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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
GUEST COLUMN
Discussing the future of agriculture
By State Rep. Paul Anderson
Those interested in animal agriculture were given a rather ominous warning Jan. 13 at the 2010 Strategic Animal Ag. Conference in Willmar. The words came from Chad Gregory, who’s the senior vice president of the United Egg Board. He told those in attendance that certain forces are working in this country to eliminate livestock production. The Humane Society of the United States (no working relationship to local shelters for dogs and cats) was one such organization mentioned by Gregory.
“They want to do away with cages for laying hens, and crates for hogs and veal calves,” Gregory said. “And if they succeed with banning cages for chickens, the egg industry in this country will disappear. It’s already happened in Europe, with Germany now importing most of the eggs they use, and the European Union going from being the world’s largest exporter of beef to the biggest importer in the span of ten years.”
In the 2008 election, California voters passed Proposition 2 by a wide 63-37 percent margin. The legislation says that animals now have the right to stand up, turn around, and stretch their extremities without touching anything. Because of that mandate, Gregory predicts the egg industry will disappear from California by the year 2015.
To switch to a “range-fed” type of environment for the number of laying hens we have today would necessitate an $8 billion investment in land to accommodate the free-roaming birds. And, according to Gregory, another one million acres of cropland would be needed to grow the additional corn and soybeans needed to feed the animals in that less-efficient fashion.
The conference in Willmar, now in its seventh year, was an excellent get-together for those interested in the future of agriculture. Retiring state Sen. Steve Dille and I were also on the program, in addition to James Kielkopf, chief economist for AgriBank. The banker said that while the worst of the recession appears to be over, it will take several years before employment numbers rise enough to approach those seen in early 2008. He added that world trade is beginning to recover, and that’s providing hope for improved U.S. agricultural exports in the future.
As the new legislative session fast approaches, the need for action is apparent. I attended a meeting recently where several area charter school officials told of the difficulties they’ve encountered because of the education shift. With a percentage of all public schools’ state aid being held back because of a shift in the payment schedule, charter schools seem to be having a more difficult time. Because they can’t own their own buildings (collateral) and because they don’t have levy authority, some charter schools have been unable to obtain loans to bridge the shift in state payments.
As this is being written, the Vikings are making preparations for their big game in New Orleans. After beating Dallas quite handily, fans seem confident (maybe too much so) that our favorite team will advance to the Super Bowl. One question I have to ask following their great performance at home last week end is why the team would ever want to leave the friendly confines of the Metrodome. Their home-field advantage playing under the bubble will be hard to duplicate anywhere.
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Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
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