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2009 Goals & Resolutions
Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers . . .

…Should empower growers with information and communication technology that allows them to remain independent while working together in the marketplace, to improve net income.

…Supports the creation and financing of integrated, farmer-owned processing and marketing systems that allows farmers to produce, process and directly offer the food and non-food products that customers around the world demand.

…Supports state and federal funding for assistance in the continued support and development of rural value added projects i.e. AURI.

…Supports increased government funding and enhanced government policies for all export and ag programs that maximize net income, including wheat donations to keep the food in Food Aid. (2008 EY)

…Supports overseas market development programs carried out by the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council and U.S. Wheat Associates both funded by check-off dollars.

…Supports biotechnology and encourage millers, bakers, and consumers to accept the use of biotechnology to improve wheat production and wheat end use qualities. (2006)

…Urges that the U.S. and the World Trade Organization (WTO) resolve non-uniform standards (i.e. chemical registrations/prices, Genetically Enhanced Organisms [GEO] issues), and unreasonable sanitary/phytosanitary tolerance levels used to obstruct international grain trade.

…Supports the continuation of the Hard Red Spring Classification.

…Supports strong and decisive trade negotiations that eliminate unfair trading practices.

…Supports the use of renewable energy i.e. bio-diesel, ethanol, wind, and their byproducts.

…Supports the State of Minnesota purchasing multi-fuel vehicles and using E-85 and bio-diesel.

…Opposes state and local level regulation or labeling of biotech-derived products

…Supports changes in the delivery specifications of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange Spring Wheat Contracts, to make it reflect the milling and export specifications currently in use.

…Supports improved settlement methods on wheat futures contracts that allows for better convergence of cash and futures markets. (revised 2008 EY)

…Support the state certification of equipment that is used to determine grain quality and grade.

…Urges U.S. trade negotiators to demand that other countries honor existing trade agreements. MAWG opposes the inclusion of any commodity in any bilateral trade negotiations, which fail to address the market and trade distorting policies and programs that are prevalent in the world market. MAWG believes true reform of market distorting policies of other countries should properly occur as part of the World Trade Organization negotiating process.

…Supports permanent funding for Minnesota Department of Agriculture international marketing activities.

…Supports removal of the restrictions on biotech wheat deliveries from their Spring Wheat contract specifications of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. (2007 JK)

…MAWG shall work to expose the false food versus fuel debate. (2008 PJ)

…MAWG expresses concern as to the ever increasing consolidation occurring in all aspects of production agriculture. (2008 MP)

FARM PROGRAMS AND CROP INSURANCE

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Supports implementing the 2008 Farm Bill as intended by Congress. (2008 EY)

…Supports basing the ACRE program on 2007-2008 prices. (2008 JK)

...Supports FSA providing measurement services on a farmer’s request with fees based on a per site visit and not on an individual farm unit basis. (2006) (revised 2008 EY)

…Supports extending the term of the regular grain loan program from 9 to up to 16 months.

…Supports RMA working with the wheat industry to find accurate quality loss data that can be used to reform quality adjustment factors. (revised 2008 EY)

…Supports crop insurance reform that addresses producer APH reductions due to multi-year natural disasters.

…Disaster assistance should not penalize producers who have purchased higher levels of crop insurance.

…Supports additional crop insurance funding to help make higher levels of coverage affordable.

…Supports that all rule and appeal committees shall accept input from all county NRCS and FSA offices and committees.

…Shrinkage should be standardized and based on FGIS actual shrink charts.

… Supports seeking legislation that creates a state indemnity fund that protects producer sales against merchandiser insolvency and is fair and equitable to all producers.

…Opposes the closing of any Minnesota FSA or NRCS offices that provides service to a significant number of producers. (2007 SP)

…Supports revenue proposals that are optional annually by producers and have county level triggers. (2007 RM)

…Supports allowing the state FSA committee to set quality adjustment factors on disaster assistance that accurately reflect market conditions at the time of harvest. (2007 PJ)

…Supports updating FSA loan limits and regulations for beginning farmers and facility loans to more accurately reflect current market conditions. (2007 CA)

...Supports crop insurance policies that ensure that the insurable yields for new landowners/renters more accurately reflect the productivity of the newly acquired land. (2007 JN)

…Supports indexing crop insurance audit triggers. (2008 EY)

…Opposes limits on how much the RA harvest price can fluctuate from the RA spring price. (2008 PJ)

… MAWG thanks Chairman Collin Peterson for his dedicated and tireless commitment to passing a Farm Bill that recognizes the value of the producers who grow the food, fiber and fuel we all need. MAWG thanks him for the countless times he met directly with us to discuss the Farm Bill details and progress. (2008 DU)

RESEARCH

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Supports the establishment of a wheat industry and consumer alliance that increases productivity and crop quality through long-term research.

