Ron Sylvester

USDA Has Key Dates for New Farm Bill Safety Net Programs

October 10, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from the USDA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing key dates for farm owners and producers to keep in mind regarding the new 2014 Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). The new programs, designed to help producers better manage risk, usher in one of the most significant reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.

“The ARC and PLC programs are a significant reform in the farm safety net,” said Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini. “FSA wants to keep producers well informed on all steps in the process. We will continue our outreach efforts and maintain resources online to help them understand the new programs before they come in to make decisions for their operations.”

Dates associated with ARC and PLC that farm owners and producers need to know:

Sept. 29, 2014 to Feb. 27, 2015: Land owners may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.

Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015: Producers make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for the 2014 through 2018 crop years.

Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015: Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years.

October 2015: Payments for 2014 crop year, if needed.

USDA leaders will visit with producers across the country to share information and answer questions on the ARC and PLC programs.

[Read more…]

NFU Hits on Food Security, Food Sovereignty at Conference

October 10, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

From the National Farmers Union

NFU President Roger Johnson

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today discussed the role of family farming and cooperatives in food security and food sovereignty as part of a panel discussion at the International Summit of Cooperatives in Quebec City, Canada.

“Family farms and ranches worldwide are the cultural, social, economic, and security cornerstones of every nation,” said Johnson. “Forty percent of the world’s households directly depend on family farming, and every person who eats also depends on family farmers.”

The International Summit of Cooperatives, held annually, brought together nearly 200 leading experts and more than 2500 participants from 42 countries to share their knowledge on innovation in sustainability, development, employment, food security, and the economics of cooperatives.

Johnson noted that despite agricultural production in the United States shifting to large farms, trends also indicate an increase in new, yet smaller, farms.

“Americans want families to own and operate farms and ranches,” said Johnson. “Consumers want local foods, and demand is creating new opportunities.”

Johnson also noted that in the United States, farmers and ranchers have been successfully involved in cooperatives for nearly 100 years. Farmers Union’s own history is closely tied with the cooperative movement, having developed and supported thousands of cooperatives over the decades. “Cooperatives and agriculture go hand-in-hand,” said Johnson.

“Co-ops provide farmers and ranchers with lower-cost inputs, higher income through marketing and processing, financial resources, access to electrical utilities and communications technology, and connections to consumers.”

The five panelists also discussed the idea that family agriculture is the basis for sustainable production to move towards food security. Johnson pointed out the many benefits of food security in the United States.

“Food security has allowed the U.S. economy to expand into technology, manufacturing, entertainment and heavy industry,” said Johnson. “Consumers spend less than 10 percent of their income on food and it also allows the U.S. to have programs to help feed the poor.”

Finnarn Continues to Collect Signatures on Out of Whack CAUV

October 9, 2014 By Ron Sylvester 1 Comment

Ted Finnarn, Darke County Farmers Union Secretary-Treasurer, who is also a Greenville attorney, has been working for the past several months to educate farmers and rural landowners about skyrocketing Current Agricultural Use Value assessments for farm land property tax purposes. He’s even enlisted the help of editorial cartoonist Paul Ackley in his endeavor, as seen from the cartoon above.

Check out this link for more background on the CAUV valuations issue.

Finnarn and others, working as Ohio Farmers United Against Unfair Taxation, have been circulating petitions at farmer gatherings for the past several months. The petitions have been spotted at meetings of the Ohio Farmers Union, Ohio Farm Bureau and at the recent Farm Progress Show in London, Ohio.

The petition lays out the case for what Finnarn and others believe is a broken promise made to farmers in the 1970s by current state legislators. It asks the governor and Ohio General Assembly to do three things to get CAUV valuations back in line with an agricultural landscape that is showing lower prices for commodities and increasing costs of production:

We call on the Governor to immediately take administrative action on the CAUV to modify the formula by adopting a “Rule of Three,” 3-year averaging on any increases (or decreases) in the CAUV values, as they are implemented in the respective counties and that any increase (or decrease) to be capped at no more than 50%.
We call on the Ohio General Assembly to reverse the action taken in the recent state budget and to restore the 10% rollback, the 2.5% residential reduction and the homestead exemption as it was before.
As the least measure, we call for enactment of legislation that would allow real estate taxpayers that have at least a 50% increase in the real estate taxes to have a delayed payment plan option with no interest or penalty, to pay said taxes on a monthly basis to the time the next installment is due (6 months).

