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Highlights include visit from Moseley, trip to Israeli Embassy

by Susie Taylor

One of the highlights of this year’s Young Farmer5 trip to Washington D.C. was a surprise during a briefing at the United States Department of Agriculture.

What started as a simple information gathering session turned into an impromptu question and answer session when Deputy Agriculture Secretary Jim Moseley made a surprise visit.

"You need to do this (visit Washington D.C.)," Moseley told the group. "If you don’t, we won’t have a free country. It’s important that agriculture be fairly and equally represented and that doesn’t happen unless people like yourselves come here to listen and learn."

Moseley said the department is working to increase its ability to communicate with constituents. A new e-mail account has been established to allow farmers to communicate with the department a bit more directly: deputy@usda.gov

Another highlights for the young farmers was a visit to the Israeli Embassy.

Mordehai Cohen, minister of agriculture and science for the United States, Canada and Mexico at the Embassy of Israel, described the country’s production base. Total agricultural production totals about $3 billion a year. The country exports about $800 million worth of goods annually with about $100 million in goods coming to the United States, and the rest being exported to Europe.

Production features small, intensive greenhouses and land that is irrigated year-round. Cohen explained that drip irrigation methods were pioneered in Israel. The country can be divided into four growing zones: cool, Mediterranean, tropical and desert. Each area offers its own unique contributions to the agricultural economy in Israel, Cohen said.

While at the embassy, young farmers also learned of the Ohio Israel Agriculture Initiative, which is geared to improve research and development and trade relations between Ohio and Israel. Dan Grosse, vice president of TerrAqua, an environmental science and policy group in D.C., said the Negev Foundation has developed a preliminary overview to help Israeli and Ohio entities and growers better understand the abilities and needs of each, and opportunities for increasing future cooperation. The Negev Foundation, the government of Israel, several regional Israeli government entities, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and other organizations have supported this project to date, Grosse said.

The primary reasons the young farmers were taken to Washington were to learn about Farm Bureau and to talk with congressional representatives about issues important to Ohio agriculture. In preparation for those visits, Ohio and American Farm Bureau staff briefed the 28 young farmers on issues including World Trade Organization talks, appropriations bills, the energy bill, elimination of death taxes, homeland security and immigration reform.

The young farmers participating in the trip were Adam Agle, South Charleston; Nick Arend, Paulding; Brian Beard, Genoa; Matt Bell, Zanesville; Mike Bostic, Crown City; Angie and Tim Brumme, Killbuck; Adam Cahill, Kenton; Nicholas Clay, Piedmont; Jesse Dotterer, Mansfield; John Draganic, Leroy; David Fleshman, Galloway; Cathy Hoile, Custar; Barb Jackson, Marengo; Nicholas Kennedy, Wauseon; Darrell Kick, Loudonville; Adam Kipker, Lewistown; Rob Martin, Millersport; Jeffrey Mason, Waterville; Emily Mathewson, Waterville; Scott Metzger, Williamsport; Carl Norden, Napoleon; David O’Diam, Columbus; Michael Simpson, Bridgeport; Allison Specht, Dover; Ray Sponcil, Greenfield; Barbara Steiner, Mason; Bobbie Vernon, Adamsville; and Pam Wentling, Navarre.

Also attending were OFBF state trustees Ellen Joslin, Bill Lowe, Sparky Weilnau and Merlin Wentworth, and OFBF staff Jack Fisher, Mike Fearon, Darrell Rubel, Keith Stimpert and Ken Walter.