The EAJA was designed to level the playing field between small businesses and individual citizens and the federal government.  It allows plaintiffs to recover legal costs from the federal government when they prevail in a case against the federal government. 

But NCBA says although EAJA was intended to protect citizens’ rights, it has become a means for radical environmental and animal rights groups to target ranchers by challenging in court their rights to natural resource uses.  That’s why NCBA is seeking changes to the EAJA.

At the recent Cattle Industry Convention, we discussed that issue with Dustin Van Liew, director of federal lands for NCBA and executive director of the Public Lands Council.

AUDIO: Dustin Van Liew (6:59 MP3)

That legislation, the result of the an agreement between the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States, would require larger cages for egg-laying hens.

We discussed NCBA’s concerns with Woodall at the Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville.

AUDIO: Colin Woodall (2:26 MP3)

AUDIO: Howard Hill (7:59 MP3)

Of course, livestock producers are concerned about how it is going to impact the nutritional value of the DDGs they have come to rely on–and whether the prices they pay for those products will adjust accordingly.

At the recent Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines, the director of ethanol services for the Omaha-based Gavilon Group—Randy Ives—discussed the trend towards corn oil extraction.  (Gavilon is one of the largest marketers of distillers grains in the U.S. markets.)

AUDIO: Randy Ives (3:19 MP3)

Wolf says that legislation, which would prescribe cage sizes for egg-laying hens, would set a “dangerous precedent” for allowing the federal government to regulate on-farm production practices, including animal housing.

AUDIO: Doug Wolf (4:25 MP3)

Luft is an adviser to the U.S. Energy Security Council and co-founder of the Set America Free Coalition, an alliance of national security, environmental, labor and religious groups promoting ways to reduce America’s dependence on oil.

One simple way to start moving down the road to energy independence, Luft says, is to give consumers “fuel choice”.  He urges Congress to pass the Open Fuels Standard Act, which would require all vehicles produced by the automakers to be flex fuel vehicles. 

Here are excerpts from Luft’s address to summit attendees.

AUDIO: Dr. Gal Luft (5:47 MP3)

“People sometimes forget, you know, they think jobs just stay forever once they’re there. But, it takes hard work every day with the companies, the businesses, the development groups to try and sustain jobs in particular ways and so we try to work closely with those local communities in doing that.”

Tonsager says, typically, rural America has about 45 to 50 Million people. So, while not a huge percentage, he says, the 440,000 jobs are important in the key areas they try to work with adding that many of the new jobs are in the broadband sector.

But there were also jobs created and saved in other sectors of rural America,” says Tonsager, “For example, in Indiana, Morris Manufacturing & Sales Corporation, a family-owned auto parts maker used USDA business loan guarantees to restructure debt and expand their business. As a result, the firm rehired 100 laid off workers and hired 44 additional workers.”

Tonsager says much of the growth has occurred without any new federal spending.

“For instance,” says Tonsager, “Rural Development provided a direct loan last year for the construction of a new dental center in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. In addition to creating construction jobs today the facility will also employ 38 professional and support personnel when they clinic opens its door to deliver needed care in an underserved area.”

Applicants are required to estimate the number of jobs they believe will be created and/or saved through the rural development program they’re interested in.

AUDIO: Dallas Tonsager (8:00 mp3)

USDA – Rural Development link

University of Nebraska extension policy specialist Brad Lubben is among them.

“We’re going to restart the process and it’s going to be pretty contentious,” Lubben says, “not just from the non-ag interests in Congress, but even the ag interests in Congress that didn’t really have a voice in the closed-door negotiations last fall.

“It will test that old coalition that always came together to support a farm bill.”

And when you add federal budget woes and election year politics to the mix, Lubben doubts the farm bill will be approved before the November elections.

“So we start pushing it off towards a lame duck session of Congress after the election—maybe just in time to get a 2013 bill in place,” he says.

Lubben made his comments in an interview with Brownfield at the recent Nebraska Ag Classic conference in Kearney.

AUDIO: Brad Lubben (7:40 MP3)

At the recent Nebraska Ag Classic conference, Brownfield visited with Chris Galen, head of communications of the National Milk Producers Federation and a member of the board of directors of USFRA.   Galen talked about some of the things USFRA is doing to enhance consumer trust in the U.S. food production system.

AUDIO: Chris Galen (6:13 MP3)

In an interview with Brownfield’s Ken Anderson, Korves says that, in his more than 30 years of working with agriculture, he’s never seen so many big issues facing the industry as there are in 2012. 

At the top of Korves’ list is finding solutions to the nation’s economic and budget challenges.  Other top concerns are tax policy, farm programs, regulations, and the future direction of biofuels.

AUDIO: Ross Korves (5:47 MP3)