You should join us at the Ohio Farmers Union Annual picnic, August 15 at 12:30 p.m. We’ll be at the Ohio Caverns in West Liberty again this year. You’ll hear from OFU leaders and there are always special guests who come from Columbus, Washington D.C. or elsewhere to speak to us about the issues of the day affecting family farmers. Oh – and there’s lunch on us! Just contact Linda Borton at the state office at 800-321-3671 to RSVP.
Deadline July 17 for Some Conservation Programs Around Lake Erie
Funding is available to Western Lake Erie Basin farmers to improve water quality through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Deadline to apply is July 17th!
Nutrient management practices such as cover crops, drainage water management structures, blind tile inlets, placement of phosphorus below the soil surface using variable rate technology (VRT) and animal waste management are the primary conservation focus available through these programs.
Contact your local county USDA Farm Service Agency office, Soil and Water Conservation District office or Ohio Department of Natural Resources office for additional information on the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
NFU: No on Syngenta-Monsanto Merger
National Farmers Uniontoday released a resolution passed by its Board of Directors opposing the potential merger between agricultural giants, Monsanto and Syngenta. The merger, if achieved, would combine the world’s number one seed company and the number one pesticide company into a single entity.
“NFU will oppose any proposed acquisition of Syngenta by Monsanto for the damaging impacts it may have on farmers and rural America,” the resolution states. “NFU continues to advocate for enforcement of antitrust laws and competitive market places for farmers.”
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson noted that agriculture has faced a concentration of economic power over the past 30 years and such a merger would be another step in that direction. The new entity created by this merger would dwarf other agribusinesses and eliminate a competitor in the marketplace, potentially resulting in an increase in price for seeds and other inputs.
“An acquisition of this magnitude should be subject to full review and scrutiny as an anticompetitive acquisition that would substantially lessen competition,” said Johnson. “As it stands today, the seed sector is dominated by the “big six,” and losing one of those would significantly reduce choice and further concentrate power. NFU has a proud history of working to maintain competitive market places for farmers and will continue to do so going forward” he said.
Pope’s Message on Environment Casts Agriculture as a Calling
The National Farmers Union and the organization Catholic Rural Life released a joint statement regarding Pope Francis’ latest encyclical, Laudato Si’, which was published June 18. The encyclical is now the Roman Catholic Church’s most authoritative teaching on the environment. Below is their joint statement.
Pope Francis’ widely-anticipated teaching document on environmental concerns, Laudato Si’, was published today, with big implications for farming and food production.
“This encyclical underscores how farming isn’t solely an economic endeavor,” said Jim Ennis, the executive director of Catholic Rural Life, a 92-year old non-profit dedicated to applying Catholic social teaching to agriculture and other rural issues. “Rather, it needs to be thought of in a much broader framework, with ethical, social, environmental, and even cultural dimensions in mind.”
Pope Francis illustrated this in Laudato Si’ by making connections between agricultural practices and ecological crises, such as water contamination and deforestation, but also unjust structures in the food system, which can be unfairly stacked against the interests of rural communities and the common good. In each instance, farming was examined through a moral lens, with the well-being of the human person as the focal point.
In the 178 page document, the pope used farm-related terminology over 30 times.
Ennis said the pope’s broad, holistic portrayal of agriculture “reminds farmers that they are called to a vocation, a way of life, and not just a way to make a living.”
“Human and natural ecology forms an intricate and delicate web, and farming is uniquely situated in the center of this web,” he said. ” How we farm has a considerable impact on everything around us, from human nutrition and opportunities for fulfilling work, to the well-being of our waters and forests and ecosystems. This vocational approach to agriculture carries with it a certain responsibility and gravity, but it’s also incredibly life-giving and fulfilling.
OFU Urges Senate to “Chill” on COOL
Americans Want to Know Where Their Food Comes From
COLUMBUS – Ohio’s second largest general farm organization leveled a broadside at members of Congress who voted this past week to repeal Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork and poultry in the United States.
“In an era where food travels around the world indiscriminately, is there a mother in this country, when asked, who would say they don’t care to know where their food comes from?” asked Joe Logan, president of the Ohio Farmers Union.
“Does the chicken they’re putting on the grill tonight come from U.S. producers – with all of their health and safety regs – or does it come from China where health, safety and environmental regulations are an after-thought?”
Logan said OFU and the National Farmers Union have backed COOL since before it was enacted in the 2002 Farm Bill. He said that globalization and the opening of markets made it a necessity for U.S. consumers to know where their food comes from because many other countries don’t have the food safety regulations protecting U.S. consumers.
