On Tuesday of last week, the U-S House Agriculture Committee held a hearing focusing on the upcoming farm bill.  Specifically, the topic for the congressional hearing was directed at conservation programs.  Iowa Cattlemen Association member, Shayne Wiese of Carroll County was asked to represent the cattle industry and testify at the hearing.  Wiese says he mainly shared his comments on the EQUIP program and on the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  Wiese says he informed the House members that conservation programs need to be more flexible and remain voluntary.  He believes CRP ground should be opened for cattle grazing.  Wiese believes allowing cattle to graze on the CRP acres will benefit the cattle, as well as the idled ground.  Wiese says he doesn’t want to see overgrazing occur on the CRP ground.  Instead, he sees an opportunity to conduct rotational grazing using the CRP acres along with the regular pasture grasslands.  The Iowa cattle producer sees more opportunities and better management by allowing the grazing of the set-a-side acres.  Wiese says the congressional members seemed to be interested with his testimony, and they asked several questions relating to his ideas, as well as his own cattle operation.