Web 2010
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01/18/11Quiet Flows the Potomac● Last week while I was in Washington, D. C., members of the 112th Congress, still in the midst of getting organized under a new majority, were chilled both by the cold winter temperatures and the attack in Arizona on one of their colleagues. While I think the use of reckless, incendiary language will be tamped down for some time, spirited partisan arguments over important policy issues will not be stilled. The atmosphere on Capitol Hill will warm, quickly re-heated (but I hope not over-heated) by such friction, which is at the heart of a healthy, functioning democracy.● With international trade policy being important to the tree fruit industry, it was good to see Congressman Dave Reichert (Washington/R) appointed to the Trade Subcommittee of the House of Representatives’... |
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01/03/11Starting Afresh● The 112th Congress officially convenes on Wednesday, allowing for the official swearing-in of members and other ceremonial functions this week. Reducing the size and cost of government will be the primary aim over the next two years of the new majority in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. Look for March 4 to be an important early date in the budget-cutting process, this being the deadline for passing a new spending bill to keep the federal government running—an issue kicked down the road during last month’s Lame Duck session.● Likely areas of work in 2011 for those of us who represent tree fruit growers and packers on federal policy issues will include trade (Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs and various pending free-trade agreements,... |
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12/21/10The Lame Duck VIThe 111th Congress relentlessly continues its final legislative dance.● Of main interest to our growers and shippers is today’s passage by the House of Representatives of the “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.” It now goes directly to President Obama for his certain signature. We are now past the time of wondering about amendments, exemptions, and the tortuous legislative path of this controversial bill. It is now time to start work on this new federal law’s proper implementation. The NHC will work with the Pacific Northwest Food Safety Committee on a deciduous tree fruit industry approach to science-based food safety standards for both orchards and packinghouses.● This past Saturday, an immigration measure, known as the DREAM Act, failed in the U.S. Senate.... |
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12/17/10The Lame Duck V● The end of the 111th Congress is in sight. At worse, it will expire January 4. More likely it will find its natural end prior to Christmas Day.● Late last night, the House of Representatives finally passed a major and controversial tax bill, H.R. 4853, and sent it to the President for his signature today. Fears about passing down the family farm should ease with the adoption of a $5 million exemption level from federal estate taxation. Also, included is a continuation of the IC-DISC tax preference, one that helps small exporters, including some in our tree fruit industry.● Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave up on trying to pass a complicated and, many said bloated, Continuing Resolution on spending, which was primarily aimed at keeping the U.S. government open and... |
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12/13/10The Lame Duck IV● The 111th Congress continues its slow, staggering limp toward final adjournment, perhaps ending its active life by mid-next week. A quick state-of-play for issues of special interest to the tree fruit industry: FDA food safety reform is now highly likely, given S. 510’s embedment in a must-pass spending measure; immigration reform (the DREAM Act) is dead; the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act,” a major nutrition bill beneficial to fruit and vegetable growers was signed today by President Obama; and, a $5 million exemption is now almost certain for new federal estate taxes.● “Sustainable”—when this nebulous word is used, be on your guard, especially when used by an agency that regulates, among other things, agricultural chemicals. For example, EPA... |
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11/30/10The Lame Duck III● This morning the U.S. Senate passed S. 510, “The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act”: the vote was 73 to 25. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is likely to be accepted without change. The Northwest Horticultural Council had joined the United Fresh Produce Association and Produce Marketing Association in opposing S. 510 once it had been amended to exempt certain small businesses. This was a pure political act, at odds with a science-based regulatory system for all food sold in interstate commerce.● Voting for passage of S. 510 today were Senators Merkley and Wyden from Oregon and Senators Cantwell and Murray from Washington. Voting against were Senators Crapo and Risch of Idaho.● One of the major trade associations in Washington, D.C., is... |
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11/19/10The Lame Duck IIMembers of the 111th Congress came back to town on Tuesday for a post-election session. Today they are gone, heading back home for Thanksgiving. They will next appear on the scene the week of November 29. At that point, whatever work that is to be done will need to be done quickly since the pulse of this Congress flatlines on December 31.● Food safety legislation (S. 510) was brought before the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday. Immediately things went astray when Senator Tom Colburn of Oklahoma protested its cost and questioned its need. Then the majority’s leadership chose to adopt a controversial amendment by Senator Jon Tester of Montana that exempts small farms and community-based agriculture from federal food-safety oversight. This drove the Produce... |
