodities in terms of yields and market prices.

Corn, for instance, yielded 129 bushels an acre, just shy one bushel from a 130-bushel record set in 1999. On the other hand, soybeans, at 27 bushels an acre, took a huge dive from last year's average yield of 38.5 bushels an acre. And dry beans averaged a 1,500-pound yield, down from 1,850 pounds an acre in 2002.

The apple crop, at an estimated 990 million pounds, is up 490 million pounds from the weather-devastated crop of 2002. If realized, the 2003 crop will tie the largest per-acre yield on record.

Meanwhile, 2003 tart cherry production was forecast at 150 million pounds. That compares with last year's weather-devastated crop of 15 million pounds, which was the lowest since 1945. The sweet cherry forecast is 9,000 tons, representing more than a three-fold increase from 2002.

The year also saw asparagus prices return to their historic levels after dramatic price declines the past two years. Several factors during the year also led to price increases for beef and poultry products as well as eggs, with beef hitting record-highs and eggs a 20-year high.

In the marketing arena, the industry celebrated the Oct. 1 opening of the Michigan State University Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources and the center's receipt of a nearly $1 million federal grant that was among only 10 issued nationwide to establish agricultural innovation centers.

The product center is a network of professionals who work to help farmers, business owners and entrepreneurs develop new products and ventures that add value to the state's agriculture and natural resource commodities.

The center is one link to a chain of resources being developed by a broad coalition of agricultural supporters known as the Michigan Partnership for Product Agriculture.

• CAFOs - Scott Piggott, Agricultural Ecology Department manager, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2021; Megan Wheaton, agricultural ecology specialist, ext. 2026; or Ernie Birchmeier, livestock and dairy specialist, ext. 2024
• Water - Rob Anderson, legislative counsel, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2046 or Scott Piggott, Agricultural Ecology Department manager, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2021
• Land use - Jim Fuerstenau, Michigan Farmland and Community Alliance executive director, (800) 292-2680, ext. 6550 or Rob Anderson, legislative counsel, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2046
• State budget - Ron Nelson, State Governmental Affairs Department manager, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2043 or Tonia Ritter, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2048
• Crops and marketing - Bob Boehm, Commodity and Marketing Department manager, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2023 or Ken Nye, horticultural and forestry specialist, ext. 2020

A PAL grant received last year helped MFCA -- a Michigan Farm Bureau affiliate dedicated exclusively to farmland preservation -- develop a survey called "What Michigan Wants." The survey has respondents rate their preferences to a series of 80 pictures that represent different land use patterns and development designs. Results of the survey are due in late January.

The newest PAL grant will enable MFCA to scale down and modify the survey so that it can be used at local levels to stimulate discussions about the types of land uses people would prefer in their own communities.

"In conducting the 'What Michigan Wants' survey over the past year, we learned that even more valuable than a blanket, statewide analysis of the results are the local discussions," said Kurt Norgaard, MFCA Research, Outreach and Program consultant. "They say a picture's worth a thousand words, and when people can visualize confusing terms like 'mixed use' or 'high-density' and actually talk about them, you easily get a thousand words and more.

"You're invoking people's emotions and their passions, and something one person says may trigger a thought by another person. It's a higher level of engagement where people also learn about themselves in the process."

MFCA will use its Land Use Action Network of county Farm Bureau Land Use committees to determine where local meetings should be held to facilitate the discussions.

Norgaard expects the project, known as "Clear Visions," to provide valuable public input for local decision-making.

"Looking at zoning information on paper is a lot different than seeing an image of what a certain zoning pattern might actually look like," he said. "The Michigan Farmland and Community Alliance believes better information makes for better decision-making locally, and the 'Clear Visions' project provides communities with key information."

Another component of the grant will allow MFCA to target a new set of people -- the next generation of homebuyers. The organization will work with Soji Adelaja, the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Use Policy at Michigan State University, who is developing a student practicum to focus on land use preferences among young people.

"Baby boomers were the most common respondents to our 'What Michigan Wants' survey, but we also want to know what younger generations like and dislike," said Norgaard. "Would their preferences for high-density developments, for example, match those of their parents or grandparents?"

Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, PAL is a funding source for organizations working on land use education, leadership development, planning model identification and land use policy. The MFCA grant was one of 18 grants totaling more than $1.3 million recently awarded by PAL.

Authorized as part of the 2002 farm bill, the Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grants program fosters the development of new products and markets for agriculturally based products.

In Michigan, six grant applications were approved, totaling $621,081. They are:

• Coveyou Farms LLC, $49,250, to execute a business plan to enter the value-added fall flower and decorative ornamental market.
• Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative, $55,574, to develop and expand the market for value-added turkey products among fast-food consumers who are becoming more health conscious.
• Michigan Sugar Co., $74,120, to analyze the feasibility of using sugar processing plants owned and operated by Michigan Sugar for ethanol production.
• Michigan Apple Committee, $71,600, to conduct concentrated, in-depth marketplace and consumer research to better understand consumer wants and opportunities.
• Michigan Edible Bean Cooperative, $247,175, to clean, bag, ship and process navy, pinto, black and red dry beans into flour, most likely for gluten-free products.
• Graceland Fruit Inc., $123,362, to develop a market assessment and tactical plan for the infused and infused dried vegetable business.

The board is made up of 108 members representing 35 states, four units and importers. USDA selects appointees from cattle producers and importers nominated by organizations representing beef, dairy, veal and importer interests.

The board is authorized by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985. It oversees collection of the $1-per-head checkoff assessments, certifies and reviews Qualified State Beef Councils, administers the Beef Checkoff Program and evaluates programs funded at the national level.

"A major piece of that legislation is a new program to create health savings accounts," said Wolff. "The farmer can then take an amount up to his deductible and save that tax-free in a health savings account. The money can stay there tax-free, and if he spends it for medical care, he never pays taxes on it."

To qualify, deductibles must be at least $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for families. Health savings accounts are available to both self-employed individuals as well as individuals who have health insurance through their employers, said Wolff.

"This is good news for farmers and ranchers," she said. "Healthcare costs for our nation's agricultural producers have been skyrocketing. We need every idea that we can come up with to help farmers get affordable healthcare, and health savings accounts will be a big help."

Contact: Pat Wolff, (202) 406-3670

The designation requires any producers within this circle to undergo a whole herd test within six months of the establishment of the area. In this case, small portions of Crawford and Ogemaw counties are also included, though there are only about 20 farms in the entire designation area.

A portion of the circle also extends into Oscoda County, but because the county is already designated as "High Risk," testing requirements will not change there.

Roscommon County is part of the state's TB "Disease Free (buffer) Zone," where two whole herd tests were required before the end of 2003. The other two counties are located in the state's TB "Surveillance Zone," which means that herds in these counties are to undergo whole herd tests every two years. As such, the new testing requirement may be waived for producers who have had their herd tested within the last six months.

Area producers will be notified by MDA via mail or visit if they must test. Those with questions may contact the MDA Atlanta regional office at (888) 565-8626.

The action is not expected to affect Michigan's application for federal split-state TB status

There are about 15,000 Christmas tree growers in North America and more than 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry.

It can take as many as 15 years for a tree to grow to six feet, the average retail sale height, but the average growing time is seven years.

There are about one million acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.

There are approximately 30 million real Christmas trees sold in North America every year. Approximately 330,000 real Christmas trees are sold via e-commerce or catalog and shipped mail-order.

For every real Christmas tree harvested, two to three seedlings are planted in its place the following spring. In the spring of 2002, more than 65 million real Christmas tree seedlings were planted.

The top selling Christmas trees are: balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and white pine.