Johnson to House Committee: Farm Bill Must Include Protection Against Long Term Price Collapse

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON  – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management today, reviewing commodity programs for the 2012 Farm Bill. Johnson urged committee members to include provisions to deal with a long-term collapse in commodity prices.

“The farm bill passed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture contained a number of positive aspects, but one thing that it did not include was a way to deal with a long-term commodity price collapse,” said Johnson. “The farm bill must include a program such as the Market-Driven Inventory System (MDIS), which helps to ensure commodity prices do not fall to a price where family farmers can no longer make a living. MDIS utilizes a system of farmer-owned commodity inventories, loan rates, and other policy tools to accomplish this goal. Alternatively, increased and balanced target prices can be designed to cushion the impact of very low commodity prices, although this approach is likely to cost more.”

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USDA’s 150th Birthday is May 15

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

From a USDA press release today:

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two and one-half years after establishing the Department, in what would be his final annual message to the Congress, Lincoln called USDA “The People’s Department.” At that time, about half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with about 2 percent today. But through our work on food, agriculture, economic development, science, natural resource conservation and a host of issues, USDA still fulfills Lincoln’s vision – touching the lives of every American, every day.

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NFU leads coalition urging Senate passage of 2012 Farm Bill

May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON  – National Farmers Union and a coalition of agricultural, conservation, environmental, energy, forestry, hunger, and rural stakeholders sent a letter to Senate leadership today urging them to bring the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 to the Senate floor as soon as possible. NFU led the effort, which was supported by more than 125 organizations.

“This is one piece of legislation upon which all Americans depend, urban as well as rural,” stated the letter. “With limited time remaining before the expiration of current program authorities, time is of the essence.”

The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on April 26 by a 16-5 vote. The broad range of the 125 cosigners emphasizes the expansive reach and impact of the farm bill.

“This strongly bipartisan bill ensures that agriculture does its part to reduce the deficit, cutting spending by $23 billion, while still maintaining a safety net that family farmers and ranchers need,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Some farm bill programs have already expired, and the rest expire on Sept. 30. It is critical to pass a farm bill as soon as possible so that Americans have the agriculture, conservation, environmental, forestry, hunger, and rural development programs that they need. While many of us will continue to work for improvements in the bill, we all agree that we need a farm bill this year.”

 

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NFU: Antibiotics should be used judiciously on the farm

May 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON  – National Farmers Union Vice President of Government Relations Chandler Goule discussed antibiotic use in animal agriculture today in a presentation at a national stakeholder meeting hosted by the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics in Washington, D.C.

“NFU supports measures that continue to allow the Food and Drug Administration to permit the use of therapeutic antibiotics approved for use in livestock unless valid scientific evidence proves that the product is unsafe,” said Goule. “NFU believes that antibiotic treatment should be reserved for clinical treatment of illness and for judicious use in preventing illness during periods of stress and supports the right of producers to treat their animals with antibiotics to address herd health issues while opposing the constant sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics.”

More research is needed to determine the links between antibiotic use for animal health and antibiotic resistance in humans according to two separate GAO reports.

“What is clear is that there is a need for additional research and for carefully crafted legislation that is evidence-based,” said Goule.

 

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NFU statement on Labor Dept. withdrawal of ag-related child labor rule

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON (April 26, 2012) – National Farmers Union (NFU) issued the following statement after today’s announcement by the Department of Labor (DOL) regarding its withdrawal of a proposed rule dealing with children who work in agricultural vocations:

“NFU is glad to see the DOL and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) continued commitment to the safety of children, particularly on farms, which can be dangerous work environments.

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NFU applauds Senate Ag Committee Passage of 2012 Farm Bill

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON (April 26, 2012) – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry passed the 2012 Farm Bill out of committee by a 16-5 vote:

“NFU is pleased to see the 2012 Farm Bill voted out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in a bipartisan vote. This represents progress toward providing a fiscally responsible farm safety net directed to family farmers and ranchers. The bill’s investment in rural America will create jobs and opportunities for farmers to continue providing energy and conservations benefits to all Americans.

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Ohio’s Regional ‘Food Hubs’

April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last Friday, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture sent out a press release announcing the publication of the latest Food Hub Resource Guide.  I thought it might be a good time to talk about what a regional food hub is and where one might find a hub in Ohio.

What is a Regional Food Hub?

The USDA defines a food hub as:

… businesses or organizations that connect producers with buyers by offering a suite of production, distribution, and marketing services. It’s an innovative business model that allows farmers of all sizes to meet the growing consumer demand for fresh, local food by gaining entry into commercial and larger volume markets such as grocery stores, hospitals and schools.

In other words, if you’re a farmer or someone who produces an agricultural-related product, these are the people who can help you get what you produce into a local market. Yes, there is marketing help out there if you want to produce for and participate in the growing local and regional food market.

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NFU President Comments on Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill Draft

April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the 2012 Farm Bill Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Draft:

“NFU is pleased with the efforts of Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Ranking Member Pat Roberts, R-Kan., to write a bipartisan bill under difficult budgetary constraints. This is an important step in a long process for writing the omnibus agricultural legislation, and it increases the likelihood that a bipartisan farm bill can pass the Senate in the near future.

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What USDA is doing to support cutting US reliance on fossil fuels

April 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is a column from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack provided by the agency.

By Secretary Tom Vilsack

Since taking office, President Obama has been committed to an all-of-the-above approach that expands production of American energy resources. Already, there are signs that this strategy is making an impact. Last year, domestic oil production reached the highest level in nearly a decade. Imports of foreign oil fell to the lowest level in 16 years. We’re producing more natural gas than at any time in our history. Since 2008, renewable energy generation from sources like wind, solar, and geothermal has nearly doubled. And the Obama Administration has supported the first nuclear power plant in thirty years.

Strengthening the domestic biofuels industry has been another critical component of this overall strategy. And today, U.S. biofuel production is at its highest level in history. In fact, average monthly production increased more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2011. That means more jobs – especially in rural America – and greater energy security.

At USDA, we continue to support cutting-edge efforts to reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuel. For example, earlier this month, USDA announced approval of a $5 million payment to Western Plains Energy, LLC to support the construction of a biogas anaerobic digester in Oakley, KS. The completed project will utilize waste energy resources from a local cattle feedlot to replace almost 90 percent of the fossil fuels currently used by Western Plains Energy. In Blairstown, Iowa, USDA funding will be used to construct a 55,000 square foot facility that will produce cellulosic ethanol by converting municipal solid waste and other industrial pulps into advanced biofuels, as well as using conventional renewable biofuel derived from seed corn waste. When operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 3.6 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. Support for renewable energy projects such as these is an example of the many ways USDA is helping revitalize rural economies.

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