News Releases 2007

2007 News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
July 23, 2007

MEDIA CONTACTS

Mollie Hammar, PR Director, mhammar@wsfb.com, (360) 528.2915

Patrick Connor, National Affairs Director, pconnor@wsfb.com, (360) 528.2910

Washington Farm Bureau Lauds House Farm Bill Proposal (HR 2419)

LACEY  --  The Washington Farm Bureau (WFB) commends the House Agriculture Committee for passing Chairman Collin Peterson’s farm bill proposal. The committee bill is a balanced proposal that addresses the needs of a broader core of U.S. farmers, expanding benefits to literally all sectors of agriculture.

“This is the first time we’ve seen a Farm Bill allocate such significant funding — $1.6 billion — to fruit and vegetable producers in areas critical to their operations,” said WFB President Steve Appel. “In the short- and long-term, this translates into substantial benefits to Washington ’s farmers who produce many of the fruit and vegetable crops that feed our nation and the world.”

By better balancing support between all types of crops, the bill encourages farmers to plant for the market, not for the benefit of government programs. This is critical at a time when meeting changing demand for farm products for various uses, such as biofuels, will depend on producer flexibility.

The committee bill makes several significant reforms in farm programs that address increasingly broad needs. The bill’s nutrition and conservation titles are the best funded in farm bill history. It also has a strong energy title, with $2.5 billion in additional funding.

Farm Bureau will continue to work with House leadership as the bill moves to the floor later this week for debate.

Important highlights of the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) include:

• Investing more than $1.6 billion in priorities to strengthen and support the fruit and vegetable industry in the United States . A new section for Horticulture and Organic Agriculture includes nutrition, research, pest management and trade promotion programs.

• Providing farmers participating in commodity programs with a choice between traditional price protection and new market-oriented revenue coverage payments.

• Rebalancing loan rates and target prices among commodities, achieving greater regional equity.

• Cutting federal payment rates to crop insurance companies that are making record profits due to higher crop prices and re-investing those dollars in important conservation and safety net programs.

• Extending and making significant new investments in popular conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, and many others.

• Expanding the USDA Snack Program, which helps schools provide healthy snacks to students during after-school activities to all 50 states and continuing the DOD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides a variety of fresh produce to schools.

• Strengthening and enhancing the food stamp program by reforming benefit rules to improve coverage of food costs and expand access to the program with additional funding support.

• Including key provisions that invest in rural communities nationwide, including economic development programs and access to broadband telecommunication services.

• Establishing a new National Agriculture Research Program Office to coordinate the programs and activities of USDA’s research agencies to minimize duplication and maximize coordination at all levels and creates a competitive grants program.

• Protecting and sustaining our nation’s forest resources.

• Making important new investments in renewable energy research, development and production in rural America .

Copies of the bill considered by the Committee and the amendments that were adopted are available on the Committee’s website at: http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/2007FarmBill.html.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Farm Bill before the end of July. WFB urges the Washington Congressional delegation to support this important legislation.

Washington Farm Bureau is a 35,000-member advocacy organization representing family farmers and ranchers across the state. For more information about the Washington Farm Bureau go to www.wsfb.com or call 1.800.331.3276.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2007                                                                                                               

MEDIA CONTACTS

Mollie Hammar , PR Director, mhammar@wsfb.com, (360) 528.2915

Dan Fazio , Employer Services Director, dfazio@wsfb.com, (360) 951.8641

L&I Heat Stress proposal based on hot air, not facts

OLYMPIA -- The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has announced it will implement a new emergency heat stress rule for employers, despite the fact no data exists to support the need for a new rule. According to the Washington Farm Bureau (WFB), this emergency heat stress rule will impose an undue burden on agricultural employers in Washington state.

Washington already has stringent rules designed to protect workers, which is one reason it is unclear why L&I is proposing a new standard and especially why it would be declared an emergency.

While L&I contends that heat-stress related injuries necessitate an “emergency” rule, data proves otherwise. According to data obtained from L&I, industrial insurance claims related to heat stress filed during the last ten years are infinitesimal at best.

Last year’s proposed heat stress rule, which included many of the same requirements mandated in L&I’s currently proposed rule, did not gain any ground. In fact, on April 19, 2006 Steve Cant, in his capacity as the assistant director for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at L&I, stated, “We looked at the possibility of a new rule, but after fully reviewing our existing rules and all the input from business, labor and worker advocates, we concluded that the best approach was to ensure we have effective enforcement tools for worker protection at the least burden and expense to those we regulate.”

