ASI Spring Trip to Washington, DC

 

Earlier this month I was part of the American Sheep Industry Association’s 2013 Washington, D.C Spring Trip.  This annual event had over sixty sheep producers from across the United States, meeting with their Senators and Representatives.  We also had meetings with USDA, BLM and the US Forest Service.  This event is a great opportunity for the sheep producers to discuss the issues facing their industry with the people in DC that make the decisions.  The big issues this year are the Farm Bill, Immigration Reform and H2-A visas, funding for Wildlife Services and opening International Markets for US Lamb.

 

The first day my husband and I attended meetings at the USDA, Senator Mike Enzi’s office about Immigration and with staffers of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.  On the second day we met with staff of four of Oregon’s Congressional Representatives, Suzanne Bonamici, Kurt Schrader, Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio.  My parents also met with Congressman Greg Walden, and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.  All our meeting went well and gave us an opportunity to discuss the issues and how they affect us as producers of lamb and wool. 

 

Sheep Producers would like to see the passage of a Farm Bill, which continues funding for the National Sheep Improvement Center and an increase in funding for the USDA Risk Management Agency and the Livestock Indemnity Program.  The Sheep Industry has been bringing in legal workers from Mexico, Peru and Chile for over 60 years under the H2-A visa program.  We support many of parts of the Immigration Reform proposed by the Senate's “Gang of 8.”  We hope that an agreement can be reached on Immigration Reform that will allow us to continue bringing in foreign workers to herd sheep.

The week in topped off with an American Lamb BBQ.

ASI President Clint Krebs said “we were well received by all of our representatives and senators, and they listened to our concerns.  I feel they were all disappointed in not being able to break the gridlock in DC and implement more programs for their constituents.”

Fast Facts About Sheep Production in the United States

·         As of January 1, 2013, there were 5.34 million head of sheep in the US

·         Sheep are raised in all 50 state

·         There are over 80,000 sheep farms and ranches in the US

·         Through genetics, sheep producers in the US tend to produce a dual-purpose animal-one that is valued for both its meat and its wool

Check out www.sheepusa.org for more information about the US Sheep Industry.

Food, Transforming the American Table 1950-2000

I just got back from Washington DC and I'll post about my lobbying activities for the American Sheep Industry later in the week.  One of the highlights before we started lobbying was the Food exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. They have Julia Child's Kitchen, and exhibits on the change in American food taste, the food pyramid and how having electricity in the home changed what America cooked. 

Julia Child's Kitchen

 

This Oven has a built in Recipe Box

Julia Child's Cookbook Collection
2 copies of Joy of Cooking, one of my favorites

This is a great exhibit and fun to see the change in Food in just 50 years.  The growth in ethnic foods like Mexican and Thai, along with the wine industry.  How refrigeration gave us orange juice, bagged salad and tomatoes year round. It also showed how grilling moved from a Sunday afternoon to something that many families including my own do several nights a week.

The exhibit makes you think about where the Food Industry will go in the next 50 years.  If you are in Washington, DC take the time to stop in and visit this great exhibit.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/

http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/food