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EDITORIAL | EXEMPT AG FROM CORPORATE ACTIVITY TAX PAGE 6 EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Friday, January 24, 2020 Volume 93, Number 4 CapitalPress.com $2.00 Trump takes victory lap at AFBF convention Don Jenkins/Capital Press Washington state Sen. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, proposes to broaden pro- tections for farmworkers who com- plain about work conditions. Labor bill puts burden of proof on accused farmers By DON JENKINS Capital Press AFBF President Trump speaks at the 101st Annual American Farm Bureau Federation Convention and Trade Show in Austin, Texas, Jan. 19, 2020. President praises farmers’ ‘fortitude’ in trade disputes American Farm Bureau Federation By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press AUSTIN, Texas — The serpentine throng of people waiting to clear a security check- point and see President Donald Trump was no deterrent to Texas cattleman Larry Bumpurs. With Trump’s successful trade negotia- tions and his “draining the swamp” of over- zealous federal bureaucrats, it was time well spent to hear the president speak at the Amer- ican Farm Bureau Federation’s annual con- vention, Bumpurs said. “This line is too short for me to tell you everything I like about Trump,” he said. Though the president may be criticized for his rancorous approach to politics, that’s of less consequence than his ability to get things done for agriculture, said Joe Cater, a fellow Texas cattlemen attending Trump’s Jan. 19 speech in Austin, Texas. “This is not a personality contest,” Cater said. Bumpurs echoed that sentiment, noting that he wouldn’t be troubled even if Trump would “fart in public.” “He don’t have an edit button on his mouth,” Bumpurs said. Trump’s popularity among growers attending the Farm Bureau’s 101st conven- tion — his third annual appearance at the event — was never much in question. As the president pointed out during his speech, a recent poll pegged his approval rat- ing at an all-time high of 83% among farmers. “I’m wondering, who are the 17%?” Founded: 1919 Mission: “The AFBF is the Voice of Agriculture. We are farm and ranch families working together to build a sustainable future of safe and abundant food, fiber and renewable fuel for our nation and the world.” Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press Marcos Amaro, who grows nuts and spe- cialty crops in Central California, was excit- ed to see President Donald Trump on Jan. 19 at this year’s American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Austin, Texas. Total membership: Approxi- mately 6 million President: Zippy Duvall, 2016-present) President’s total compensation: $648,111 Total employees: 150 Trump asked the crowd, referring to disap- proving farmers. “Who the hell are the 17%?” After a moment, Trump seemed to recon- sider the question. “Don’t raise your hand,” he said, “it may be dangerous.” While his previous appearances before the Farm Bureau were also met with gusto, Trump’s hardline approach to trade has been a source of concern for farmers who are par- ticularly dependent on exports. This time around, though, the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agree- ment and a partial resolution of the trade dis- pute with China appeared to relieve some of the tension about Trump’s strategy. Employee salaries and benefits: $15.8 million Organizational status: Tax exempt as 501(c)(5) agricultural organization Total revenue: $34.3 million Revenue source: Primarily membership dues, some investment income Grant spending: $370,000 Total assets: $66 million Total debt: $13 million NOTE: Financial information from 2016, the most recent year that tax data was available. Source: American Farm Bureau Federation See Trump, Page 14 OLYMPIA — Farmers and labor con- tractors would be presumed guilty of ille- gal retaliation if they disciplined workers who complained about working con- ditions or took part in union activities, under a bill introduced Jan. 14 by four Senate Democrats. Farms could avoid fines by proving their innocence with “clear and convinc- ing evidence,” according to Senate Bill 6261. Sen. John McCoy, the bill’s prime sponsor, said he was particularly con- cerned about the treatment of foreign workers on H-2A visas. “There’s a tight grip held on those workers,” said McCoy, a Snohomish County legislator. The law already forbids farms from firing employees who file claims for pay or ask about their rights. SB 6261 would expand protected activities to include organizing co-workers to improve condi- tions and refusing to do work thought to violate health and safety laws. If an employee were fired, demoted or denied a promotion within 90 days, the farm would be presumed guilty. The presumption of guilt also would apply if the farmer declined to rehire a sea- sonal worker. The protection for workers would be triggered by a complaint by an employee or ex-employee and would not have to be in writing. Washington Growers League Execu- tive Director Mike Gempler said the bill “seems overly broad.” “It would seem to prevent an employer from taking reasonable action against an employee for just cause,” he said. “It would have an impact on being able to adequately manage your farm if you can’t discipline an employee for doing legiti- mately destructive things.” Columbia Legal Services policy direc- tor Antonio Ginatta said broader protec- tions are needed because Washington agriculture increasingly relies on for- eign workers. Adding more details to the anti-retaliation measure would help Capital Press graphic See Labor, Page 14 Food expert says farms should change how they engage consumers By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN Capital Press SALEM — People learn through stories, Michele Payn, a nationally recognized speaker and author on the food industry, said. And as the stories around food change, the way people think about food is changing, too. The changes are often pushing farmers and consumers farther apart, and Payn said farms need to do a better job of engaging the public. Payn was speaking during an Oregon AgLink meeting Jan. 16 at the Northwest Ag Show to an audi- ence that included hay farmers, cat- tle ranchers and tree fruit producers. The way society’s perception of food is changing can be illustrated through brain science, said Payn. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique that measures brain activity. When cer- tain areas of the brain light up in fMRI images, researchers can eval- uate patterns of thought. When the brain finds a subject pleasant or comfortable, it lights up one area of the brain. When a subject is uncom- fortable, another area is activated. Payn said that as marketing mes- sages have impressed on consum- ers values like “sustainability” and “humane livestock production,” for example, consumers’ brains have been wired to light up in a pos- itive way when those terms are recognized. Marketers know this and send messages through food labeling to See Food, Page 14 S167436-1
