County Policies Adopted September 17, 2009

LOCAL RESOLUTIONS

Appreciation
Monroe County is fortunate to have dedicated staff and members working in all different areas throughout the year.

Our thanks to President, Paul Marks, who has done an outstanding job of leading our organization. Our county board and, we as members, are more involved in ag-related issues because of his leadership. Monroe County Farm Bureau continues to be one of the top counties in Michigan and we have many members involved in the leadership of several ag organizations locally and nationally.

Mary Janssens, Chairperson of the Promotion and Education Committee, is busy throughout the year taking the knowledge of agriculture to our schools and urban friends. The public has a better understanding where their food comes from and just how important American farmers are.

Our Farm Bureau food building located at the Monroe County Fairgrounds continues to make improvements and is very successful due to our manager, Mary Webb, and her many workers. What a great job! Thank you, Mary. Community Action Groups and other Farm Bureau members volunteer their time during fair week at the food building and also do many other projects during the year. Thank you!

Our Membership Committee, headed by Don Sahloff, signed 31 new Regular members this year during the Membership Drive. Thanks to everyone who helped us reach our goal and exceed it.

Our Policy Development Committee, headed by Elgin Darling and Mary Lou Smith, will be spending many hours of research and meetings to write policy. This is what makes a grassroots organization successful and effective.

Anna Sahloff, County Administrative Manager, along with her assistant, Dale Lynn Mason, spend many hours servicing the Farm Bureau membership. All of the insurance agents have also worked hard to service all members. We are grateful for the time and effort they give to this organization. ADOPTED

Thanks For The Support
Citizens in Monroe County, including farmers and their families, are fortunate to have the support of the Michigan State University Extension Service and its local staff who provide support in our lifelong educational needs. We are proud to have the largest
4-H program in Michigan and encourage all Farm Bureau members to become involved as leaders and volunteers. We appreciate the support given in nutrition education for a diverse audience. We commend Brenda Reau, Monroe County MSU Extension Director, for partnering with Ohio State University to create the multi-state position now held by Dan Pavuk to help meet the educational needs of the specialty crop growers in our area as well as adjacent counties in both states.

We recognize the benefit to our environment from the "Clean Sweep" pesticide disposal program offered through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and coordinated locally by MSU Extension. We encourage the continued offering of this great program.

We appreciate the support of the Monroe County Health Department and the comprehensive recycling and pollution prevention programs they offer. Programs offered to assist in the safe disposal of household hazardous wastes under the direction of Jamie Dean benefit all of us. We commend her for partnering with the Ida Farmer's Cooperative and Maybee Farmers, Inc. to develop a recycling program for used, clean pesticide containers in 2009.

Therefore, be it resolved, that Farm Bureau members in Monroe County wish to thank our Monroe County Commissioners for recognizing that MSU Extension has an important part in the overall health of Monroe County. We wish to thank them also for the support of the programs offered through the Health Department. We urge the Commissioners to continue their strong support for these local programs which benefit not only farmers, but all citizens in Monroe County. ADOPTED

M.A.E.A.P. Verification
Whereas the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (M.A.E.A.P.) is a voluntary program for all sizes and types of Michigan farms and Farm Bureau encourages farms to become verified. The intent of M.A.E.A.P. is to encourage producers to become better environmental stewards by providing tools to make and maintain changes that improve stewardship and to confirm that soil and water resource concerns are appropriately addressed. Right to Farm Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs) are followed and practices implemented comply with state and federal environmental regulations.

When farms become verified, an appropriate sign can be placed in the farm yard identifying this farm's accomplishment. The cost of this sign and its placement is the responsibility of the farm operator.

Therefore, be it resolved that, when a Monroe County Farm Bureau member's farm becomes M.A.E.A.P. verified, Monroe County Farm Bureau will reimburse the farm $50 to help offset the cost of placing the M.A.E.A.P. sign in the farmstead yard. This payment will be made when proper documentation of the accomplishment is provided to the County Farm Bureau Administrative Manager. ADOPTED

Recycling
The Monroe County Health Department provides Monroe County residents with a comprehensive recycling and pollution prevention program. Programs are offered to assist in the disposal of household waste such as plastic, tin and aluminum cans, newspapers, batteries, tires, Christmas trees, inkjet cartridges, mercury, pesticides and other hazardous waste including electronics and unwanted medications.