Please review the entire petition linked here. You may also download the petition and collect signatures in your own community. Completed petitions may be mailed to Ted Finnarn, 421 Public Square, Greenville, Ohio 45331.

News Release: HB 490 Could Help Untangle Debate on Where Erie’s Harmful Algal Blooms Come From

October 2, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Farmers Union Calls for Targeted State Action on Algal Blooms

In wake of Toledo problems and recent forum, family farm group feels a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach may not be best for farmers on environment.

COLUMBUS – Ohio Farmers Union President Joe Logan said today that Ohio agriculture can and should be a part of fixing Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms (HAB) and outlined several policy positions OFU may take to state legislators later this year and into the next General Assembly.

“The information we have to work with today tells us that the there is a problem in the Lake Erie watershed, but not the specific sources or locations. There’s a hole in the data; we need to fill that hole,” Logan said.

House Agriculture Chairman Dave Hall told Hannah News last week that his committee will continue to pursue H.B. 490 in the lame duck session of the legislature after the elections. The bill in its current form is supported by OFU due to water quality and safety measures related to the handling of wastewater from Ohio’s growing fracking industry.

The bill also includes some ag provisions including moving the state’s agricultural pollution abatement program – which focuses on livestock farming – from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources to the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture. Logan said H.B. 490 could be an important part of Ohio’s effort to control nutrient runoff and the algal blooms they can feed.

OFU will ask Hall’s committee for an amendment to H.B. 490 that would do two things. First, for ODA to establish procedures for all operators of confined animal feeding operations or their third party distribution contractors to report the amount of manure delivered to other persons and the location to which it was delivered. This is to address a so-called ‘manure loophole’ in state regulations where manure distribution from a regulated location is outsourced, stretching the chain of accountability to the breaking point.

[Read more…]

Darke County Scholarship Essay Contest Winners

September 30, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from Darke County Farmers Union

This year’s Darke County Farmers Union Scholarship Essay Contest was a tribute to an active life member of the Farmers Union who served the Darke County Farmers Union as vice president and then president for many years. Roger W. Paff and his wife, Martha (Kuhn) Paff, participated in several trips to Farmers Union National Conventions as delegates and traveled to Washington, D.C. on several occasions to fight for the rights and interests of family farmers. Roger, himself, was very much concerned with soil and water conservation and was listed as an outstanding “cooperator” with the Darke Soil and Water Conservation District: having installed pond, windbreaks, and wildlife refuges on his farm. He was also very much concerned about wildlife and was an avid and responsible hunter. Scholarships in his memory will pertain to agricultural issues such as soil and water conversation, wildlife protection and maintenance, and sustainable agriculture for family farms.

Darke County high school juniors and seniors or college freshman who have a membership in the Farmers Union (or have parents or grandparents who are members) are eligible to compete in the county chapter’s essay contests. This year’s first place winner is Joe Schmitz, son of Don and Tina Schmitz; Joe was a senior from Mississinawa Valley High School. Joe will be attending The Ohio State University at the Wooster campus and majoring in Agricultural Business and Applied Economics. The second place winner this year is Catey Fischer, daughter of John and Amanda Fischer; Catey was a senior at Ansonia High School. Catey will be attending the University of Findlay and majoring in Animal Science in the College of Science.

Darke County Farmers Union President, Todd Rhoades, presents a scholarship check to First Place Winner of the Roger W. Paff Scholarship Essay Contest, Joe Schmitz. Melissa Sullenbarger, daughter of Roger Paff, presents a certificate at The Old Arcana in Arcanum, Ohio.

Darke County Farmers Union President, Todd Rhoades, presents a scholarship check to Second Place Winner of the Roger W. Paff Scholarship Essay Contest, Catey Fischer. Melissa Sullenbarger, daughter of Roger Paff, presents a certificate at JT’s Brew and Grill in Greenville, Ohio, during the Pre-Fair meeting.

Darke County Meet the Candidates Night – Oct. 25

September 30, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

From Darke County Farmers Union:

MEET THE CANDIDATES NIGHT
FALL HARVEST MEETING—OCT. 25th

A Meet the Candidates Night will be held on Saturday evening, October 25th, at 7:00 PM, at the Darke County Extension Office, 603 Wagner Ave., Greenville. The Darke County Farmers Union will sponsor the event and will recognize and honor the 4H kids they supported at the recent County Fair. Speakers will be Dave Shindollar from the Ohio Farmers Union Office and a representative from Hastings Insurance. Information will be available on the Affordable Healthcare Act. A free Thanksgiving turkey/door prize will be given away.

