News Update
September 24, 2012
Now What? A Look at Policy Options After 2008 Bill Expires
Members of Congress are headed out of town on Friday having not passed a new farm bill or extended the old one. This means that on Oct. 1, authorization for farm and food policies spanning the breath and depth of our economy will have expired.
Wheat farmers who are now taking on operating loans for the 2013 crop and putting it in the ground will be joined by many, many others wondering what farm safety net will exist in the new year and how much more deeply farm programs will be cut when the new Congress is seated in January.
Here are a few possible scenarios for what might happen next.
On Sept. 30, the 2008 Farm Bill expires, taking with it authorization for most farm and food programs, with the notable exceptions of crop insurance, authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act, and some conservation programs.
Many programs will continue to function, however, particularly if they have an appropriation the pending six-month continuing resolution. USDA is preparing a plan to phase out programs as law and funding expire.
Assuming Congress returns for a lame duck session — which is scheduled, but not guaranteed — both the House and Senate could consider a full, five-year bill, a three-month extension of the 2008 law or a one-year extension of the 2008 law.
The steps to pass a new, five-year farm bill in this Congress are surprisingly few: The House needs to approve the bill already presented by the House Agriculture Committee, that bill needs to be conferenced with a Senate bill, and the compromise measure needs final approval from both chambers and the president's signature.
USDA Expands Drought Assistance to 22 States
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $11.8 million in additional financial and technical assistance to help crop and livestock producers in 22 states apply conservation practices that reduce the impacts of drought and improve soil health and productivity. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides this assistance through its Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Since early summer, USDA has announced a variety of assistance to producers affected by the drought, including opening conservation acres to emergency haying and grazing, lowering the interest rate for emergency loans, and working with crop insurance companies to provide flexibility to farmers.
Just a few weeks ago, USDA announced $16 million in financial and technical assistance to immediately help crop and livestock producers in 19 states cope with the adverse impacts of the historic drought. In July, the Secretary announced USDA would allow producers to modify current EQIP contracts to allow for grazing, livestock watering and other conservation activities to address drought conditions, and also authorized haying and grazing of Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easement areas in drought-affected areas where haying and grazing is consistent with conservation of wildlife habitat and wetlands. Today's announcement expands upon these efforts and brings the total assistance to nearly $28 million.
For more information and the full release, click here.
'Research Powerhouses' Join Forces in New Multistate Venture
Faculty from Michigan State University, Ohio State University and Purdue University gathered earlier this month in a new effort to strengthen both research and Extension outreach in food safety issues.
"These are all exceptional agriculture institutions in their own right, but when you combine them, you suddenly have a phenomenal research and Extension powerhouse," said John Baker, associate director of MSU AgBioResearch. "We're striving to stimulate and develop our regional efforts by honing in on the synergy across these three universities."
The Food Safety Midwest Workshop in Fort Wayne last week was the first such gathering of the new Tri-State Research/Extension Funding Program (TSREFP), aimed at bringing together the strengths of each university to maximize opportunities to secure grants from external agencies. Another benefit is providing important educational and Extension outreach programs to stakeholders. Besides food safety, six other focus areas are part of the new venture: bioenergy and bioproducts, local foods, water quality, nutrient and waste management, animal welfare, and commercial agriculture and farm management.
Jeff LeJeune, microbiologist with Ohio State University Extension and Ohio State's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, attended the Sept. 13 food safety workshop.
"We identified some priorities in areas where we might work together, and one of them was in educational materials for Good Agricultural Practices for producers," LeJeune said. "The day after the meeting, we already shared ideas back and forth from information that was presented at the workshop. We're talking about how we can adopt things here in Ohio that are being done in Indiana and Michigan, and how what we're doing in Ohio can be exported, if you will, to Indiana and Michigan. The collaboration is already moving ahead."
For more information and the full release, click here.
Cintas Launches Second Annual Online Contest
Following the success of last year's Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew Contest, Cintas Corp. has launched a second annual campaign to recognize individuals in the United States and Canada who withstand the toughest winter working conditions. Contestants are encouraged to share their stories and explain why Carhartt workwear is essential to their jobs at www.cintas.com/carharttcoldcrew for their chance to win free merchandise and a grand prize trip for two.
