SETTING GOALS ON STATE AND NATIONAL AGRICULTURE ISSUES.

The members of the Montana Farm Bureau adopt state policies each year at the organization’s annual meeting held in November. Policy making is a grassroots process that begins at the county Farm Bureau level, where resolutions are passed by farmer and rancher members and are brought to the state level for consideration.

STATE PRIORITIES

• Eminent Domain
  Ensure property owners’ rights are protected under eminent domain law.
• Producer Financial Protections
  Protect agricultural producers’ ownership in the crops they produce and deliver to a contract purchaser or a warehouse. Ensure that agricultural lien searches and notification procedures protect agricultural producers.
• Water
  Protect the rights of landowners and agricultural producers to surface water and groundwater. Oppose legislation that attempts to take any constitutionally protected rights to water.
• Taxes
  Ensure state tax policy does not adversely impact or burden agricultural producers or the agricultural industry. Protect the current state tax provisions that limit the burden on producing food, fiber and other agricultural products for consumers.
• Land Use Regulation
  Protect the rights of agricultural producers to engage in normally-accepted agricultural practices on their land. Oppose unnecessary regulatory authority over rural land.
• Transportation
  Ensure vehicle, trailer and driver’s license regulations do not adversely impact or burden agricultural producers or the agricultural industry.

NATIONAL PRIORITIES

• Trade
  Support the passage of trade agreements that benefit production agriculture.
• Taxes
  Support comprehensive tax reform, including the permanent repeal of the estate tax.
• Regulatory Reform
  Support comprehensive reform of the federal regulatory process to ensure the right of agricultural producers and property owners to provide meaningful input and challenge regulatory proposals.
• Farm Bill
  Participate in the formulation of the 2018 Farm Bill to ensure the concerns of Montana agricultural producers are addressed and an effective safety net is maintained.
• Agricultural Technologies
  Defend against legislation that would reduce or eliminate access and/or use of approved agricultural technologies (GMO, feed additives, antibiotics, etc.).
• Property Rights
  Seek to resolve BLM claims of ownership of private property across the state.