% >>
A
CLOSER
LOOK
NOW
AS
TO
ONE
% REASON
THE
REPUBLICAN
HELD
% STATE
SENATE
REJECTED
THE
% GOVERNOR'S NOMINEE
FOR
AG
% SECRETARY.
% MANY
IN
OPPOSITION TO BRAD
% PFAFF'S
SELECTION
SAID
IT
WAS
% HIS
AGENCY'S
PROPOSED
CHANGES
% TO
LIVESTOCK
SITING
RULES
FOR % NEW AND
EXPANDING OPERATIONS
IN
% THE
STATE.
% THE
RULES
WOULD
INCLUDE
WHERE
% LIVESTOCK FACILITIES COULD
BE
% PLACED, ODOR
AND
RUNOFF
% MANAGEMENT AND
REGULATION OF
% MANURE
STORAGE
FACILITIES.
% FARM
GROUPS
AND
WISCONSIN
% MANUFACTURERS IN
COMMERCE
WERE % OPPOSED SAYING
THE REGULATIONS
% WOULD
BE
BURDENSOME.
% THE
WISCONSIN
FARM BUREAU
SAID
% THEY WITH STIFLE
THE
GROWTH
OF
% THE
STATE'S
AG
ECONOMY.
% THE
FARMERS
UNION
AND
ITS
% PRESIDENT TAKE
A
DIFFERENT
VIEW.
% VON
RUDE
EN
JOINS US
FROM LA
% CROSSE.%WHAT WAS
YOUR
REACTION
TO THE
% REJECTION
AND
OUSTER
OF THE
AG
% SECRETARY
DESIGNEE?
% >> REALLY
DISAPPOINTING AND
% DISHEARTENING.%BRAD GREW
UP
IN
WESTERN
% WISCONSIN
ON
A
DAIRY
FARM
AND
% BEEN
INVOLVED
IN
AGRICULTURAL % HIS
LIFE
EVEN THOUGH
HE WAS
% INVOLVED
IN
POLITICS.
% BUT
HE
WAS
INVOLVED
IN
THE
AG
% SIDE
OF
WORKING
WITH
SENATOR
% RON
KIND
AND
ALSO
--
% CONGRESSMAN
RON
KIND
AND ALSO
% SENATOR HERB
KOHL.
% HE
KNOWS
THE
AGRICULTURE
% INDUSTRY INSIDE AND
OUT
AND
% WOULD
BE
A
GREAT
SPOKESMAN
FOR % THE AG
INDUSTRY
HERE.
% >>
EARLIER
YOU
HAD
SAID YOU
% THOUGHT PERHAPS
THE
DECISION % WAS
POLITICAL.
% HOW
SO?
% >>
I
THINK JUST
LOOKING AT
SOME
% OF
THE
THINGS
THAT
HAPPENED
% THIS
SUMMER
WITH JOINT
FINANCE
% COMMITTEE
TYING
UP
THE $100,000 % ON
THE
MENTAL
HEALTH
ISSUE % UNTIL
THE
SENATOR
FITZGERALD'S
% TASK
FORCE
MADE
RECOMMENDATIONS % AND
THEN
ONE
OF
THEIR
% RECOMMENDATIONS WAS
ACTUALLY
% FOR
THE DEPARTMENT OF
AG TO
GET
% THAT $100,000.
% SENATOR FITZGERALD
REALLY % DIDN'T
LI
KE
THAT
BACKLASH.
% BUT
I GUESS
WHAT BRAD
WAS
DOING
% WAS
CALLING A
SPADE
A
SPADE.
% >>
AS
FOR
DEBT
CAPS
PROPOSED % RULE
REVISION
ON
NEW
OR
% EXPANDING LIVESTOCK
OPERATION
% WHAT'S YOUR
REACTION
THAT
THEY
% WOULD
BE
BURDENSOME,
HURT % AGRICULTURE AND
PUT PEOPLE
OUT
% OF
BUSINESS?
