Iowa is overly dependent upon corn and livestock fed with corn. Overproduction of corn is depleting Iowa’s soil, and the chemicals used in its over-production have seriously compromised our water quality. When one looks at what this does to our environment and augments this information with the long term effects of overconsumption of corn fed meat and poultry on our citizenry, it becomes difficult for Congress to defend the subsidy and insurance programs used to prop up our corn producers. This is at least part of the reason the farm bill has not yet passed.

Iowa needs to diversify its agricultural industry. Diversification of our agriculture industry is essential and will not be easy. We need to encourage the farmers that have made inroads through the forest reserve program as we seek to expand the program beyond river bottoms and hilly ground. Forest products are an agricultural crop and expansion of perennial crops are an integral part of this process. At the current time, forest products contribute nearly $5 billion a year to Iowa’s economy. We should be working together to expand tree crops and other perennials in Iowa for the long term health of our economy, our soil, and our water.

Please encourage your state legislators to support the Forest Reserve and Orchard Act of 1906 and to block current efforts being made by a few legislators to undermine this program.