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11/16/10The Lame DuckSenators and representatives shuffled back to the capital this week to conclude legislative business before all power bleeds out of the 111th Congress on December 31. They will meet this week, and likely for at least one additional week in December.Tax and budget bills will dominate the agenda, but the national produce industry is also interested in the fate of three other pending bills: food safety, childhood nutrition, and immigration (the Dream Act). I think all face steep, uphill climbs before enactment into law.Every election cycle produces winners and losers, with the one on November 2 ousting more incumbents than usual. Beyond the obvious change in elected officials is the hard reality now facing all the young, talented staffers who had hitched their star to a now-defeated member... |
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11/05/10Elections 2010: The Senate● Three United States senators from the Pacific Northwest were up for reelection on Tuesday and all won: Senator Mike Crapo (R) in Idaho, Senator Ron Wyden (D) in Oregon, and Senator Patty Murray (D) in Washington.● One significant change in the Senate when it meets in January will be a shift in the chairmanship of its Agriculture Committee. Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D) lost her election in Arkansas on Tuesday and, thus, leadership of this committee is in play. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) of Michigan, someone close to the fruit and vegetable industry, would like to succeed Senator Lincoln, but others might step in, such as Senator Kent Conrad (D) of North Dakota. The Senate’s version of the next Farm Bill will be fashioned in this committee.● It is difficult to see how any... |
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11/03/10Election 2010: Various Observations● Among the more obscure state-level elections, there were two of special interest to national agricultural policy people. In Florida, Adam Putnam, a relatively young member of Congress, easily won the post of commissioner of agriculture. Mr. Putnam has been an effective leader on national fruit and vegetable issues and has exhibited significant political talent in Washington, D.C. This will not be his last win: I think he likely will be a future U.S. senator or governor of Florida.■ In Iowa, there was a conventional agriculture candate (Bill Northey) versus a “sustainable movement” agricultural candidate (Francis Thicke) for the elected position of Iowa’s secretary of agriculture. This race was highlighted in a The Atlantic blog in late October as a tight race... Posted at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
11/03/10Elections 2010: The HouseThe 112th Congress will convene in January, 2011, with a solid Republican majority in the House of Representatives. John Boehner of Ohio will likely be the new Speaker, replacing Nancy Pelosi of California. Yesterday’s national election brought few changes to the make-up of the sixteen member delegation serving in the House from the Pacific Northwest. In Idaho conservative Walt Minneck (D) lost to Raul Labrador (R). In Washington, Jaime Herrera (R) picked up the open seat in the 3rd District created by the retiring Brain Baird (D). Rick Larsen (D) is in a tight race to retain his 2nd District seat. John Koster may yet beat Mr. Larsen. No changes in Oregon.In the 112th, greater political power will flow to Doc Hastings (R/WA) who is set to become chairman of the... |
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10/27/10PMA/United: A Dark View● The two major trade associations for the nation’s fruit and vegetable industry are the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and the United Fresh Produce Association (United), with the NHC active in each. The two have overlapping, but not entirely congruent, goals and missions that serve to drive a healthy competiveness (optimistic view) or a wasteful duplication of effort (dark view).Three PMA/United items caught my eye this past month: (1) next year United’s popular Washington Public Policy Conference is set for the week of October 3. This timing puts it one week in advance of PMA’s 2011 convention in Atlanta, which is scheduled to start on October 14. Usually these two big industry events are about a month apart, which allows for easier attendance at both for... |
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10/20/10PMA in OrlandoOver the past weekend, I attended the Produce Marketing Association’s annual convention. Most people attend to advance their firm’s commercial interests. They market, promote, and try to make direct contact with that elusive person, a major retail-chain executive responsible for produce sales.So why was I in Orlando? I don’t sell or buy product. It wasn’t to attend Disney World or see the sights. My radius of operation was the Orange County Convention Center and the hotel, where I stayed, across the street.In addition to their more direct and obvious commercial aspects, these modern day fairs bring people together from throughout the country and allow for side meetings and informal conversations related to policy issues of concern to our tree-fruit industry... |
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10/12/10Farm BillThe Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report on September 29 that previews certain funding issues that Congress will face when drafting the next multi-year Farm Bill. The report points out 37 current agriculture programs that will need budgetary off-sets if they are to continue beyond the present Farm Bill, legislation that is set to expire at the end of September 2012. Given it is highly unlikely that the next Congress will have more money to spend on agriculture—and probably less—it will be difficult for the supporters of these 37 programs to avoid their being on the fiscal chopping block. At the very least, they will be under extreme scrutiny. (Which all federal programs should be, in any event.)The good news for the tree fruit industry is that 75% of the... |
