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appreciative or what hecame Known as a little help. Now w« 

 find ourselves in the midst of an even greater disaster and 

 it is no longer acceptable to have our specialty crop 

 producers receive just a little help. 



Ae we have grown to understand the methods utilized by the 

 Agency, it is apparent that the assistance afforded 

 traditional row crop producers should be extended to all 

 growers. It should not have to be a battle, it should not 

 have to be painful, it should only have to be equitable. 



Most of the problems encountered appear only to have been a 

 lack of understanding concerning the production and marketing 

 of small soale horticultural orops. 



It is evident the enormous issues that face Agency staff and 

 many issues that cannot or should not be resolved at the 

 local or state level. It is going to take assistance from 

 Washington. It will also take an educational program for 

 local ASCS staff and committees. They must gain not only an 

 appreciation for these enterprises, they must gain a working 

 knowledge of the production and marketing requirements of 

 these crops. And most importantly it is not suitable for a 

 standardized program format, or slight modification thereof, 

 to be applied to absolutely every agricultural crop. Crops 

 and cropping are not the same. There must become an 

 appreciation of the uniqueness we find within our diverse 

 agriculture. 



Recently, Dale Cochran, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, called 

 upon Secretary Espy and the Iowa Congressional Delegation to 

 assist in finding solutions to the problems facing the 

 horticultural growers. I can tell you now is the time to 

 solve the problems and settle many issues that oontinue to 

 coma up any time a producer of an unfamiliar crop requests 

 assistance. The changes being sought by Iowa's horticultural 

 producers will help every producer of spooialty crop in every 

 corner of America. 



The losses enoountered this year as a result of the floods 

 are much more severe than those experienced during the 

 drought years. Securing assistance then was difficult. 

 Changes are desperately needed and they are needed now. 



I would like to thank you once again for the opportunity to 

 speak today. And to thank you for any assistance that you 

 might provide In overcoming the barriers that are facing our 

 speciality crop producers. 



(Attachment follows:) 



