[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Stallman opens final convention as AFBF president after 16 years[/title][fusion_text]Monday, January 11th 2016
Bob Stallman opened the final convention of his 16-year tenure as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation on Sunday with a passionate rallying cry against government regulations that he said were stifling farm production and innovation. One of the worst examples of this “overreach,” he told the thousands of Farm Bureau members attending the convention in Orlando, Florida, is the EPA’s Water of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, redefining the bodies of water that fall under jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. Stallman, a cattleman and a rice producer from Columbus, Texas, also pointed to EPA’s so-called “blueprint” for land use across the 64,000 square mile Chesapeake Bay Watershed, a plan that the Farm Bureau is currently fighting in court. Stallman promised that Farm Bureau, the biggest U.S. agricultural organization, would continue to fight against these regulations – to continue to defend farmers’ ability to work the land for future generations. In a press conference following his address, Stallman said there’s plenty of unfinished business for his successor, who will be chosen by Farm Bureau voting delegates on Tuesday. He said he hopes Congress will take action to kill the WOTUS rule, if the courts don’t do it first, and noted that the immigration issue “is still hanging out there.” He also said he’d like to see Congress approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership this year, but acknowledged that may be difficult in an election year. When asked about Campbell Soup Company’s recent decision to label products made with genetically modified ingredients, Stallman repeated the Farm Bureau’s position against mandatory GMO labeling, although he said the government should have a standard for a voluntary label for GMO-free products. In conclusion, Stallman said the most gratifying moments during his long tenure as AFBF president came from meeting farmers all across the country and seeing “their signs of appreciation” for his efforts to represent their interests in Washington.
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