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10/11/10A Vacuous TermPart of my work involves keeping track of actions by federal agencies that may affect the work of our fruit growers, shippers, and marketers. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced proposed revisions to its “Green Guides”, which cover product advertising aimed at consumers. Here, the flexible netherworld of eco-marketing is the focus of regulatory concern.What does the FTC have to say about such terms as “organic” and “sustainability”? For “organic”, it leaves regulatory oversight to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For “sustainability” it ducks the issue.“The Commission …is unable to provide specific advice on sustainable as an environmental marketing claim. Unlike other claims we tested, the term... |
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10/04/10The Food in FDAAlong with Mark Powers of our staff, I visited the White Oak Campus of the Food and Drug Administration on September 16. White Oak is in Maryland on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. On our way to it, we passed the Soldiers’ Home, where President Lincoln spent a good deal of time escaping the summer heat that enveloped the lower-in-elevation White House, which is located some three miles distant. It was at the White House in 1862 that Willie Lincoln, 11, died, after consuming contaminated drinking water.Food safety was our reason for our going to White Oak on the 16th. After clearing security, we met there with Murray Lumpkin, FDA’s deputy commissioner for international programs and six of his colleagues. Over the course of the next ninety minutes, we exchanged ideas about... |
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09/28/10Heading Out of Town● Congress will adjourn sometime between now and October 8—perhaps as early as this Friday. Issues, such as immigration reform and food safety, probably will either be handled in a lame-duck session after the November 2 election, or put off until the start of the new 112th Congress, which forms next January.● The appearance last Friday by comedian Stephen Colbert before a subcommittee of the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee probably helped the general public’s awareness of the need for a legal agricultural workforce, but did further harm to the serious policy-making image of the House and drove additional distance between Democratic and Republican members of Congress on the red-hot emotional immigration issue. Cute stunts often misfire.● Terry... |
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09/27/10On the BlockCongress, in 2008, expanded the traditional scope of its multi-year Farm Bill to include a number of initiatives to help producers of fruits, vegetables, and other “minor” crops. Among these initiatives is the specialty crop block grant program. While the broad scope of this program is supervised by USDA, its detailed administration is by state departments of agriculture—the aim being to push project decision-making away from Washington, D.C., and closer to the field.Last Thursday USDA announced its Fiscal Year 2010 awards based on recommendations made by the states. (In general, funding for each state is made on an allocation formula based on the value of specialty crop production within that state.) Nationally about $55 million has been set aside to fund 827... |
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09/22/10Busted DreamsToday, the top legislative issue in Washington, D.C., is S. 3454, the bill funding our military. While of great importance to the nation, this is a matter ordinarily not followed by agriculture. However, Majority Leader Harry Reid has injected immigration policy, specifically the DREAM Act, into this year’s appropriations debate. He seeks to amend S. 3454 by adding the DREAM Act.The DREAM Act would give certain undocumented immigrant students who have lived in our country for a long time, graduated from a high school here, and who will be going on to college—a legal status for their stay in the United States. In more calm times, this proposed law might pass without too much comment: people usually support giving a good kid a new chance in life.These are not calm times. We... |
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09/07/10IC-DISCsCongress is set to reconvene on Monday, September 13. Given weekends, religious observances, and the usual political derailments, there will be few substantial legislative opportunities between next Monday and when members leave sometime in mid-October for the final sprint of this year’s election campaign.President Obama is calling for major new tax incentives to jolt the economy to life. Republicans, with an eye to November 2, say they will block any measure that does not extend all of President Bush’s tax cuts.While this high-stakes tax game is over my head, I did spend time today participating in a conference call—led by a tax policy expert, Brian Reardon of Venn Strategies in Washington, D.C.—of a national coalition of companies and associations interested... |
