The WASA Board of Directors urged all of Wisconsin’s producers intending on planting biotech crop varieties to have a marketing plan in place before they plant this spring. WASA recognizes that while biotech crops have great promise in terms of economic, environmental and human and animal health benefits, the ultimate goal of producers is to grow a crop that can be marketed profitably.

All commercially available biotech soybean and wheat varieties have received full US regulatory approval as well as approval for import by Japan and the European Union (EU). However, some biotech varieties of corn, while having full US domestic and Japanese usage approval, have not received import approval from the EU. This makes it imperative that growers of biotech corn have a solid marketing plan in place before they plant this spring.

The WASA Board of Directors is asking all Wisconsin growers that intend on planting biotech corn to first contact their local buyer, either a feed mill or a grain elevator, and make sure they are willing to accept biotech corn. The producer needs to find out if there are any plans for identity preservation at the delivery facility and if that may involve special delivery hours or handling requirements. Some export market grain handlers and processors may not accept biotech under any circumstances in the coming crop year. As a result, some Wisconsin grain handlers that sell to these markets may not wish to accept biotech corn and risk commingling of non-biotech and biotech varieties.

Secondly, producers are urged to discuss their planting intentions with their neighbors. Part of the problem in controlling last year’s Starlink^TM issue was that in many cases, neighbor didn’t know what neighbor was planting. Starlink^TM pollen drifted into non-Starlink^TM fields and many producers innocently assumed their crops were Starlink^TM free. These producers only discovered the truth when a grain handler tested their shipment for the presence of the Cry9C protein found in Starlink^TM. Communication between growers can head off hard feelings or litigation down the road.

Lastly, producers are encouraged to purchase seed corn that has been tested and certified to be negative for the presence of the Starlink^TM Cry9C protein. Earlier this year, the seed industry found some non-Starlink^TM corn contained the Cry9C protein, which led to a USDA seed-stock testing recommendation.

The WASA Board of Directors believes biotechnology holds great promise, not just for the producers of food, but also for the consumers of food. They also believe producers are the first line of defense in protecting our markets by simply "knowing before they grow."

At an April 11 meeting of 75 federal officials representing agencies from the USDA to the US Army’s Biological Warfare Office to the Coast Guard to the CIA, there was a review of contingency plans in case foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is diagnosed in the US. An official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency stated at this meeting that "We are treating it (a FMD outbreak) like it is a probable likelihood." Laymen’s translation: They view it as a ‘when, not if’ situation.

Here in Wisconsin, officials have also developed contingency plans on how an outbreak would be handled. On April 18, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture officials held a meeting with representatives of the state’s ag organizations. At this meeting, details of the state’s response plan to an outbreak were detailed. There has been a fair amount misinformation reported in some newspapers, so it was good to get the straight story.

First, there are no area-wide ‘kill zones.’ If a positive case is found on a particular operation, the state will use what they describe as ‘draconian measures,’ including the immediate slaughter and disposal of the animals at that operation only. Formal quarantines, if issued, will be limited to infected farms only. An area around that positive–test site will, however, then be placed on a monitoring status. Vets and animal health officials will visit and monitor every animal operation inside the watch area. Secondly, there is no call to end county fairs, exhibitions or farm breakfasts. State officials simply ask that producers and their guests exercise caution and common sense in their actions. Lastly, there will be no restrictions on human movement in a ‘watch area.’ There may be police roadside inspection points on the boundaries of the ‘watch area, ‘ but that would be all.

State officials repeatedly made the point to be aware of the things you can be doing to help prevent the spread of not only FMD, but also other animal diseases. Steps that were highlighted and are already being practiced throughout the state include the wearing of disposable booties for all farm visitors and no longer reusing feed bags. The officials also believe that if, God forbid, an outbreak occurs that virtually everyone in the state will be affected in some manner.

We’ll keep you up-to-date on any further activities, but if you have further questions, please contact the WASA office.

Spring in Wisconsin means crop planting and tornadoes. And this means you need to have an emergency action plan (EAP) at your facility in case of a tornado. The EAP should address and include the following:

• Each facility should be inspected and tornado shelter areas designated by the facility manager. Basements may or may not offer the best protection. Facilities without basements should use interior rooms and hallways on the lowest floor and away from windows.
• Those responsible for activating the plan should have access to weather information from an agricultural weather service, NOAA weather radio, or local radio and television.
• If the facility's alarm system relies on electricity, have a compressed air horn or megaphone to activate the alarm in case of power failure.
• Make sure someone is designated to turn off electricity and gas in the event the facility is damaged.
• Include heavy-weather procedures in your facility's EAP and have frequent drills.
• Consider keeping employees at the facility beyond regular hours if threatening weather is expected.
• Workers will be safer at the facility than in a vehicle, as well as being available at a known location so family members will be able to contact them, following a storm.

It’s up to you. After you have received the warning or observed threatening skies, you must make the decision to seek shelter before the storm arrives. It could be the most important decision you will ever make. Your chances of staying safe during a tornado are greater if you have a plan for you and your employees, and practice the plan frequently.

The WASA staff has received numerous phone calls from members expressing confusion regarding "cattle feeding certificates." These certificates appear in various forms but basically require the cattle seller to certify the animals being sold were fed in compliance with Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations regarding animal proteins that are prohibited from use in ruminant feed.

First, a little history of why all this is happening. The McDonald’s hamburger chain (the 400-pound gorilla of meat buyers) issued a statement earlier this year to all their packer suppliers stating that unless the packers could provide certification the animals they were processing were raised and fed in compliance with FDA rules, McDonald’s would not buy from them. The packers in turn asked their marketer suppliers and then the marketers turned to the producers, and the producers to the feed mills.

The confusion has occurred because statements that have been made to their customers or the certificates the marketers have distributed have either incorrectly or in accurately stated the appropriate FDA regulations. WASA staff has spoken with some of the marketer executives trying to clear up some of the confusion. Hopefully, we have done so. But, we are including as an insert in the newsletter the first pages of the FDA compliance guide as a reference. We know of no marketer or packer that is requiring compliance beyond the FDA rules. The information in the insert should help you clarify any misunderstandings between you, your customer or their marketer. That said, and as we have stated before, these are regulations that need to be followed to the letter. Your livelihood and your future, as well as everyone else involved with animal agriculture in Wisconsin, depend on it.

WASA is pleased to be able to offer +SAFETY First Aid Kits to you at a very reasonable price. These kits are cost-effective enough so that you can put one into each vehicle to help you meet the OSHA regulations, or you could use them as "awards" in an employee recognition program. Each +SAFETY First Aid Kit includes: adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipe, cotton balls, first aid cream, disposable gloves, rescue breather, first aid instructions, road flare and distress flag. All this for only $8.00, plus shipping. Order yours today, by contacting the WASA office.

If you have anyone interested in making application for the Eldon Roesler Scholarship, this is the last call for this year. Applications must be in the WASA office by May 4, 2001, with an April 30, 2001, postmark at the latest.

WASA annually provides four $1,000 scholarships to Wisconsin students. The criteria for consideration are the following:

• be a Wisconsin resident,
• have completed one year of study in an agricultural discipline at a Wisconsin university, college or vocational/technical school,
• have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on a scale of 4.0, and
• can demonstrate in written form qualities of leadership, academic ability and financial need.