[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 164 (Monday, August 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44946-44947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22539]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 164 / Monday, August 25, 1997 / 
Notices  

[[Page 44946]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


National Commission on Small Farms; Meetings

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture by Departmental Regulation No. 
1043-43 dated July 9, 1997, established the National Commission on 
Small Farms (Commission) and further identified the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service to provide support to the Commission. The purpose 
of the Commission is to gather and analyze information regarding small 
farms and ranches and recommend to the Secretary of Agriculture a 
national policy and strategy to ensure their continued viability. The 
chair of the Commission has decided that the Commission may hold 
subcommittee meetings in order to gather public input from different 
regions of the country. The Commission is scheduling three subcommittee 
meetings during the first week of September.

PLACES, DATES AND TIMES OF MEETINGS: The Commission's first 
subcommittee meeting is September 2 at the Marriot, 189 Wolf Road, 
Albany, New York from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Printed in an earlier Federal 
Register notice.) The Commission's second subcommittee meeting is 
September 4 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 330 Tijeras, Albuquerque, New 
Mexico from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Commission's third subcommittee 
meeting is September 5 at the Monarch Hotel, 12566 Southeast 93rd 
Avenue, Clackamas, Oregon which is in the Portland, Oregon area, from 
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The meetings are open to the public. We are seeking 
testimony from various sources to arrive at conclusions and 
recommendations that will ensure the continued viability of small 
farms. The Commission requests that testimony and comments include 
ideas and recommendations based on the following questions. Concerns or 
problems of individual farms that relate to specific USDA programs 
should be addressed only in the context of a recommendation for the 
Commission to consider.
    The questions are:
    1. How are current USDA programs helping or hurting the viability 
of small farms?
    2. What are the needs of small farms in terms of financing, 
research, extension, marketing and risk management and other areas? 
What recommendations would you make about these needs that could be 
part of a long-range strategy to ensure the continued viability of 
small farms?
    3. Are there innovative non-governmental or state efforts to assist 
beginning and smaller independent farms that might be replicated or 
supplemented at the Federal level?
    4. What changes in USDA policy or practices are needed to make USDA 
programs in the areas of credit, research, extension, marketing, risk 
management and other areas more effective in enabling small farms to 
survive and thrive?
    5. What new programs could provide effective and affordable support 
for small farmers as commodity programs are phased out?
    6. What can be done to assist beginning farmers and farm workers to 
become farm owners?
    7. What role should the Federal government play to ensure a 
diversified, decentralized and competitive farm structure?
    8. What do small farms contribute to your community and your state?
    9. What other generic issues pertaining to small farms should the 
Commission consider?
    Interested parties wishing to testify at these subcommittee 
meetings must contact the office of the National Commission on Small 
Farms by August 28, 1997, in order to be placed on a list of witnesses. 
Oral presentations will be limited to 5 minutes. Those wishing to 
testify, but unable to notify the Commission office by August 28, will 
be able to sign up as a presenter September 2 in Albany, New York, 
September 4 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and September 5 in Clackamas, 
Oregon. At each meeting location, sign up will begin at 9:30 a.m. and 
end at 11 a.m. These presenters will testify on a first come, first 
served basis and comments will be limited based on the time available 
and the number of presenters. Written statements will be accepted at 
the meeting or may be mailed or faxed to the Commission office by 
September 12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments and statements should be sent to National 
Commission on Small Farms, U.S. Department of Agriculture, PO Box 2890, 
Room 5237, South Building, Washington, DC 20013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Yezak Molen, Director, 
National Commission on Small Farms, at the address above or at (202) 
690-0648 or (202) 690-0673. The fax number is (202) 720-0596.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Commission is to gather 
and evaluate background information, studies, and data pertinent to 
small farms and ranches, including limited-resource farmers. On the 
basis of the review, the Commission shall analyze all relevant issues 
and make findings, develop strategies, and make recommendations for 
consideration by the Secretary of Agriculture toward a national 
strategy on small farms. The national strategy shall include, but not 
be limited to: changes in existing policies, programs, regulations, 
training, and program delivery and outreach systems; approaches that 
assist beginning farmers and involve the private sectors and 
government, including assurances that the needs of minorities, women, 
and persons with disabilities are addressed; areas where new 
partnerships and collaborations are needed; and other approaches that 
it would deem advisable or which the Secretary of Agriculture or the 
Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service may request the 
Commission to consider.
    The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the work of the 
Commission is in the public interest and within the duties and 
responsibilities of USDA. Establishment of the Commission also 
implements a recommendation of the USDA Civil Rights Action Report to 
appoint a diverse commission to develop a national policy on small 
farms.


[[Page 44947]]


    Dated: August 20, 1997.
Pearlie S. Reed,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-22539 Filed 8-22-97; 8:45 am]
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