Presentations and Clips from OFU’s Lake Erie Solutions Forum

September 23, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

I’m working on a story and our own video coverage from what turned out to be an excellent set of presentations from Dr. Jeff Reutter, Ohio Sea Grant; Greg LaBarge, OSU Extension; Todd Hesterman, farmer and NW Ohio Coordinator of Conservation in Action and Adam Rissien from the Ohio Environmental Council. For now, find below the PowerPoint presentations from our presenters and links to media coverage of the event. Thanks to all who attended and to our presenters!

OFU Farmers Seeking Solutions Forum – Presentations

OFU Farmers Seeking Solutions Forum – Media Coverage

Worst Risk to Toledo water has passed – for this year – The Blade
Scientists meet with farmers to discuss Lake Erie’s algae problem (Text) – NBC24
Scientists meet with farmers to discuss Lake Erie’s algae problem (Video) – NBC24
Farmers share algae solutions at Toledo forum (Video) – Toledo News Now 11
Ohio Farmers Union discussing water quality solutions (Video) – ABC13

13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Toledo News Now, Breaking News, Weather, Sports, Toledo

Reminder: OFU Forum on Water Quality in Toledo September 22

September 19, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

The Ohio Farmers Union will bring together scientists and agricultural experts in late September in a forum on seeking solutions for the annual algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie.

The forum will be held Sept. 22, 1 p.m., at Forrester’s on the River, Boers-Boyer Way, 26 Main St., Toledo. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated to Linda Borton, Ohio Farmers Union, at lborton@ohfarmersunion.org.

OFU President Joe Logan said it’s important for farmers to acknowledge their part in Lake Erie’s woes, and that OFU is trying to help spread the word on innovative farm management practices that assure that farmers are doing their part to protect Ohio’s waters.

“Farms dominate the landscape in the western Lake Erie watershed and farmers use many tons of phosphorus and nitrogen to grow crops – so people naturally look toward agriculture as a contributor to Lake Erie’s excess nutrient loads,” Logan said.

“Farmers always try to keep nutrients on their land, but the increasing intensity of rain storms make doing so more challenging. Farmers may need to embrace new management practices and new technology,” he added.

OFU’s forum will include speakers:
•   Jeffrey M. Reutter, director, Ohio Sea Grant & F.T. Stone Laboratory
•   Todd Hesterman, NW Ohio coordinator, Conservation in Action
•   Gregory LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension
•   Adam Rissien, Ohio Environmental Council

Logan said OFU is committed to information on water quality and agriculture being “fact and science-based.” He also said that broad, regulatory programs may not be the silver bullet for solving Ohio’s water quality issues but “innovative agricultural practices, along with targeted state and federal regulations will be more likely to attain our goals.”

Logan hopes the forum will be a reasoned and productive discussion among farmers, scientists, urban interests and agency officials that can support their collective effort toward saving Lake Erie.

“We have a very serious problem threatening a crucially important state, national and international resource – it’s time for everyone to get on board and begin working together toward an effective solution.” Logan said.
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Farm Safety Should be Front Burner Issue

September 11, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

From National Farmers Union – International Year of Family Farming Project

In honor of the United Nations’ 2014 International Year of Family Farming, this month National Farmers Union (NFU) is highlighting the importance of being proactive in the area of farm safety. Agriculture is consistently among the most hazardous occupations in the United States.

“The path to a safer farm and ranch is through proactively addressing ongoing and emerging occupational safety and health issues affecting U.S. agriculture,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Family farmers and ranchers must work together to make farm safety a front burner issue and encourage farmers, producers and agribusiness owners to integrate safety into everyday practice so that it becomes part of their DNA, not just a program or a slogan. Safety is an approach to life and the workplace.”

In an average year, 516 workers die while doing farm work, and each day about 243 agricultural workers suffer lost-time injuries.

“To that end, National Farmers Union is implementing an education and outreach plan to help bring the safety mindset to farmers and ranchers where they live.” said Johnson. “The initiative will be unveiled later this year, and will help NFU make its mark on this important issue.”

To support our efforts, we encourage everyone to get involved and join National Farmers Union. Information can be found at www.nfu.org.

OEC’s Jack Shaner on Agriculture and Lake Erie’s Woes

September 3, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council talked to OFU members and organization’s board of directors at the recent summer picnic. Here, he discusses recent events in the western basin of Lake Erie and agriculture’s role in the watershed’s problems:

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Ohio Farmers Union Calls for Targeted State Action on Algal Blooms

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