Logan said that much of U.S. meat production and processing have come under the control of foreign corporations, and American consumers need to be vigilant. The current largest pork processor in the U.S. is Chinese-owned and the second-largest beef processor in the U.S. is Brazilian company JBS.
Late Thursday night, Congressional supporters of these huge, multi-national corporations used a recent World Trade Organization ruling as an excuse to push a repeal of COOL through the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
“The WTO process is not over regarding COOL,” said Logan. “The U.S. has ample time and the administration has signaled it would continue to work with Canada and Mexico on fair and honest labeling requirements in this country.”
“Basically, corporate interests and big money won out this week in Washington – consumers and independent family farmers lost big time,” Logan said.
Logan hopes that the U.S. Senate ignores the House bill.
Logan said that the vote to repeal COOL is important enough for every Ohioan to know where their member of Congress stands when it comes to knowing where their food comes from.
Unless your member of Congress was Joyce Beatty, Marcy Kaptur or Tim Ryan, if you live in Ohio your member voted to take away your right to know where your food comes from.
“In a global economy, information about the foods we eat is essential,” Logan said. “It’s unfathomable how a representative of the people could vote against that.”
Editor’s Note:
Here are a couple of noteworthy links on the background of this issue:
- The most recent consumer poll results are available here: http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/COOL-poll-results-May-2013.pdf
- The Robert Taylor study can be found here: http://www.nfu.org/images/COOLReport1132015Final.pdf
You’ll find in the poll that Americans, when asked, overwhelmingly favor knowing where their meat comes from. You’ll see in the Prof. Robert Taylor study that Canada cannot demonstrate material damage to their own markets as a result of COOL.
ACTION ALERT: Congress Voting to Repeal COOL Next Week
There will be a vote in the House next on the COOL Repeal bill. We are asking members of Congress to speak out against COOL. Please call your member of Congress today and tell them Americans have the right to know where their food comes from and you would like them to speak AGAINST repeal on the House floor next week. Here’s the Action Alert from the National Farmers Union:
Next week is going to be a very tough week for popular labeling law Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). NFU expects the bill to repeal major parts of the law to be on the House floor between Tuesday and Thursday!
Please call your House member and ask him/her to speak against the COOL repeal bill when the debate is on the floor. Please let each office know that NFU will be scoring this vote and we will be watching to see who speaks against the bill. Thank them for their help; a vote against the repeal bill is a vote for family farmers, ranchers and consumers.
The more speakers we have the less votes will go towards repealing COOL. Please make the call to your representative today! The Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121.
Ohio Current Agricultural Use Value Docs
There has been a lot of deserved attention to CAUV (Current Agricultural Use Value) valuations by our membership over the past two to three years. While we have worked especially hard to represent you in Columbus, I think we should also provide the actual documents being distributed by the state of Ohio regarding CAUV.
For those who are not farmers in Ohio, CAUV is a system for taxing farm land in Ohio that grants a property tax break to active farmers. To be eligible for CAUV:
To qualify for the CAUV, land must meet one of the following requirements during the three years preceding an application for the CAUV:
-
Ten or more acres must be devoted exclusively to commercial agricultural use; or
-
If under ten acres are devoted exclusively to commercial agricultural use, the farm must produce an average yearly gross income of at least $2,500
Why CAUV? States grant a special status to farm land to:
- keep the land in agricultural use (farmland preservation)
- help farmers account for the sometimes wild fluctuations in the markets they produce in – land is a cost of production
Here are the documents recently released by the Ohio Dept. of Taxation regarding CAUV:
All live bird exhibitions – including fairs – banned in Ohio this year
Agency takes proactive stance in face of bird flu threat
from the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (June 2, 2015) – In an aggressive move designed to help protect Ohio’s $2.3 billion poultry industry from the avian flu that has so negatively impacted other poultry-producing states, today the Ohio Department of Agriculture canceled all live bird exhibitions this year. The ban includes county and independent fairs, the Ohio State Fair, and all other gatherings of birds for show or for sale, including auctions and swap meets. Similar bans have been enacted in other poultry states. So far, Ohio is virus-free and the move is intended to continue that status.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)—also called the avian flu – is an extremely contagious virus that primarily affects domestic poultry and is believed to be spread by wild, migrating birds. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) first confirmed the virus in the U.S. beginning in late 2014. Since that time more than 44 million birds at more than 197 locations have been affected.
“This was a difficult decision because it means young people can’t show their birds at fairs, but it’s in the best interest of an industry that literally thousands of Ohio families and businesses depend on and which provides billions of dollars to our state’s economy. The right move isn’t always the easy move, but this is the right move, especially when you see just how devastating the virus has been to other big poultry states like Iowa and Minnesota. Ohioans need to do all we can to ensure that we protect our industry and that we help avoid a costly spike in the price of important foods like chicken, turkey and eggs,” said Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels.