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09/03/10Spending ProposalsToday’s Yakima Herald-Republic reports that the Central Washington State Fair Association is shopping the idea of a $200 million project to renew its aged fairgrounds. The pitch is to create an “Agri-Fair of the Americas” involving an “agriculture-based symposium series” focusing on “ joint efforts to solve food problems around the world.” Money is to come from yet unidentified federal and state government sources.In two weeks, I will be in Washington, D.C., for a conference of the United Fresh Produce Association. One of United’s major projects is to have Congress adopt the idea of “a salad bar in every school.” The basic equipment for one salad bar is about $3,000. There are over 100,000 public schools in the United... Posted at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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08/31/10Prime Necessity● USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is, perhaps, the federal agency closest to our work at the Northwest Horticultural Council. We often work with its professionals over their entire careers, following them as issues dictate and as they serve either at various foreign posts or in Washington, D.C. Word comes this week that several are now retiring, including our FAS friends Deb Henke, Frank Lee, David Young, and Suzanne Hale.● The convoluted nature of Russia’s mixed controlled/free economy is evidenced by a report issued in July by FAS. It appears the Russian Federation has approved a resolution establishing maximum allowable retail prices for certain types of food. “Socially important foodstuffs” of “prime necessity” encompass some 24 items:... |
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08/16/10Man of IdeasDavid Broder, the dean of syndicated columnists on national politics, writes today about interviewing USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. It is a laudatory piece motivated mainly by Mr. Broder’s belief that the work of a good politician is being unfairly lost from the public’s sight due to one highly publicized incident, here Secretary Vilsack’s ill-advised firing of USDA employee Shirley Sherrod.To me, what is of interest here is not the Sherrod story. It is what Secretary Vilsack cited to David Broder as his main game plan at USDA over the past 18 months: reducing poverty in rural America, mainly that of non-farmers. His emphasis, among other things, being on “creating local food markets for local products, expanding broadband, promoting outdoor recreation, and even... |
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08/11/10Miller TimeBrianne Miller, legislative director for U.S. Representative Doc Hastings (Washington State), visited the Northwest Horticultural Council yesterday morning. A native of Florida, this proved to be the first opportunity for Ms. Miller to spend some time seeing local orchards and the general lay of the land in the Upper Yakima Valley. She is youthful, smart and in possession of good judgment. And, like so many who work on Capitol Hill and fit this profile, she is married to one of similar interests; in her case, to the chief of staff to another Washington State member of the United States Congress, Representive Dave Reichert. To help me with this tour, I drafted my nephew, Donny Schlect, who is a field respresentative for Highland Fruit Growers. The three of us departed by... |
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08/06/10Movement in D.C.Chuck Todd, the respected political analyst at NBC, this week issued his ratings for all United States Senate races. In the Pacific Northwest, the Washington seat now held by Patty Murray is rated a “toss-up, with finger-on-scales to D”; the Oregon seat now held by Ron Wyden is a solid D; and the Idaho seat now held by Mike Crapo is a solid R.Today is Staci Lancaster’s last day working on legislative policy in Washington, D.C. After working almost twelve years on Capitol Hill, first for Congressman Hastings of Washington, and more recently with Senator Crapo of Idaho, she leaves to live in Wyoming with her husband, Arlen. With her responsibilities covering immigration and agricultural issues, the NHC was frequently in contact with the highly capable Ms. Lancaster.Also... |
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08/02/10An Icy Food FightThe timely reauthorization of a federal child nutrition law is supported by a broad spectrum of people and organizations, from First Lady Michelle Obama to the United Fresh Produce Association. If a new bill is not enacted by this September 30th, the final day of the government’s current fiscal year, existing legislation on this topic will lapse.On July 15 an amendment was adopted to H.R. 5504, “The Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act,” by the House’s Committee on Education & Labor that would make it permissible for frozen fruit to be added to a specific school nutrition program, one especially designed for fresh fruits and vegetables. The United Fresh Produce Association was not amused.The local angle is this: the controversial amendment... |
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07/27/10The AllianceOn Monday, I participated in a board meeting of the Alliance for Food and Farming, a non-profit organization formed in 1989 and based in California. It is set up to help specialty crop farmers communicate to the public on issues related to food safety and care of the land. The Alliance’s chairman of the board is Matt McInerney of Western Growers, and its two key staff members are Marilyn Dolan and Teresa Thorne.A timely example of the work of the Alliance is its effort to counteract the unwarranted influence given by the general media to the annual “Dirty Dozen” campaign of the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington, D.C. The EWG loathes synthetic pesticides and would like to see all food uses of them banned. To further its agenda, it annually publishes a... |
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07/23/10Produce Safety● The Produce Partnership Among Industry and Regulators (PAIR) is an informal group made up of leaders of certain fruit and vegetable trade associations and officials of government, primarily the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It holds regular quarterly conference call meetings to exchange information on food safety issues of current importance. Dr. Dave Gombas of the United Fresh Produce Association in Washington, D.C., takes the lead in organizing this national communications network that includes the Northwest Horticultural Council and USApple. I view PAIR as an important vehicle to assist the Northwest Horticultural Council in keeping abreast of the important happenings in the complicated and fast-changing field of produce food safety. PAIR met this past Wednesday with the... |
