Ron Sylvester

Sen. Brown, Rep. Kaptur named Champions for Family Agriculture with NFU Golden Triangle Award

September 10, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-9th District, have been named 2013 National Farmers Union Golden Triangle Award winners.

The Golden Triangle Award, the organization’s highest legislative honor. The annual award is presented to members of Congress who have demonstrated leadership and support policies that benefit America’s family farmers, ranchers, fishermen and rural communities.

“Recipients of the Golden Triangle Award have been strong advocates for family farmers and ranchers, and support similar principles and policies as Farmers Union,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We are pleased to honor those who have proven to be true allies of our organization and our members across the country.”

This year’s Golden Triangle recipients were selected for their leadership on a variety of issues, including the 2013 Farm Bill, dairy policy, competition, support for the continuation of energy programs and provisions for a safety net for farmers in times of long term market collapse or natural disaster.

The Golden Triangle Award is based on NFU’s symbol – a triangle with “legislation” and “cooperation” forming the sides and “education” the base. The Golden Triangle Awards have been presented every year since 1988.

Neil Young joins NFU, Senators to Urge Farm Bill Passage, RFS Re-Authorization

September 9, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

National Farmers Union held a press conference today on Capitol Hill to highlight the importance of passing a five-year, comprehensive farm bill this year; and how the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) creates jobs, reduces greenhouse gasses, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

“The need for certainty for America’s family farmers and ranchers has never been greater,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “In order to provide that certainty, Congress needs to finish its work on the 2013 Farm Bill before the current law expires on Sept. 30.”

Speakers at the event included U.S. Senator Harry Reid, D-Nev., Senate majority leader, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, Neil Young, of LincVolt, Tom Buis, Growth Energy CEO, and Johnson.

“In addition to the work that needs to be done on the farm bill, reauthorizing the RFS needs to be made a priority in Congress,” said Johnson. “The RFS is a crucial tool to reducing our reliance on foreign oil, and provides America’s farmers and rural communities with new economic opportunities. Mr. Young’s LincVolt vehicle is a great example of the innovative possibilities for the use of clean energy in our country.”

Sens. Reid and Stabenow were also presented with the NFU Golden Triangle Award at the event. The Golden Triangle is NFU’s highest honor for members of Congress who are champions for family farmers and ranchers, and the policies of National Farmers Union.

“We are thankful to be joined by Sens. Reid and Stabenow today,” said Johnson. “They are champions for family farmers and ranchers, and the future of our industry.”

OFU’s Wise Leads Ohio Delegation to Capitol Hill This Week

September 9, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Roger Wise

Ohio Farmers Union president Roger Wise of Fremont and the board of directors of the National Farmers Union unanimously passed a resolution over the weekend indicating the obligation of Congress to pass a five-year farm bill, continue support for Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Wise and the other NFU state presidents are in Washington, D.C. with rank and file Farmers Union members to lobby members of Congress with the leadership and staff of NFU early this week.

“As a member of the NFU Board of Directors, I voted to support the resolution to show the Ohio Farmers Union’s unflagging support for a new Farm Bill and for Congress to continue support for COOL and the Renewable Fuel Standard,” Wise said.

“The fact that the Farm Bill has become an object of partisanship and has been mired in the House for two years – held hostage by a group of extremists – is a prime example of our broken political process in Washington,” Wise added.

“I’m here again with my colleagues from around Ohio and the country to simply ask for reason and a willingness to work together for compromise that allows agriculture in America to move forward with a bill like that passed by the Senate which contains deficit reduction, contains reforms and has farmers with more skin in the game as it pertains to the safety net,” Wise added.

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Farmers Union Disappointed With Rubber Stamp of Deal to Sell Smithfield to Chinese

September 6, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to allow the sale of Smithfield Foods to a Chinese interest:

“Today’s ruling by CFIUS on the proposed acquisition of Smithfield Foods by Shuanghui Intl. is a disappointment for family farmers and ranchers across the United States. The deal represents the sale of one quarter of U.S. hog processing to a quasi-state-owned Chinese enterprise and is a dangerous precedent, in terms of food security and market competition.

“We continue to urge Congress, the administration, and other decision-makers to oppose this sale. Our domestic livestock markets are already largely non-competitive and foreign-backed control will only make the situation worse.”