% >>
RIGHT
NOW
IN
THE
DAIRY
STATE
% WE'RE
LOSING
TWO DAIRY
FARMS
A
% DAY.
% SO
WHAT IS
THE REAL
ISSUE?
% IT'S MORE
ECONOMICS
THAN
% REGULATIONS.
% FARMERS ARE
NOT
RECOVERING
WHAT
% THEIR
COSTS
ARE
RIGHT
NOW
AND
% HAVEN'T BEEN FOR
FIVE YEARS
NOW.
% WE HAVE TO
LOOK
AT
THAT
% ECONOMICS
AND
TRY
TO
FIGURE
OUT
% HOW TO GET
THOSE
INTO
MORE
OF
A
% BALANCE SO MORE FARMERS STAY
IN
% BUSINESS.
% >>
DO
YOU FEEL
THE
REVISED
% RULES ARE A
GOOD
THING?
% >>
YES,
I DO.
% EPISCOPAL
% --
ESPECIALLY
WHEN YOU
LOOK
AT % SOME
OF THE
COSTS
THEY
HAVE
IN
% THE
PERMITTING
PROCESS
FOR
% THESE
LARGE
FARMS CAN
RUN
INTO
% THE
TENS
OF THOUSANDS
OF
% DOLLARS SOMETIMES.%AND A
LOT
OF
TIMES
THE
COUNTIES
% ONLY GET 300
TO 500 TO
LOOK
AT
% THAT.
% THEY
USE
TAXPAYER
MONEY
TO
% OFFSET THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
% WHAT
THEY
ARE
RECEIVING
FROM
% THEIR PERMITEE
AND
WHAT THE
% ACTUAL COSTS
ARE.% ONE
OF
THE
THINGS THE
PROPOSED
% NEW
RULE
WAS
GOING
TO
DO
WAS
TO
% ALLOW
THESE
MUNICIPALITIES AND
% TOWNSHIPS TO
SET
A
FEE
THAT
% THEY COULD
RECOVER
THEIR
COSTS.
% >>
I
KNOW
SOME PEOPLE
ARE
% SAYING THESE
NEW
REVISED RULES
% ARE
NOT
JUST
FOR
THE
LARGEST
% FARMS
OUT
THERE
BUT
FOR
% OPERATIONS
EXPANDING TO
LIKE
% 500 ANIMALS.
% THE
LARGER
OPERATIONS
ARE
% REALLY
NOW
PART OF
OUR
FARMING
% MIX.
% WOULD YOU
LIKE
TO
SEE
THEM
EVEN
% MORE STRICTLY
REGULATED
OR
% PROHIBITED EVEN?
% >>
WE
REALLY
HAVE TO
LOOK
AT % THAT.%WHEN
YOU
LOOK
AT
THE
LARGEST
OF % BUSINESSES
AROUND THE
COUNTRY
% THEY'RE REGULATED
MORE
THAN
THE % MOM AND
POP
SHOPS
ARE.
% AS
A
ORGANIC
DAIRY FARMER
THE
% ONLY
REGULATIONS
I
HAVE
IS
% FOLLOWING
THE
ORGANIC
STANDARDS % THE
CONSUMERS WANT
TO
SEE
% ENFORCED.
% THEY
COST
MONEY BUT
THOSE
% CONSUMERS ARE
WILLING
TO
PAY
% THAT
LITTLE
BIT
EXTRA
TO
MAKE
% SURE
THE
FARMER
STAYS
IN
% COMPLIANCE
WITH
WHAT THE
% ORGANIC STANDARDS
ARE.
% SO
LOOKING
AT
WHAT
LARGER
% FARMING OPERATIONS ARE DOING,
% TOO,
IF
WE
LOOK
AT
HOW OUR
% DOLLARS COME BACK
TO US
FROM
% THE
CONSUMER,
THEY
CAN
RECOVER
% THOSE COSTS FROM
REGULATIONS
IF
% WE
LOOK
AT
HOW WE
PRICE
OUR
% PRODUCT.
% >>
WE
NEED TO
LEAVE
IT
THERE.
% THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.