My presentation will cover the numerous lawsuits which are being brought by the Obama administration and its environmental allies who are seeking control over virtually every aspect of American agriculture. For tillage agriculture, the Clean Water Act is being used to attempt to gain control over the water which runs off of our land which could be devastating in the midwestern states. The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture has commented that if the effluent limitation is enacted in Florida it will mean the end of Florida agriculture. The same could probably be said about midwestern row crop agriculture. Environmentalists are attempting to gain control of how we administer crop production controls such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. A case has been handed down which could mean EPA could control the spraying of crops. EPA is also considering dust regulations which in Arizona have already meant limitations on crops planted, fields tilled, and hours operated. American agriculture is viewed as polluting the waters, the air, the crops, the animals and the diet of all Americans. The social contract of American agriculture has been broken.

 

Attendees should read the book Animal Factory by David Kirby. This book is an attack on concentrated animal feeding operations and the argument is made that this technology should be eliminated because of the harm the technology does to the animals, the land and water.

 

Sponsorship for Gary Baise is provided by IFCA (Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association).