News Releases 2005

 

November 23, 2005

Grant County farmer wins Farm Bureau Achievement Award

YAKIMA – Sam Krautscheid, who farms about 300 acres in Grant County, has received the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award for 2005 from the Washington Farm Bureau.

The award is presented annually to a farmer or rancher between 18 and 35 who has demonstrated achievement in running his or her own farming operation and demonstrated leadership in Farm Bureau and the community.

Krautscheid, 30, will receive one year’s free use of an M series tractor from the Kubota Tractor Corporation and $500 from the Dodge Corporation. He will also receive an expense-paid trip from Country Insurance and Financial Services to Nashville, Tenn., in January to compete in the national Achievement Award competition at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting.

The oldest of six siblings, Krautscheid grew up on a family farm in Quincy. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in crop science at Washington State University, he worked as a crop consultant for Quincy Farm Chemicals. He started his own custom seed-crop swathing business in 1999.

A year later, Krautscheid purchased about 18 acres of unused farmland and began growing radish seed. He now owns or rents about 300 acres, growing mostly field corn and timothy hay, along with about 16 acres of radish and wheat seed. He is also a dealer for Pioneer seed, does custom combining with his father, Jim, and operates his own crop consulting business.

He has served on the Grant County Farm Bureau board of directors the past two years, and is a hunter-education instructor for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Krautscheid and his wife, Amy, live in Ephrata with their two children, Anika, 4, and J.J., 2.

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November 19, 2005

Washington farmers re-elect Steve Appel to lead Farm Bureau

YAKIMA - Delegates to the Washington Farm Bureau annual meeting this week unanimously elected Steve Appel, a wheat and barley grower from Whitman County, to a 12th consecutive one-year term as president.

Washington Farm Bureau is a 34,000-member advocacy organization representing family farmers and ranchers across the state.

A third-generation farmer, Appel also serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation’s largest general farm organization with more than 5 million members.

He is a graduate of Washington State University.

Delegates to the annual meeting in Yakima also elected Robyn Meenach to a sixth consecutive term as vice president for legislation, and Dean Farrens to a seventh term as vice president for policy development.

A fourth-generation farmer, Meenach grows wheat and barley in Spokane County. She is a graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in food science and technology and a master's degree in animal science.

Farrens manages a 1,500-acre family-owned farm in Walla Walla County, growing wheat and dry peas. A graduate of Washington State University with a degree in history and education, he taught school in Prosser and Walla Walla before turning to farming fulltime in 1974.

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November 14, 2005

Farm Bureau selects Regence BlueShield to provide medical insurance to members

OLYMPIA -- Washington Farm Bureau is joining with Regence BlueShield to provide medical insurance to more than 12,000 members and their dependents now covered by the Farm Bureau’s health-care program.

“This is a partnership between two great service-oriented organizations, both of which got their start in Washington more than 85 years ago, to meet the needs of Farm Bureau members for access to health care,” said Washington Farm Bureau President Steve Appel.

Washington Farm Bureau, representing family farmers and ranchers, introduced its health-care program five years ago when rural residents were finding it almost impossible to obtain medical insurance. Washington Farm Bureau Healthcare is now one of the largest association health care plans in the state.

Regence BlueShield President Mary O. McWilliams noted the commonalities between Regence and the Washington Farm Bureau, including their commitment to serving local communities.

Regence began as a county medical bureau in Pierce County in 1917. Today, Regence and its subsidiary, Asuris Northwest Health, provide health care coverage to more than 1 million people across the state.

Washington Farm Bureau, now with 23 county Farm Bureaus and members in every county, was formed three years later, in 1920.

“Both organizations have long histories of fostering healthy communities,” McWilliams said. “We share a mission to ensure the availability of affordable, high-quality health insurance products for people across the state, including Washington’s family farmers and ranchers.”

Appel said partnering with Regence and its network of 20,000 physicians, dentists and other health-care professionals would will Farm Bureau to continue offering innovative health-care coverage to Farm Bureau members across the state.

With more than 34,000 member families, Washington Farm Bureau is the largest general farm organization in the state and a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation with more than 5 million members nationwide.