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07/16/10Jerry HillToday is the last day at the office for Jerry Hill.Few in the Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry probably have met or even know of Mr. Hill, but he has been an effective advocate on produce industry issues in the nation’s capital for the past several decades. The start of his career included a stint on Capitol Hill with Senator John Tunney of California. Afterwards, he moved to USDA where, as a political appointee, he was a deputy assistant secretary of agriculture responsible for such agencies as the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.An attorney, Mr. Hill eventually moved from USDA to private practice, with most of his clients coming from agriculture and many of these involved with fruits and vegetables. Of late, he has been... |
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07/06/10The Pear Is RipeI find it interesting the number of times reference is made to our tree fruits, such as apples, pears, and cherries, in political discussions or in reporting on political events. In future postings to The Wind Machine, I intend to occasionally give evidence of this observation of mine. Sometimes I will mine quotes from recent newspaper or magazine articles, and at other times from history books.My first example is from history and refers to Otto Von Bismarck, who, for over a quarter of century, was the acknowledged political leader of the lands that ultimately became known as the German Empire. How was the future Iron Chancellor first called to high office in Berlin? It seems King William in 1862 was somewhat shaky politically and needed strengthening, so his Minister of War took it... |
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06/29/10Senator ByrdMonday saw the death of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, who, at age 92, died with the distinction of being the person who served the longest time as a member of Congress.Senator Byrd was known as one dedicated to bringing federal dollars home. From his seat on the Appropriations Committee, he tenaciously made sure that West Virginia was dotted with federal buildings and paved with federal highway projects. To his mind, all the better if they bore his name; examples, among many, being the Robert C. Byrd Expressway and the Robert C. Byrd Federal Correctional Institution.One would think that our Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry would have little interaction with Senator Byrd and one would generally be correct. However, there is one funding issue that may be... |
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06/18/10BPNow the subject of contentious hearings on Capital Hill, the British Petroleum oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico provides some lessons for those who grow, pack, and ship tree fruit. For example, in terms of crisis management planning, each packing plant and sales agency ought to have a designated spokesman identified should the worst happen. And, a good regulatory attorney on call.I think the responsible prevention or mitigation of reasonably foreseeable risks is the best working policy for our companies. (Don’t drill a deep water oil well without knowing how to cap it quickly should the worst happen.) Like all oil companies, all food companies are under special scrutiny by consumers and the media. For Big Oil, it is due to the possibility of serious environmental harm. For... |
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06/08/10BPA● U.S. Senate consideration of food safety reform legislation, S. 510, is still pending. One reason for this delay is a proposed amendment by Senator Diane Feinstein of California that would ban a chemical (bisphenol) from use in consumer packaging. This controversial amendment is strongly opposed by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and others concerned with Congress overriding the regulatory process on such a technical issue and given the disputed science relied on by those seeking the ban. Another reason for the postponement of legislative debate is today’s primary in Nevada that has absorbed a good deal of the time and attention of a weakened majority leader, Harry Reid.● The initials BPA, while known to most in the Pacific Northwest as standing for the Bonneville... |
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05/27/10Politics—II● Dino Rossi (R) announced Wednesday that he is in the race to acquire the U.S. Senate seat now held by Patty Murray (D-Washington), who is running for a fourth term. Immediately, this becomes a campaign that gains national attention, given that Senator Murray was thought to have an easy path to re-election. While Mr. Rossi still must beat some other Republican candidates, notably Eastern Washington farmer and former NFLer Clint Didier, in the primary on August 17, he is the instant favorite to be on this fall’s ballot against Senator Murray. This is not withstanding the announcement last week that Sarah Palin, and presumably many others loosely affiliated with the Tea Party, are supporting Mr. Didier. One sure, practical effect of today’s news will be an escalation in... |
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05/19/10Politics● Oregon held its primary elections on Tuesday with few surprises at the federal level. James Huffman, who teaches law at Lewis & Clark College, has the Republican nomination to take on an incumbent, United States Senator Ron Wyden (D), in the fall. I believe Senator Wyden will be reelected on November 2. ● President Felipe Calderon of Mexico is in Washington, D.C., today on a state visit. His early discussions with President Obama focused on cross-border issues such as drugs, immigration, and the NAFTA trucking dispute. Hopes went unfulfilled that this meeting would serve as the opportunity to announce a settlement of the trucking dispute that has led to higher Mexican tariffs on U.S. products, including our cherries and pears. The Teamsters union has driven this negative... |
