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The following are excerpts from American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman's speech during the 2006 AFBF annual meeting:

Over the next few days we are going to embark on a symbolic journey -- starting on a country road and ending on a global highway.

But where does the global highway lead? With modern technology and the growing global demand for our products, the global highway takes us anywhere there is a market for our goods. No longer is there such a thing as isolation in the business of agriculture. We are connected to producers and consumers in all parts of the world.

You certainly can't be successful on the global highway if you can't make it down the country road first. So you definitely need a good pickup truck, and that pickup is Farm Bureau.

When you're driving the country roads in your pickup truck, listening to a song – whether it's Gene Autry, George Strait or Toby Keith – do you ever stop to think about how many other folks might be listening to that same music?

Well, the audience for Farm Bureau's message is certainly growing. Because of you, more than 94,000 new members joined Farm Bureau this past year. Total national membership in Farm Bureau now stands at – 5,712,515 families.

We are truly making progress on our journey. And we're picking up others along the way.

One issue that unites Americans and is of great importance to farmers and ranchers is the use of eminent domain to take property. Protection of private property is a key right that underpins the founding of our country. Private property is the fuel that drives our economic engine.

We must send a clear signal to our state and national lawmakers - STOP - Stop Taking Our Property.

Farm Bureau members, when it came to your work on national agricultural issues in 2005, "Go", rather than "Stop", was clearly the signal.

First and foremost, amid a difficult environment, we protected nearly all farm programs from spending cuts.

On the trade front we helped create new markets for your goods by supporting passage of the CAFTA free trade agreement.

But what I would like to call the best of the best was passage of a comprehensive energy bill. Thanks to this new law, agriculture has the opportunity to play a big role in the energy solutions of the future, including the production of renewable energy such as ethanol and biodiesel.

As much as we might have accomplished this past year, however, a long road remains ahead of us in 2006.

It is unconscionable that within the borders of this country there are vast amounts of energy in the form of oil, natural gas and coal, and we can't touch them.

Congress does have the power to increase domestic energy supplies by opening the previously approved parcels of our vast national territory to energy exploration.

Vision and clarity are vital to our future. During this meeting you must provide strong and clear direction regarding our next farm bill. Our farm bill policy will only be as strong and as effective as you make it on the delegate floor.

Another policy area where we cannot afford to compromise is immigration reform and labor. But to us, immigration reform must be a three-legged stool that not only includes border security and workplace enforcement but also a meaningful guest worker program.

For 2006, let's set our sights on the horizon, put our pickup in gear and get ready to roll. Let's hit the country road together and head for the global highway.

Caption: AFBF President Bob Stallman highlights success of 2005 and challenges of 2006.