Wyoming Farm Bureau's annual meeting is next week and looking at some of the resolutions from the counties, the discussion should be interesting and probably kind of lively. 

The Wyoming Farm Bureau's Foundation is putting on an educational program that should provide some valuable information to our members as well as the public.  Dr. Gary Sides will provide a program on how important technology has been to food production.  This isn't the first time Dr. Sides has spoken to a group of Farm Bureau people on this basic topic, but it will be the first time we've had him at a statewide function.  In addition to Farm Bureau members, we are working hard to invite members of the public as well as political leaders to come and hear this message.  We certainly encourage everyone to hear Dr. Sides.  His message is about how we continue to feed our nation, but more importantly, it points out the importance to those referred to by Dr. Borlaug as the forgotten world.

He doesn’t beat around the bush with his message and he doesn't shoot a lot of sharp arrows at some of the critics of modern agriculture, but he certainly points out what some of the problems are in their way of thinking.  It's a message our national and international leaders should also hear.

Senator Enzi and Governor Mead will address the Federation meeting and there is no lack of topics for them which affect our members both on a state or national level.  Several resolutions deal directly with the Governor's recent efforts to delist the wolf, so I'm sure his comments will be timely.  With the passage of the recent trade agreements supported by Farm Bureau and Senator Enzi to Lisa Jackson's letter to Congress announcing that that Environmental Protection Agency will not be pursuing stricter dust particulate standards, the impact on agricultural producers from policies and laws in Washington, D.C. are numerous and significant.

Readers of my column will also be familiar with my heartburn over conservation easements in perpetuity.  With some of the best funded organizations in the U.S. touting conservation easements, as well as the federal government, it’s hard for people to hear some of the cautionary words which are out there.  Harriet Hageman, who is no stranger to Farm Bureau members, will discuss some of the down sides of conservation easements.  Her presentation will certainly raise people's awareness of some things which need to be in this conversation about conservation easements.

I hope folks can find some time in their busy fall schedule to attend some if not all of the annual meeting being held at Little America in Cheyenne.

By Ken Hamilton, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President