Collection of newspapers is available at various sites in Monroe County.

Monroe County Solid Waste Co-ordinator, Jamie Dean, under the direction of the Monroe County Health Department, put together pamphlets, mailed regularly to assist us concerning disposing of many products that can be recycled.

We appreciate Jamie Dean's efforts to have a tire collection day for passenger car tires that will be an annual event and may in the future include truck and farm implement tires.

RESOLVED: We encourage families and friends to participate in these programs. ADOPTED

Slow Moving Vehicle Signs
Slow Moving Vehicle signs are being used for driveway and mailbox markers. Let's use Slow Moving Vehicle signs for what they were designed for. They were designed for warning people of a SLOW moving piece of equipment driven by a farmer. Farmers need to replace worn-out Slow Moving Vehicle emblems.

Be it resolved, the misuse of Slow Moving Vehicle signs be issued a penalty and let the signs be used for what they were designed to do - WARN people of Slow Moving Equipment. ADOPTED

Bank Of America
Whereas, Bank of America has signed off on a new fundraising scheme for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) providing their new credit card program to give 25 cents to the HSUS for every 100 dollars charged on a new credit card through Bank of America. This is a "sneaky" way of providing funding to an organization that has the goal of eliminating animal agriculture in America as we know it today.

And, whereas, the Monroe County Farm Bureau Board of Directors closed our organization's deposits at Bank of America as soon as this information was received.
Your Farm Bureau board sent a letter to this bank's main office expressing our concerns for this method of funding and explained why we were closing our account with them. In our letter we explained the impact that HSUS's agenda could have on our county's farm operations, and consequently the local business community, and ultimately a $73.1 billion Michigan agricultural industry that relies on solid science as well as solid financial backing.

Therefore, be it resolved that Farm Bureau members consider making changes to their financial portfolio to eliminate doing business with financial institutions that force support to the HSUS. Even if you're not a Bank of America customer, you should make your concerns known. Bank of America has several locations in Monroe County. We encourage you as Farm Bureau members to send a letter expressing your concerns to Bank of American Corporate Center, 100 North Tyron Street, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28255. ADOPTED

Monroe County Road Commission
Whereas, Monroe County roads and bridges continue to deteriorate and township and county budgets continue to tighten, some townships have found that it is more cost effective to bid out road and bridge work. However, the Monroe County Road Commission has been less than cooperative with this route of getting work done on township infrastructure.

Therefore, be it resolved: Monroe County Farm Bureau would strongly encourage County Commissioners to make a direct order to Monroe County Road Commission to allow townships to bid out projects on township roads and bridges as they see fit, and also allow for the townships' engineering firms to develop plans, evaluate and approve such projects. ADOPTED

LOCAL REAFFIRMATIONS

Monroe County Preservation Board
We commend the efforts of the Monroe County Farm Bureau, the Monroe Community Foundation and Monroe County Planning Department/Commission on the Farmland Preservation Ordinance.

These townships who have voted and have partnered with the county are as follows: Ash, Berlin, Dundee, Erie, Exeter, Frenchtown, LaSalle, London, Raisinville, Summerfield and Whiteford Townships.

We also urge those townships who have not adopted a Farmland Preservation Ordinance to do so as soon as possible.

We thank our County Commissioners for the adoption of the Monroe County Farmland Preservation Ordinance.

The next process is to develop and appoint individuals to the Farmland Preservation Board. These appointments are made by the Chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. Letters were sent to agencies asking for names of interested people for consideration. Names for appointment possibilities have been given to the chairman by these agencies including Monroe County Farm Bureau.

This procedure was completed several months ago. As of this writing, nothing has transpired.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: We urge the Chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners to make the appointments to the Farmland Preservation Board of Monroe County as soon as possible. ADOPTED

County Roads
County Road Commissions should only be responsible for maintaining roads, not building them. By properly maintaining in a timely manner, it wouldn't be necessary to construct from scratch.

BE IT RESOLVED: Road building contractors should do the job. They have the necessary equipment, highly trained engineers and the expertise to deal with various grading and drainage problems and usage of proper materials for roads in each locality. Bids would be submitted with the winning contractor required to be held responsible for the duration of the guaranteed life of the road. ADOPTED