July 24 &25: Ohio Ag and Lake Erie Water Quality Issues Educational Program for Farmers

July 22, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio’s family farmer organization is joining a respected environmental advocacy group to educate and hear from northwest Ohio farmers and others who are interested on the topic of a cleaner Lake Erie Water basin.

“A healthy Lake Erie is an invaluable economic and natural resource,” said Roger Wise, president of the Ohio Farmers Union.

“All of us know Lake Erie has experienced some incredibly large and harmful algal blooms over the past few years. OFU is joining with the Ohio Environmental Council to put together an event where farmers and others who are dependent upon agriculture can learn and share their views and experience. This is a controversial topic for some in agriculture, but it is one that we need to address as an industry and a local economy,” Wise added.

Specifically, Wise is talking about the blooms of cyanobacteria – often called blue-green algae – that have plagued Lake Erie in recent years. Increasing levels of dissolved phosphorous in the lake’s water have been tied to these pollution events which are not only smelly and unsightly, but can emit toxins dangerous to human and animal health. The Ohio Lake Erie Phosphorous Task Force has said that the sources of the dissolved phosphorous are numerous but list agricultural fertilizers and sewage treatment plants as chief sources. OFU has adopted as one of its public policy priorities this year the promotion of voluntary nutrient pollution measures on Ohio’s farms.

OFU and the OEC will hold two northwest Ohio Lake Erie education programs on Wednesday, July 24 at Terra State Community College, 2830 Napoleon Road, Fremont, Ohio and Thursday, July 25 at the Schnipke Inn, 202 W. Main Street, Ottawa. The program will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided at no cost, but RSVPs are required. To RSVP please contact Linda Borton at 800-321-3671 or lborton@ohfarmersunion.org.

Earlier this month, Research scientists from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Ohio Sea Grant and Heidelberg University predicted that harmful Algae will Once again bloom in Lake Erie in 2013. They predicted that this year’s bloom will be significantly worse than 2012, when the drought reduced runoff and nutrient to the lake.

Please join with us (OFU, OEC, NRCS and SWCDs) to discuss the importance of nutrient management, soil quality and conservation practices.

NFU Comes Out Against Chinese Purchase of Smithfield

July 22, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Earlier this summer Chinese company Shuanghui International and Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced the Chinese company’s proposed $4.7 billion acquisition of the huge U.S. pork producer.

While Smithfield would be a powerful addition to any food company’s portfolio, many family farmers, food activists and others in the U.S. are alarmed by the Chinese takeover of Smithfield due to the lack of adequate food safety regulations in China and potential foreign domination of an important U.S. industry. According to the National Farmers Union, Smithfield accounts for 15 percent of U.S. pork production and 26 percent of pork processing in the country.

NFU is also concerned about the further consolidation of the U.S. pork industry into the hands of mega corporations.

“The proposed buyout of Smithfield by a Chinese interest is extremely alarming to NFU members across the country,” said Johnson. “Uncompetitive markets in the pork and beef industries have had a dampening effect on the ability of family farmers and ranchers to stay in business.”

In 1980, there were 660,000 hog farms. Today there are only 67,000. In 2011 alone, approximately 2,300 hog producers went out of business.

“The costs of the acquisition far outweigh the benefits to Americans, and the security of our domestic food system is threatened by foreign control,” said Johnson. “ I urge CFIUS to set a bold precedent – that the administration values our farms, our food, and our rural economies so much that the federal government will stand up to a takeover of a large swath of our agriculture industry.”

Other than Shuanghui and Smithfield shareholders, who else stands to benefit from the takeover? Smithfield CEO stands to pocket nearly $47 million. Chinese private equity firm New Horizons and investment bankers at Morgan Stanley will win from Shuanghui’s planned IPO listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange after the deal is complete.

The deal does some hurdles to clear here in the U.S. It will need to be cleared through the Treasury Dept.’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The committee is chaired by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. NFU has sent a letter to Lew voicing opposition to the deal.