Regence BlueShield is a not-for-profit health plan and one of 39 independent licensees of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association that collectively provide coverage to 93 million people - nearly one-in-three Americans.

It is also an affiliate of The Regence Group, an alliance of health plans that includes: Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueShield of Idaho and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. Asuris Northwest Health is the Spokane-based subsidiary of Regence BlueShield.

For more information, go to www.wa.regence.com or www.asuris.com .

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October 28, 2005

Farm Bureau to kick off property-rights initiative drive

YAKIMA – Washington Farm Bureau will kick off a property-rights initiative drive next month at its 86th annual meeting at the Yakima Convention Center.

Washington Farm Bureau, an advocacy organization for family farmers and ranchers and the largest general farm organization in the state, plans to file the initiative in January and will need to collect about 225,000 signatures to place it on the general election ballot next fall.

Dan Wood, director of Government Relations for Washington Farm Bureau, said recent court decisions and regulatory efforts make it necessary for voters to property their property rights through the initiative process.

The thrust of the initiative, which will be unveiled at the annual meeting, is that "whenever government actions damage the use and value of private property, government must compensate for the damage or not apply the action to the property," Wood said.

He pointed to buffers along waterways, efforts to remove tide gates, and habitat designations as examples of government devaluing or restricting the reasonable use of property.

"Our initiative will not undo comprehensive land-use planning, remove agricultural zoning and protections, or repeal the Growth Management Act," Wood said. "It will make sure that future actions by government are taken in the context of fairness and restraint."

Farm Bureau will hold a kickoff for its property-rights initiative drive at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14, at the Convention Center.

The annual meeting gets underway earlier that evening with the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet.

The annual meeting will run through Thursday, Nov. 17, and will include keynote addresses by former gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

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October 25, 2005

Farm Bureau to sponsor forum on Roundup Ready alfalfa

YAKIMA – Washington Farm Bureau will sponsor a forum on issues surrounding the introduction of herbicide-resistant alfalfa on Monday, Nov. 14, at the Yakima Convention Center, prior to the start of its 86th annual meeting.

Forage Genetics, which licensed the technology to produce Roundup Ready alfalfa from the Monsanto Co., makers of the herbicide Roundup, is already selling the genetically modified seed in other states and plans to introduce it in Washington early next year.

However, some producers have expressed concern over the public’s perception of biotechnology and whether countries like Japan will be willing to buy alfalfa from the state.

Gary Joiner, director of Member Relations for the Washington Farm Bureau, said the forum would include producers, exporters and representatives from the biotech industry.

"Alfalfa is a major crop for many farmers, especially in the Columbia Basin, and there is considerable concern and confusion about Roundup Ready," Joiner said. "Our members and the industry asked for our help in shedding light on the issues."

Washington Farm Bureau is an advocacy organization for family farmers and ranchers and the largest general farm organization in the state.

The forum on Roundup Ready alfalfa will run from 3-5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, in Room A of the Yakima Convention Center. The forum is free and open to the public.

Washington Farm Bureau’s annual meeting also gets underway that evening with the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meeting at 5 p.m., the official kickoff to Farm Bureau’s property-rights initiative drive at 7 p.m., and a reception for county Farm Bureau presidents at 8:30 p.m.

The annual meeting will run through Thursday, Nov. 17, and will include presentations from former gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

For a complete look at the annual meeting agenda, go to www.wsfb.com, or call (800) 331-3276 to register.

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October 20, 2005

Dino Rossi to address Washington Farm Bureau annual meeting

YAKIMA -- Washington Farm Bureau will hold its 86th annual meeting at the Yakima Convention Center, Nov. 14-17, with former gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi and Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, as keynote speakers.

Washington Farm Bureau is an advocacy organization for family farmers and ranchers and the largest general farm organization in the state.

Other highlights of the meeting include a performance by the Bar D Wranglers, a popular western group from Durango, Colo., and workshops on farm safety, international trade, and keeping agriculture productive and profitable.

Delegates to the annual meeting will also adopt policies to guide Washington Farm Bureau’s legislative, regulatory and judicial advocacy efforts in 2006.