…Supports university research in variety development for the benefit of consumers and producers.

…Supports the Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council’s research programs and its mandatory non-refundable check-off.

…Supports legislation that mandates producer input on U of M research programs and priorities.

…Supports state funding for the ag special at the University of Minnesota provided it is only used for agricultural purposes. i.e. experiment station, extension, 4-H.

…Supports a legislative initiative to increase base funding by $10 million for critical agricultural research programs and agricultural extension programs at the University of Minnesota, College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

...Supports maintaining production agriculture as a component of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources. (2006)

…Supports developing a regional winter wheat breeding program jointly funded by the State of North Dakota and the State of Minnesota and other potential funding sources. (2007 RM)

…Supports maintaining the in-season pest and disease survey conducted by the MN Department of Agriculture. (2008 CG)

…Supports changing the wheat check-off to .5% of the value of wheat with the majority of the additional funds to be used for wheat research. (2008 EY)

MEMBERSHIP

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Will promote and expand the cooperation among all ag groups in Minnesota to enhance the image of agriculture and to educate consumers on the importance of agriculture.

CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT (revised 2008 CG)

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Supports the adoption of incentives in the new farm bill that encourages growers to plant winter wheat in the prairie pothole region to help increase the nesting success of the U.S. duck populations. (2006)

…Supports allowing 250 acres to be eligible for the mulch till incentive under the EQIP program. (2006)

…Supports voluntary Best Management Practices and opposes regulatory policies that reduce the net income of production agriculture and weaken individual property rights.

…Supports reform of Minnesota’s eminent domain law to ensure that eminent domain is used only for public infrastructure & utility purposes and not for private economic development, conservation, habitat, or recreational purposes. (revised 2008 EY)

…Supports that all pesticide removals should be based on sound science.

…Supports the strengthening of Minnesota’s Right to Farm Law.

…Endorses an adequately funded, incentive-based, long-term conservation fund, which enhances the environment and removes fragile and marginal acres from production, such as CRP and other long-term programs that idle acres at comparable commercial rental rates. And believes additional CRP Environmental points should be given to areas which have been frequently flooded and which could temporarily hold water at different times throughout the year.

…Opposes permanent easements on agricultural land.

…Supports worthy conservation practices such as buffer strips, wildlife habitat, wetland restoration, and flood control/mitigation and MAWG will work with USDA to enhance adoption of these practices under the Continuous CRP and other such programs that do not rely on permanent easements.

…Supports maintaining the 25% maximum for the amount of a counties crop land that can be enrolled in CRP.

…Supports allowing continuous CRP to be enrolled above the 25% county max.

…Urges that CRP continue to be classified as agriculture land so that it does not have to be posted.

…Urges that CRP qualifying criteria take wind and water erosion into equal account and that adequate ranking be given for wildlife habitat benefits.

…Opposes re-establishment of base acres on CRP acres.

…Support the original determination and classification of wetlands on CRP land at the time the contract was entered into. (2006)

…Supports an environmental tax credit, which would provide an income tax credit to offset costs associated with implementing soil conservation and other environmental practices, including conservation tillage equipment.

…Supports stronger enforcement of noxious weed control on public and private land. i.e. ag land, CRP, RIM, DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Pacific Rail, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, State of MN roads and Watershed Districts, road and rail right of ways and other public lands. (revised 2008 EY, revised DL)

…Urges that all private wetlands should be under the jurisdiction of NRCS and not the Army Corp of Engineers.

… Urges the rules of Conservation Stewardship Program should take into consideration the regional differences and county needs in all management practices i.e. Winter Cereal Incentive Program.

…Opposes legislation that would give local units of governments the authority to regulate the use of fertilizer or pesticide products

…Opposes the legislature or any local units of government passing any law preventing farmers from planting seed approved by the federal government.

