The Illinois “Keep it for the Crop” (KIC) by 2025 campaign is on GROWMARK‘s list of legislative priorities on the state level for 2012, according to government affairs director Chuck Spencer.

“What is important about that is that it’s going to provide additional research dollars for stewardship programs,” Spencer said. “What we will see through this program is the ability to fund research projects in watersheds, looking at nutrient movement, and how we maximize efficiency, productivity and profitability for a producer. And when we do those things, we can feed the world.”

Spencer shared some of the cooperative’s top legislative priorities on both the state and national level during a media day tour last week on the day before Ag Day at the Illinois state capitol, where GROWMARK and other agricultural interests met with legislators to discuss issues important to the industry.

“Obviously everyone in Illinois is very concerned about budget, the cost of operations, consistency of policies, predictability of regulation in our business climate,” Chuck says. “We are seeing agriculture in the very fortunate position of being able to grow in this economy. We want to continue to do so.”

National priorities include the farm bill, of course, but also issues related to pesticide application permitting (HR872), transportation (limited exemption for hours of service for agriculture) and renewal of the Pesticide Registration and Improvement Act.

Listen to my interview with Chuck Spencer here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/growmark/gmk-2012-spencer-2.mp3″ text=”GROWMARK’s Chuck Spencer”]