Rossi, who narrowly lost to Gov. Christine Gregoire in the disputed 2004 election, will address the convention on Tuesday, Nov. 15, following the annual address by Washington Farm Bureau President Steve Appel. Stallman, a rice and cattle producer from Texas who heads the nation’s largest farm organization, will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

The annual meeting is open to the public and registration is just $48, which includes all workshops, Fun Night and the annual banquet on Wednesday, Nov. 17. For a complete look at the agenda, go to www.wsfb.com, or call (800) 331-3276 to register.

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October 18, 2005

Farm Bureau to sponsor labor conference for agricultural employers

LEAVENWORTH – Washington Farm Bureau will sponsor a two-day labor conference for agricultural employers at the Icicle Inn in Leavenworth Nov. 3-4.

Sessions will cover topics ranging from immigration reform and workers’ comp to an update on the state’s cholinesterase monitoring program for workers who handle pesticides and the real impact of the state’s highest-in-the-nation minimum wage on agriculture.

Bob Williams, executive director of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, will deliver the keynote address, "What can we do to keep government accountable."

In addition, there will be opportunities to learn more about Farm Bureau’s new unemployment claims management service, issues in farmworker housing, how to navigate wage and hour laws, and conflict resolution training.

"This is the in-depth labor conference that agricultural employers have been asking for," said Dan Fazio, director of Employer Services for the Washington Farm Bureau.

The conference gets underway at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, and will end following lunch on Friday, Nov. 4.

For a complete look at the conference agenda, go to www.wsfb.com, or call (800) 331-3276 to register. The cost is $60 for members of sponsoring organizations; $150 for non-members.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Washington State Grange, Condotta Motorsports, Conner Consulting Services, Lane Powell PC, Northwest Ag Plastics, Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, Association of Washington Business, Washington State Horticultural Association, Hop Growers of Washington, Washington Potato and Onion Association, Central Washington Occupational Medicine.

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April 19, 2005

Farm Bureau files for referendum on suspension of I-601

OLYMPIA -- The Washington Farm Bureau today filed a referendum with the Secretary of State’s office in an effort to preserve voter-approved restrictions on new taxes and increases in government spending.

In 1993, the voters approved Initiative 601, which required a two-thirds vote by both houses of the Legislature to raise taxes. The initiative also limited the annual growth in government spending based on inflation and population growth.

Over the weekend, however, the Democrat-controlled Legislature narrowly approved a bill, SB 6078, which allows lawmakers to raises taxes with a simple majority vote.

The bill, which Gov. Christine Gregoire signed on Monday, also allows the Legislature to increase spending by several hundred million dollars more than allowed under I-601.

“The Legislature has ignored the will of the people and made it easier for lawmakers to raises taxes and increase state spending, which they are preparing to do,” said Washington Farm Bureau President Steve Appel.

Democrats in both the House and Senate have proposed budgets in excess of $26 billion, which represents a 12 percent increase in spending over the next two years.

As provided for under the state constitution, the referendum would allow the voters to approve what the Legislature did, or reject the law and express their continued support for I-601 in the next general election

Rejecting the law would also undo any new taxes or tax increases approved by the Legislature this year with less than a two-thirds vote in both houses, according to a legal analysis prepared for the Farm Bureau.

“The Legislature needs to live within its budget the same way that voters have to,” Appel said, noting that Farm Bureau backed the passage of I-601 in 1993.

“Legislators also need to follow the law and not suspend it whenever they find the will of the voters inconvenient,” he added. “If raising taxes is really necessary, then legislators should be able to get a two-thirds, bipartisan majority.”

Washington Farm Bureau is a 34,000-member advocacy organization representing family farmers and ranchers.

This is the second time in four years that Democrats in the Legislature have voted to suspend I-601 in order to raise taxes. I-601 was also set aside in 2002, the last time Democrats controlled both houses and Gary Locke was governor.

“I-601 is meaningless if legislators can ignore it anytime they want to raise taxes,” Appel said. “Fortunately, the constitution gives the ultimate decision to the people through the referendum process.”

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