What has changed? Why the new rule now?

By declaring the rule an emergency, the agency can circumvent the public review process and issuance of small business impact statements. Apparently the “sudden, unexpected” onset of summer is the emergency.

“When the agency brought the matter to our attention last year, we worked with them to develop and implement procedures and training plans to address potential heat stress dangers,” said WFB Director of Employer Services, Dan Fazio . “We will continue to work with the agency; however, the adoption of this rule, especially as an emergency, is a huge step backward in the cooperative process.”

In unfortunate -- and extraordinarily rare -- cases where workers have suffered from heat-related illnesses at work, L&I investigations have found employers to be in violation of at least one of the regulations already in place. As such, a more appropriate approach would be better enforcement of current laws – not new ones.

Current WAC sections already provide common-sense rules for maintaining an adequate water supply and other controls for protecting workers at outdoor work sites. The newly proposed heat stress rule only adds an unnecessary bureaucratic layer of duplicative regulations.  

The decision to adopt the rule as an “emergency” is a disingenuous attempt to circumvent public notice requirements. The public’s interest is best served by input from all affected parties and Farm Bureau urges the governor’s repeal of this rule. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
April 26, 2007

MEDIA CONTACTS

Mollie Hammar, PR Director, mhammar@wsfb.com, (360) 528.2915

Linda Harvey , Retro/Safety Director, lharvey@wsfb.com, (360) 528.2914

Washington Farm Bureau Launches New Retro Safety Program

LACEY -- The Washington Farm Bureau (WFB) has announced a new program to enable agriculture-related businesses to earn refunds on their costly worker’s compensation insurance premiums. 

The program, known as a retrospective rating program, enables businesses that have made a commitment to a safe workplace to earn a refund when the cost of claims is less than the premium paid.    

The new program, Farm Bureau AgriBusiness Retro/Safety, will serve the organization’s members who have businesses that are an important part of the state’s agricultural economy.

Washington Farm Bureau will now operate two retro programs. “Farm Bureau Classic Retro/Safety serves farmers and ranchers, while our new program, Farm Bureau AgriBusiness Retro/Safety, will serve those businesses related to production agriculture,” explained WFB President Steve Appel .

Examples of businesses which are eligible for the new AgriBusiness Retro/Safety include food manufacturers, food processors, wholesale and retail businesses, bakeries, canning operations, packing facilities, meat, poultry, and fish dealers and similar businesses. A complete list of the types of businesses that are eligible for the new program can be viewed at www.wsfb.com/fbretro.

“Our members range in size from traditional mom and pop operations that can fruits and vegetables for roadside markets to larger, multi-generational family-owned businesses with state-of the-art facilities,” said Mr. Appel.

Enrollment forms are being distributed now and should be submitted by June 1 to guarantee enrollment by July 1. Quarterly enrollments are available if the annual sign up is missed and should be submitted by the first of September or December this year, or March of 2008.

“Since the inception of our original program in 1984, we have earned refunds totaling $60 million that have gone back into the state’s rural economy. The program was very small for the first several years but it has grown to meet the changing needs of farm families,” said Mr. Appel.

Recently L&I changed the rules and limited Farm Bureau Retro/Safety to only farming and ranching operations. Although the existing agriculture-related businesses in the program were grandfathered in, Farm Bureau began looking for ways to serve members whose business operations are considered agriculture but don’t fall into the risk classes assigned to farming and ranching.

“We already have nearly 100 businesses lined up for the new program. We are now reaching out to our members who were denied enrollment in our original program, since many will be eligible for the new Farm Bureau AgriBusiness Retro/Safety program,” said Linda Harvey, Director of the Farm Bureau Retro Department. “We believe many of these rural businesses have been underserved by retro programs and we’re pleased to fill the gap.”

“In the past, many organizations have seen the success of Farm Bureau Retro/Safety and have tried to copy us. But we currently have the only retro programs serving farmers, ranchers and other agriculture-related businesses,” Harvey said.

For more information about Farm Bureau Retro/Safety programs, including risk classes, go to http://www.wsfb.com/fbretro/ or call Ms. Harvey at (360) 357-9975.

Washington Farm Bureau is a 35,000-member advocacy organization representing family farmers and ranchers across the state.

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