By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau

With more than three decades of collective service under their belts, six former U.S. agricultural secretaries discussed and cussed climate change, international trade, subsidies, crop insurance, food stamps and a bushel basket full of other ag issues Oct. 21.

As part of Kansas State University’s Landon Lecture series, participants included Kansan Dan Glickman, John Block, Mike Espy, Mike Johanns, Ed Schafer and Ann Veneman.

Glickman, who served as ag secretary under President Clinton from 1995-2001, said there are great things happening in agriculture.

“Food and agriculture are hot topics today,” Glickman told those who packed McCain Auditorium. “They’re high up on the agenda, agriculture is part of the international agenda and people all over the world know about this industry.”

The farm economy has never been better, Glickman continued.

“After years, and years, and years of low prices and bad economic conditions, we’re in an era of a much stronger farm economy,” the former Kansas ag secretary noted. “That’s not to say there won’t still be ups and downs, but the era of agriculture being the weak sister of American economics is over.”

The challenge for farmers will be to double food production by 2050 to help feed an estimated 9 billion people, Block said. Block served as ag secretary under President Reagan from 1981-1986.

“We can’t let the critics stop us from using new technology,” Block said. “We have to use it or not meet our objectives.”

Mike Johanns, who served under President Bush from 2005-2008 stressed the importance of hammering out a farm bill but said this wouldn’t be enough.

He said this country’s farm economy will grow and flourish with an enlightened approach to taxation, university research and world trade.

The lack of consensus on a new farm bill demonstrates the deep philosophical divide in Congress threating the future of farm legislation, Espy said. He served under Bill Clinton in the early ‘90s.

The political middle no longer exists, Espy said. Urban Democrats are drawn to food programs and away from production agriculture while rural Republicans push to cut federal programs to the bone.

“The attitude in the House and Senate has changed,” Espy continued. “In the line of fire will be agriculture. We’ve got a real problem, guys.”

California’s Ann Veneman was sworn in as the first woman Secretary of USDA on Jan. 20, 2001, Secretary Veneman presided over one of the most historic times in American agriculture. Her tenure included record farm income, record agricultural exports and the creation of stronger pest and disease protection systems for the country

During Veneman’s tenure, the Food Stamp Program and child nutrition program were reauthorized and funding increased. As Secretary, Veneman focused on new approaches to help feed the hungry around the world.

Today she continues this challenge to feed the world as well as reduce obesity.

“In addition to the 842 million people that are always hungry, the World Health Organization estimates there are more than 1.4 billion in the world who are overweight,” Veneman said.

Veneman says this country faces the same challenges associated with obesity that causes all kinds of additional diseases including diabetes, heart disease, cancer as well as increasing the cost of health care and decreasing individual productivity.

“For far too long we’ve addressed the issues of hunger and malnutrition by throwing calories at it,” the former ag secretary said. “Our focus needs to look at getting nutrition to people today.”

Schafer, who served under President George W. Bush, said grains and meats exported throughout the world were accompanied by delivery of American values to countries desperate for stability.

“When you touch the land, you know about responsibility,” Schafer said. “Hungry people make unstable governments. Hungry people don’t learn. Hungry people don’t work.”

John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.

Wicked stepmothers– they’re the villains of stories from around the world and over the centuries. They are particularly common in fairy tales, which suggest that stepmothers are evil creatures who treat children badly.

Today, one of every three American children is a stepchild. Experts say that just over 50 percent of US families are remarried or re-coupled unmarried relationships. Despite the passage of time since most fairy tales were written, research shows that stepmothers have the most negative image of any member of a modern stepfamily. Stepmothers are still perceived as being less affectionate, fair, kind, loving and likeable, and more hateful, unfair and unloving.
What can be done to change these images? Here are some pointers to help stepmothers and stepfamilies deal with some of the problems presented by the “wicked stepmother myth”:

Remember that a stepfamily is born of loss. A divorce, death or separation comes before a new stepfamily. Children grieve the loss of their first family, no matter how imperfect it may have been. It can help if stepparents accept the tension and understand that time and patience will be required to overcome this challenge.
Individuals in stepfamilies have different personal histories. They have memories, traditions, values and sometimes private jokes that do not include the new stepfamily members. Differences in traditions and values are not right or wrong, just different. It may take extra effort to prevent family members from feeling like outsiders at times.

There are no ideal role models for this job. Every step family situation is unique and there is no “normal” way of doing things. The stepmother role should be based on what’s comfortable for her, her husband, the children and the family as a whole.
There’s no such thing as instant love. Stepmothers shouldn’t feel guilty if they don’t immediately feel love and affection for their stepchildren or receive it from their stepchildren. It takes time to build relationships. It can take four years or more for a stepfamily to seem like a family. It can even take 18 to 24 months for children just to be friendly to a new stepparent. Family members should be expected to treat each other with respect and fairness, remembering that it is possible to be caring and nurturing, even if there are not yet deep feelings of mutual love.

A stepmother will always share her husband with his children for the rest of their married life. A strong bond may exist between a husband and his children from a prior marriage. Jealousy can be avoided if stepmothers realize and accept this early in the relationship.
A strong couple relationship is an important part of forming a strong stepfamily. If the couple doesn’t work on their marriage, nothing either stepparent does alone will work. A united front– the husband and wife together– must come first before relationships can be built with the rest of the family. When couples have the support and love of one another, they can function at the most favorable levels to deal with stepfamily challenges.

If possible, develop a working relationship with the stepchildren’s mother. If the children’s mother is available, stepmoms can benefit from talking to and sharing with her. The two mothers don’t have to like each other, but it is valuable if they can work together for the welfare of the children.

The stepmother/stepchild relationship is one of the most difficult family relationships to develop and maintain. Families need to communicate and work together to dispel the myth of the wicked stepmother so their family relationships can grow.
For more information on strengthening stepfamilies, see the “Stepping Stones for Stepfamilies” fact sheet from K-State Research and Extension at www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/MF3097.pdf. Call the Ellis County Extension Office at 785-628-9430 or stop by at 601 Main Street in Hays to request this helpful information.