National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C.            Vol. 31, No. 15 * August 9, 1999

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Rural Action Caucus, Ag Steering
Committee vow to address farming crisis

Resolution urges NACo to take leadership
position to aid rural counties

By Mary Ann Barton
senior staff writer

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Former NACo president Sandy Smoley, secretary, California Health and Welfare Agency, addresses members of the Rural Action Caucus at a July 19 breakfast.

A glut of commodities around the world is pushing prices so low that farms and farm families around the country are experiencing severe financial stress. "The farm crisis is so bad, we’ve had one suicide," Jack Foresman of Iowa told fellow Rural Action Caucus members at a meeting at the Annual Conference.

Members of the NACo Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee unanimously adopted a resolution on the crisis, urging NACo to take a leadership position on behalf of rural agricultural counties.

"It’s a critical time in our nation’s history," said Bill Hansell of Umatilla County, Ore. and chair of the NACo Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee.

Dean Shores of Imperial County, Calif., noted that if farmers aren’t making any money, it will trickle down to suburban and urban areas. "It’s the tip of the iceberg," he said.

Problems facing agriculture were also addressed at NACo’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee meeting, when Keith Kelly, administrator of the Farm Service Agency at USDA, addressed the group on July 17.

"It’s ironic that, in the midst of this farm crisis, we are enjoying the longest peacetime economic expansion in history," he said.

Kelly said there are three key issues at the crux of the crisis in agriculture:

• Thin profit margins.
• Competition and concentration in the agriculture industry.
• Lack of an adequate federal and state support structure – safety net – for farmers and ranchers.

Kelly said the Farm Service Agency is doing all it can to help farmers. He ticked off a laundry list of ways, including increasing loan rates, financing storage facilities, backing of improved crop insurance and looking into emergency ag credit.

Shores told caucus members they must arm themselves with stories about the crisis in their communities to get the point across to Congress. "They want facts," he said. "We can’t just say, ‘Well, we’re having this crisis in rural America.’ We need to document incidents."

In addition to getting the word out to Congress, NACo members must also get the word out to local media. "We’ve got to get to the news media," Foresman said. "We need to get some real hard facts out there. That’s where it’s coming across."

"We need to help rural officials get the word out," Landkamer agreed.

"Go local and national on communications," advised Peter McLaughlin, immediate past chairman of the Large Urban County Caucus. He also told the group that his caucus has had some success by not only meeting in Washington with members of Congress, but by meeting them back home and also meeting with local coalitions.

Other issues
Other concerns were also heard at the caucus meeting. Jan Porter of Catron County, N.M., said she wants to make sure her community is getting its share of TEA-21 funds. "It’s 140 miles before we hit a four-lane highway," she said. "TEA-21 funds are not making it to rural areas."

In other caucus business, Landkamer introduced NACo Associate Legislative Director Jim Staebler as the new liaison to the group. "He understands the rural perspective," she said. Staebler is also the NACo liaison for the Large Urban County Caucus. The two groups hope to work together on a number of issues.