05/13/10The Fruits of ObesityThe White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity on May 11 released its report: “Solving The Problem Of Childhood Obesity Within A Generation.” It is 120 pages in length and does not read like a novel. “Empowering” is a favored word.However, there is good news for our part of agriculture in that the report repeatedly boosts the idea of increasing produce consumption. Along with less sugar in children’s diets, there should be more fruits and vegetables: “Currently, children and adolescents consume far lower quantities of fruits and vegetables than recommended in the Dietary Guidelines. On average, children consumed only 64% of the recommended levels of fruit….” One way to overcome this problem, the report says, is by providing... |
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05/06/10The Hill's HuskyYesterday, Representative David Obey (D) of Wisconsin announced he would not seek re-election. This has set the political world of Washington, D.C. into a spin, because it presents an opportunity for Republicans to possibly pick up a seat in that party’s quest for a majority in the next Congress and because Mr. Obey is currently the long-time chairman of the House’s Appropriations Committee.The connection to the Pacific Northwest is the person waiting in the wings for the purple robe that will drape the shoulders of the gold dispensing next chairman of Appropriations: Norm Dicks.Representative Dicks, hard working and highly respected, stands next in line in terms of seniority for the chairmanship of this powerful committee.To gain the chairmanship of Appropriations in 2011,... |
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05/04/10Foot in MouthIn April, the United States and Brazil reached an understanding on a trade dispute involving the U.S. cotton program. This served to delay, but not solve, the underlying dispute, which by indirect action had threatened to hamper U.S. cherry and pear exports to Brazil as a result of proposed retaliatory tariffs. While good news for our industry, the understanding did contain a provision that is troubling to me.In this provision, the U.S. agreed to publish a proposed rule recognizing an area of Brazil to be free of foot-and-mouth disease and similar diseases that have prevented fresh beef from being exported to the U.S. What is troubling is the overt linking of a technical S&P (sanitary and phytosanitary) issue with the resolution of a general trade policy dispute. S&P issues... |
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04/28/10A Sour Apple Tree● At a meeting last Thursday in Las Vegas of about fifteen principals of industry associations and commissions, it was decided that the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance will continue as the vehicle for the nation’s specialty crop industry in addressing the development of a new federal Farm Bill. The Northwest Horticultural Council will continue to serve on the steering committee of the Alliance, along with such other groups as United Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, National Potato Council, American Nursery & Landscape Association, United States Apple Association, and WineAmerica. Hearings are already being planned for the next multi-year Farm Bill, with an idea of having new... |
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04/12/10Beltway BreezesLast week’s retirement announcement by Justice John Paul Stevens makes it even more unlikely that comprehensive immigration reform will be enacted prior to this fall’s election. |
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04/09/10Visitors from Room 1203 LHOBLHOB in the political world of Washington, D.C. signifies Longworth House Office Building, one of three principal office building serving the House of Representatives. It is located on Independence Avenue, within easy walking to the House wing of the United States Capitol.Room 1203 LHOB is the office of Representative Doc Hastings, who has represented the 4th District of Washington since 1994.Late this week the Northwest Horticultural Council hosted separate visits by two who work out of Room 1203 LHOB. Yesterday, Mr. Hastings stopped by our office to discuss a trucking issue with Mexico that has adversely impacted our industry’s pear sales, and met with nearby pear industry leaders Rob Stewart, Rod Matson, and Don Gibson. Also, at the one-half hour meeting were the NHC’s... |
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04/06/10Obama appointments could energize trade policy issues.While we have a population in this country of 307 million people, the subset of Americans with direct experience in agricultural trade policy work is quite limited. When you work in this area for many years, you often run into friends or acquaintances. Two examples: Dr. Isi Siddiqui (acquaintance) and Janet Nuzum (friend) Siddiqui was given a recess appointment on March 28 by President Obama to be chief U.S. agricultural negotiator with the Office of the United States Trade Representative. His regular nomination had stalled before the U.S. Senate and this was a way to get him to work immediately without waiting for normal confirmation procedures. While most recently at CropLife America, a national agricultural chemical association, Siddiqui had previously interacted... |
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04/01/10IntroductionOccasional thoughts on the politics and activities of Washington, D.C. as they may have relevance to our tree fruit industry. |
