1990 Farm Bill Forum 



Proceedings 



Montana State University 

 Dr. James Welsh 



Dean and Director, Colleae of 

 Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, Extension Service 



As I listened to the presentations from various 

 agricultural organizations and interests, I've 

 been impressed with the number of different 

 issues that have been presented to you as 

 challenges in the next farm bill. The list in- 

 cludes: saline seep, erosion, water quality, 

 weed control, bio-control, resource databases, 

 cropping practices, alternative crops, biology, 

 expKDrts, food quality and safety, environmental 

 issues, value-added, less intensive agriculture, 

 low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) and 

 many more. I considered the list and noted that 

 the common thread running through all items is 

 the serious, urgent need for legitimate, sound 

 data and information appropriate to address 

 each issue. I represent a university system, 

 more specifically, Montana State University, but 

 even more specifically, the Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station and the Extension Service as 

 legitimate mechanisms to provide databases, 

 information and the educational process 

 necessary to address these issues. 



I was particularly interested in comments 

 relative to Senator Baucus' interest in the weed 

 control issue and the concern about leafy 

 spurge, knapweed and other weed species 

 tending to seriously impact Montana at the 

 moment. I recognize that legislation is imfX)r- 

 tant to address these issues, but I think it is safe 

 to say that the resolution to these issues will 

 rest in technology and science and the ability to 

 manage these sp>edes in a reasonable fashion. I 

 call your attention to the BioScience Building 

 project that has a major component of bio- 

 control systems which, I think, address some of 

 the issues we're concerned about. It seems to be 

 reasonably difficult for us, particularly in the 

 Great Plains area and in Montana, to be success- 

 ful in attracting regional and national programs 

 and suppxjrt for programs that have interest, 

 importance, and impact beyond the boundaries 

 of Montana. 



1 strongly believe that it's necessary to take a 

 look at the level of investment and support 



being provided at the state and federal levels 

 for the research system, primarily through the 

 USDA Cooperative States Research Service 

 through the state experiment stations, the 

 Agricultural Research Service and the Coopera- 

 tive Extension Service. These are organizations 

 capable of bringing appropriate and unbiased 

 information to the decision-making process as 

 we look at the list of problems facing us in the 

 upcoming years, particularly as they may be 

 impacted by the farm bill. 



As we look at the federal legislation associated 

 with the next farm bill, there is authorization to 

 support the Extension Service, the State Experi- 

 ment Stations and the Agricultural Research 

 Service to address issues such as we have on 

 the agenda today. It makes sense to reinforce 

 that state/ federal partnership for the develop- 

 ment of technology and educational process if 

 we're to be successful in making this great slice 

 of the United States called the Great Plains 

 viable — socially viable, environmentally viable, 

 and economically viable. 



My message is to request that you keep the 

 research and educational components of the 

 farm bill in mind as outstanding investments in 

 the future of this country. 



Montana State University 

 Jim Johnson 



Extension Agriculture Economist 



With one out of every seven cropland acres in 

 Montana in CRP, CRP is a major Montana 

 agricultural enterprise. In recognizing that we 

 thought we should have a better understanding 

 as to what was happening to farms because of 

 CRP, and some of CRP's effects on the state's 

 economy. 



The average age of a Montana farmer with land 

 in CRP is 53. It's probably not a retirement 

 program because the average age of all Mon- 

 tana farmers is 51 . Fifty-five percent, however, 

 of all farms that have one or more CRP con- 

 tracts are managed by farmer-managers who 

 are 55 or older. The average Montana farm 

 participating in CRP has signed up 30 percent 

 of its cropland into the program. Farm manag- 



22 



Montana Chaptar, 8oD and Water Contirvatlon Society 



Augntt 28, 1888 