Entries will be accepted now through Feb. 28, 2013, at which time Cintas and Carhartt will select finalists and begin public voting at the contest website. The grand prizewinner will be announced in April, and he or she will enjoy a trip for two to the 2013 CMA Music Festival. Check out the 2012 CMA Music Festival 8/7 p.m. Central Sept. 17 on ABC.
"Carhartt is synonymous with outerwear, so with colder months approaching, we are thrilled to relaunch the Cold Crew Contest," says Brad Heizman, National Director of Garment Strategy for Cintas Corp., North America's largest uniform supplier. "Last year's contest generated amazing stories from men and women who brave extremely brutal working conditions during the winter months, and we are looking forward to another opportunity to acknowledge them."
For more information and the full release, click here.
CNFA Hosts Kazakhstan Development Tour in Midwest
As an extension of the Kazakhstan Business Connections Program, a two-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Citizens Network of Foreign Affairs (CNFA) is hosting a three-week business development tour for 10 participants from Kazakhstan to meet with U.S. businesses and attend training seminars in Kansas and Nebraska. Nine businessmen, involved in beef and poultry production and one government representative will visit more than a dozen businesses related to livestock production, processing and marketing including AGCO, Luco Manufacturing and Great Plains. In addition to these business and association visits, the tour also includes an educational component where participants will attend a four-day training seminar at Kansas State University and presentation at the Kansas State Department of Agriculture. While the primary goal of the tour is to provide training and opportunities for Kazak businesses, the tour also provides opportunities for U.S. businesses, as well. The tour will conclude in Washington, D.C., for a debrief and reception with representatives from the Kazakhstan Embassy and livestock industry.
The Kazakhstan Business Connections program aims to build the capacity and competitiveness of Kazakhstani small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through their modernization and expansion. The program aligns with the Government of Kazakhstan's (GOKZ) national development plan to diversify the economy through the development of Kazakhstani SMEs. Although this is a USAID-funded project, the Government of Kazakhstan contributes 50% of the operating expenses.
Agriculture Workshop for Military Veterans
Slated for Nov. 10 in San Antonio
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, in cooperation with the Texas AgrAbility Project and USDA, will present an agriculture workshop for military veterans from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the San Antonio International Farm and Ranch Show (SAIFRS).
The no-cost workshop, called "From Battleground to Breaking Ground," is one of numerous free educational opportunities to be provided to attendees of the show, which takes place Nov. 8-10 on the grounds of the Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston Street.
"This program will give military veterans interested in farming or ranching the opportunity to get information on aspects of starting, developing and funding an agriculture-based business," said Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for Bexar County and educational coordinator for the show. "It's one of dozens of no-cost educational programs being offered during the SAIFRS, most of which provide attendees with continuing education units or credits."
Davis said this and other educational programming is available to attendees free of charge due to the sponsorship of the SAIFRS.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Bill to Exempt Small Farms From Regulatory Overreach
U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and James Inhofe (R-OK), along with Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced a bill to amend the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Rule and ease the regulatory compliance for farms. Companion legislation recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives without a single objection.
"The EPA's proposed fuel storage rules would force thousands of farmers to pay for costly infrastructure projects — along with an extensive inspection and certification process — that they simply don't need," Pryor said. "By exempting small farms from this regulatory overreach, our bipartisan bill would save farmers millions in unneeded costs."
Under EPA's plan, beginning next year, farmers who have oil and gas tanks on their farms will be required to hire a certified professional engineer to design a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan, just like major oil refineries. They may also be required to purchase new capital equipment to comply with the rule, including dual containment tanks on farm trucks and fuel storage units that will unnecessarily raise the cost of farming.
This bill will exempt farmers from these regulations for aboveground oil storage tanks that have an aggregate storage capacity of less than 10,000 gallons.
In addition to providing this exemption, it will also allow farmers who are regulated and have less than 42,000 gallons of above ground storage capacity to self-certify their own plans.
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