Tobacco Production Nearly Over in Area

Source from:  By STEVE CAHALAN/La Crosse Tribune VIROQUA, Wis. 04/18/2005

Since 1957, George Nettum has managed the Viroqua-based Northern Wisconsin Cooperative Tobacco Pool, composed of about 300 tobacco growers in Vernon, Crawford, Richland, Monroe, La Crosse, Trempealeau and Jackson counties. This will be a year of big change, as Nettum predicts very little tobacco will be grown by the co-op's members in 2005. Wisconsin produces chewing tobacco, which is planted in June. But this year, because of decreased demand, there are no prospective buyers for tobacco grown in the area covered by the pool, which traces its history to 1922. And this year is the first year of the federal tobacco transition payment program, also known as the tobacco buyout program. At the same time, the federal tobacco marketing quota and price support loan programs ended. Because of all this, Nettum estimates only about five acres of tobacco will be grown this year by members of his pool. He estimated it will be produced by four to five members. "It isn't because there's a market for it," Nettum said of those who will grow tobacco. "They just want to grow it." Nettum estimated 300 to 350 acres of tobacco were grown by the pool's members in both 2003 and 2004. Tim Rehbein, University of Wisconsin Extension agriculture agent for Vernon County, said "virtually none" will be grown in the area this year. So far, he knows of only two farmers who plan to grow any tobacco this year. Each plans to grow a half-acre of tobacco, he said. "It's just because they want to," Rehbein said. "Even though they don't have a market for it." The two buyers who purchased the pool's tobacco last year don't plan to buy from its farmers this year because of declining consumption "and because they're working off their stockpiles," Nettum said. He added it appears there will be one or two buyers for chewing tobacco grown in Dane and Rock counties — the other small region where Wisconsin tobacco production is concentrated. But it's too soon to be predicting the demise of the pool, which has two warehouses and its offices in Viroqua, and another warehouse in Soldiers Grove, Nettum said. "If we were reacting on impulse, we'd say this is the end of it, let's get out of here," he said. It's possible demand for the area's tobacco will increase in the future if there are crop failures elsewhere or if government programs change, Nettum said. "We've still got the sheds and the know-how" for tobacco production, he said. He is sorry to see tobacco production virtually vanish in the area this year. "Tobacco for some families has been a wonderful way to pay for school," he said. "They pay taxes and raise families," he said of tobacco growers. Consumption of chewing tobacco has been declining since the 1960s, Nettum said. He added that is because of health concerns, increasing imports and shrinking acreage allotments, which the federal government used to prevent surplus production. Nettum doesn't use tobacco, although he smoked cigarettes from his college years until 27 years ago, when his first grandchild was born. "I just quit" to be a good example to his grandchildren, he said. "Everybody was talking so much about health and tobacco" at the time. Nettum declined to comment about potential health problems associated with chewing tobacco. Wisconsin farmers harvested only about 1,500 acres of tobacco in 2004, down from 1,820 acres in 2003, according to the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service. In 1921, the year Nettum was born, Wisconsin farmers harvested 46,000 acres of tobacco. Nettum grew up on a dairy, hog and tobacco farm near Edgerton, Wis. He moved to Vernon County in 1954 as a UW Extension agricultural agent specializing in tobacco. In 1957, he took over management of the tobacco pool. At age 84, Nettum has continued to start his work day at 7:30 a.m., driving along rural roads in a 1980s-model dark green minivan filled with papers, cardboard boxes and boots. He stops to look at tobacco fields, to check tobacco leaves hanging in drying sheds, and to visit with growers, giving them advice and answering their questions. The pool also sells supplies to its members. In tobacco fields, Nettum said, "I'm looking for disease, insect, fertility and weed problems." He also has published an annual newsletter in the fall about things to watch out for in the coming year. "We also do the political work," Nettum said. "We keep in touch with the governor and state legislators" as well as congressmen. As general manager, Nettum also negotiates the highest possible price with tobacco buyers. Nettum also makes lunch and supper every day for himself and his wife, Mildred. "I should retire," Nettum said, but he has no plans to do so. "My wife wants me to retire." He said he still enjoys the challenge of his job and helping farmers. Some of the farmers in his pool have started making a transition to organic farming, and the federal tobacco buyout program will help with that, Nettum said. The buyout gives farmers some time to make the transition to other crops, Rehbein said. He has been involved in helping area farmers start grape vineyards in the past few years, and said other possibilities being considered by Vernon County farmers include raising herbs and raspberries in greenhouses and starting pick-your-own strawberry farms. Endtiem