State Resolutions Committee meets

The Idaho Farm Bureau State Resolution Committee met in Boise to discuss new resolutions and the organization's policy book.

Its become the Farm Bureau's first sure sign of spring. The Resolutions committee has met every April since 1939—the grass root policies keep farm operations current in ever-changing times.

"The strength of Farm Bureau is our members and their policies. We just finished the Legislative session and laws were passed, so its opportunity to again, look at our policy and that's what this committee does," said Idaho Farm Bureau President Bryan Searle.

Farm Bureau representatives from 5 districts gather from all over the state, bringing policies, concerns, and wisdom from their fields, towns, counties to the annual State Resolution Meeting.

"The Resolutions Committee looks over the new resolutions and even last years policy book and makes changes if needed. It forever changes with the times and needs of our farmers and agriculture, its a very important matter, " said Bob Callihan of Potlatch.

From the counties, members come up with resolutions, everything from dirt and fertilizer to government rules and regs and ways to improve them. If resolutions pass this hurdle they become policy and lobbying at the statehouse.

Not all resolutions pass, some are redundant, some are sent back for revision, by the committee.

Dozens of resolutions were considered, the best was added to the policy book, President Searle says this is the bedrock on which Farm Bureau was built back in 1939.

"It all starts right on the ground, right in the dirt, on the grass the cows feed, it's right there with the issues and challenges that farmers face, and they find their way into the policy book," said Searle.