...Opposes efforts to restrict state registration of, or require state environmental review of, pesticide products approved by the EPA. (2006)

…Opposes legislation that places limits on or requires record keeping of commercial (non-manure) fertilizer applications.

…Opposes legislation that requires pesticide applicators to provide notice of application or that application records be made public.

…Supports the retention of current water monitoring activities in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

… Supports legislation that would add major commodity group representation to the Board of Water and Soil Resources.

…Supports and encourages direct producer participation in Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Watershed District working groups and NRCS Local Working Groups, which will have a major role in determining how conservation and environmental initiatives are implemented at the local level.

…Opposes the re-delineation of wetlands by NRCS and supports the use of the original wetland determinations for certification.

…Support MDA’s on-farm liquid fertilizer storage proposal, but opposes on-farm inspection or permit fees of any kind.

…Opposes any waiver of penalties on land that is taken out of CRP early. (2007 EY)

…Supports a voluntary DNR hunter “walk-in” program on private land provided the landowner is exempt from liability. (2007 JN)

…Supports application of pesticides by licensed applicators with no additional restrictions beyond the label. (2007 MP)

…Supports maintaining exclusive authority for the common detection program, pesticide registrations, and the regulation of pesticide and fertilizer use with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and not the Minnesota Department of Health. (2007 JN)

…Supports the use of common sense and peer-reviewed science when considering climate change legislation. (2007 JN)

…Opposes expanding the U.S. Clean Water Act beyond navigable waters. (2007 DU)

TAXES AND FEES

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Opposes new taxes, surcharges or fees that decrease net farm income and supports tax incentives that increase net farm income.

…Believes that the DNR, Fish & Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy and entities that own land should be required to pay taxes on an equal basis to that of private landowners.

…Supports a farmer IRA for liquidation of assets at the time the farmer exits the farming operation.

…Supports raising the maximum valuation eligible for Ag homestead tax credit from $600,000 to $1,000,000 or 640 acres, whichever is the higher of the two. (2007 CA)

…Supports legislation that would eliminate the requirement that farmers annually file a Special Ag Homestead credit certification. (2006 MH)

...Supports state legislation that would mirror the federal section 179 depreciation schedules and estate tax exemption. (2007 JN)

…Supports maintaining section 179 depreciation schedules and estate tax exemption at the 2008 level or higher. (2008 CA)

...Supports that the minimum state level of school funding be indexed to set at the 2002/2003 level. (2007 DL) (revised 2008 EY)

…Supports implementing an additional fertilizer checkoff fee only under the following conditions:

1. The Board’s membership be comprised only from one representative for each contributing organization.
2. No funds generated by this fertilizer checkoff goes to management or administration by the MDA or any other managing entity.
3. Fully refundable to the producer, grower or farmer.
4. Fertilizer Checkoff Fees only used for:

a. Crop Production Research;
b. Research on Nutrients relationship of fertilizer to environment;
c. Production education communications to Minnesota’s producers and general public.

TRANSPORTATION

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Supports efforts by U.S, state, county and township transportation agencies as well as private transportation companies to develop strategies that will ensure long-term efficient use of our infrastructure.

… Supports legislation that would provide for competition in the rail system.

…Supports maintaining and enhancing water transportation systems that move U.S. grain to export markets. (2007 MP)

…Supports an increase in the mileage exemption for heavy highway vehicle use tax from 7,500 miles to 20,000 miles for agricultural vehicles. (2006)

…Supports more aggressive transportation funding mechanisms. (2007 JN)

…Urges the Administration and the Legislature to approve an allocation of state bond proceeds to recapitalize the Port Development Assistance Program during the 20089 Legislative Session. (2007 JN) (revised 2008 CU)

…Supports reinstating the two-year truck inspection program. (2008 PJ)

…Supports maintaining the current ag exemptions in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules. (2008 EY)

…Supports federal legislation that would recognize reciprocity between states for interstate agricultural transportation. (2008 EY)

…Supports changes in state law that will establish guidelines and parameters for roadside inspections and weighing so as to minimize both officer discretion and grower inconvenience. (2008 EY)

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…

…Supports and encourages all wheat producers to contribute to the Minnesota Wheat PAC.