Ohio is the second largest egg producer in the country and home to 28 million laying chickens, 12 million broilers, 8.5 million pullets and 2 million turkeys. Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkey farms employ more than 14,600 jobs and contribute $2.3 billion to the state’s economy. Ohio’s role in national poultry production is even greater considering the loss that other major poultry states are experiencing.
Ohio Dept. of Taxation Documents Regarding CAUV
We know that CAUV valuations have been a hot-button issue for many family farmers in Ohio over the past few years. The latest information is here. In addition to that, here are three documents released by the Ohio Dept. of Taxation in May 2015:
OFU lauds initial tweaks to CAUV, but more is needed
Woodlands need more attention from state officials
Mel Borton, Ohio Farmers Union.
In more than 80 years of life spent on and around Ohio’s farms, Mel Borton has seen cycles of woodlands preservation and cutting the woods on farmland.
“One sure way to remove woodlands across the state is for the real estate tax code to essentially promote chopping down trees,” said Borton.
“In my first 40 years, farmers cleared their woods as fast as they could. In my last 40 years farmers were conserving woodlands. It seems like the pendulum is swinging away from conservation and that’s a shame,” Borton added.
Mel Borton, left, talks to fellow OFU member Karen Wood at OFU’s summer picnic in 2014. The Ohio Farmers Union is the second-largest general farm organization in Ohio.
He fears that’s exactly what Ohio’s Current Agricultural Use Valuation system for taxing farmland is doing. He and other members of the Ohio Farmers Union are pleased that the Kasich Administration began fixing CAUV this year, but many, like Borton, worry that woodland valuations are still not functioning in the way that CAUV framers intended.
Borton, a retired farmer and former lobbyist for OFU, spoke out at last Thursday’s Ohio Dept. of Taxation CAUV Advisory Committee hearing.
“I told the committee that I volunteer answering phones at our (OFU’s) state office and farmers are telling me that they are clearing their woods because of CAUV,” Borton said.
“The folks in Columbus have done some good things this year to get the wild swings in CAUV under control, but they haven’t done enough on woodlands,” Borton added.
Ted Finnarn, OFU’s resident CAUV legal expert and a member of the state’s CAUV advisory committee said that woodland values will be lower in the 2015 tax year as compared to 2014, but OFU and other ag groups need to keep the pressure on the tax department to continue reviewing woodland valuations and the capitalization-interest rate.
“I think the Tax Department is moving in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to come up with CAUV values that are more reasonable,” Finnarn said.
Finnarn, a Greenville attorney, has been on the advisory committee since its inception in the 1970s. The committee met last week to hear public comment and to release the 2015 valuations for CAUV.
Ohio Tax Commissioner Joe Testa said his department has heard and responded to concerns about CAUV.
“I am certainly aware that there are some farmers and farm land owners facing tax increases but believe the factors impacting land values are moving in a favorable direction for the agriculture industry in Ohio,” Testa said.
“The CAUV remains a very valuable program for Ohio’s farmers which results in
significant property tax reductions when compared to land not being used in agriculture,” he added.
Testa said the values released last week affect the 24 counties in this year’s triennial CAUV re-valuation rotation. According to the department, the average CAUV per acre in 2015 in Ohio is $1,388, which is 17 percent less than the 2014 valuation of $1,668.
The department made changes, as suggested by the Ohio Farmers Union and Ohio Farm Bureau earlier this year.
On behalf of OFU, Finnarn worked closely with the Farm Bureau and others across the state for more than two years as CAUV values began to wildly fluctuate. Among the recent changes, Finnarn points out the following differences between the 2015 tax year and previous years:
- Modifications to the Capitalization-Interest Rate by going to a longer term fixed rate with an 80% loan-20% equity split versus the previous more restrictive 60% loan-40% equity calculation. This will have the effect of lowering CAUV values from the originally proposed values.
- Correction to woodland values by updating and increasing the costs of clearing from $500 to $1,000 and increasing sub-surface drainage to $770 and surface drainage to $380. Woodland values will be lower for 2015 as compared to 2014.
- Improving the accuracy of input data in regards to crop prices and cost data by bringing it more current in regards to crop production yields, crop price values and costs. Inputs from the Ohio State University crop enterprise budget for 2015 were put into the formula so that this represents no lag time. These costs have increased – lowering the CAUV values from the original proposal.
Finnarn said some values are still increasing from the 2012 values, but not as much as they would have without the changes. Values will not change for the 41 counties that underwent their reappraisals and reevaluations for tax year 2014 (increased taxes paid in 2015). However, these counties will benefit from the changes in the future when they recycle for reevaluations in three years in tax year 2017.