The committee’s website does not have a form for public comment on deals under review, instead, you may want to send Lew a letter voicing your opinion at:

Department of the Treasury

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220

NFU President: U.S. International Food Aid System Needs Reform

July 22, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from the National Farmers Union

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson participated in a panel discussion about proposed reforms to the U.S. international food aid system. The panel, entitled “Proposed Reforms to U.S. Food Aid: Framing the Debate,” was hosted by FoodPolicy.us.

“At the time when food aid was enacted, we had a large oversupply of grain and accompanying low market prices,” said Johnson. “The government was purchasing or receiving and physically holding significant stocks, and aid had a dual purpose of getting rid of these stocks and helping vulnerable people around the world. Today the government does not own grain stocks. Our food system has changed drastically in the past 50 years; naturally, our system of international aid must evolve as well.”

The president’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposed a variety of reforms in the area of food aid. Overall, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates the proposed reforms would create an estimated $155-215 million in annual gross efficiency savings and $105-165 million in net efficiency savings, allowing the agency to serve an additional two to four million people in need each year. The reforms propose to require at least 55 percent of emergency food assistance continue to be in the form of U.S. commodities, and up to 45 percent may be acquired through local and regional purchasing.

“Ultimately, if we truly want to end global food insecurity, we must consider what is going to best serve local farmers, local economies, and hungry people,” said Johnson.

Johnson: CFTC Needs Resources to Ensure Fair and Functional Markets for U.S. Agriculture

July 21, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from the National Farmers Union

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry’s hearing today on the Commodity Exchange Act and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC):

“Family farmers and ranchers, like any other players in the economy, need access to commodity markets that are stable, fair, and free from manipulation. The CFTC needs the tools, data, and authority to ensure that functional markets are available.

“The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 assigned enormous, additional responsibilities to the CFTC. In order to carry out those duties, CFTC needs the resources to keep up with the $600 trillion derivatives market and ever-changing trading technology. Furthermore, CFTC should continue its work to improve and implement the regulations resulting from Dodd-Frank.

“The MF Global and Peregrine debacles underscore the need for regulatory oversight of our financial and commodity markets. Now is not the time to turn back – CFTC must be allowed to continue in its important work.”

Should your farm or ag-related business think about non disclosure agreements?

July 19, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from a recent post on the Ohio Agricultural Law Blog:

Attorneys across Ohio recently came together for the 2013 Ohio Agricultural Law Symposium to learn about current legal issues for Ohio farmers and agribusinesses. In a session about protecting the farm and agribusiness, Cari Rincker, a food and agricultural law attorney in New York City, discussed why farm and agribusinesses might consider using a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to safeguard confidential business information.

An NDA is not typically a tool that a farm or agribusiness would think of using in a business transaction. According to Rincker, however, NDAs are underutilized in the food and agriculture industry. Many farms and agribusinesses develop their own ideas, concepts, know-how, trade secrets, intellectual property, business plans or financial information. Preventing other parties from disclosing these types of information can be important to the long-term health and viability of the farm or agribusiness.

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OFU Efforts Pay Off – Grain Indemnity Update Signed by Gov. Kasich

July 11, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signs Senate Bill 66 which updates Ohio’s Commodity Handlers law, also known as the grain indemnity fund and program.

COLUMBUS – Gov. John Kasich today signed into law S.B. 66 which affords Ohio’s farmers status as first in line for assets in the event of a grain elevator failure and boosts the size of the farmer-funded grain indemnity program.

The Ohio Farmers Union and other state ag organizations worked for two and a half years with the bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Cliff Hite (R-Findlay) on the legislation. Hite also serves as chairman of the Ohio Senate Agriculture Committee.

“Family farmers are the winners with the updates to the grain indemnity law,” said Roger Wise, president of OFU.

“Before grain indemnity, smaller operators could be driven entirely out of business in the event of a grain elevator bankruptcy. We’ve been covered since 1983, but some have questioned – and the state has had to go to court – over the question of who is first in line as a creditor when an elevator fails.”

“It’s clear now in Ohio law that regarding elevator failures, the farmers who did business with that elevator are first in line,” Wise added.

Additionally, the updated law increases the size of the farmer-funded grain indemnity fund which pays producers for losses in the event of an elevator failure. OFU sought to have the fund size increased due to several years of historically high prices for corn and soybeans.

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