Ohio Farmers Union

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United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

Ohio’s Regional ‘Food Hubs’

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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

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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

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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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Contact your federal legislators about a Market Driven Inventory System for the Farm Bill

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If you’re not up to speed on MDIS – the Market Driven Inventory System being advocated for the next Farm Bill by the National Farmers Union, you should be – and so should your representatives in Congress.

MDIS is a farm program framework that smooths out market volatility and allows farmers to make their living on what they produce and not through government payments. NFU and the creators of MDIS, the University of Tennessee’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, have been working on research to show that MDIS would save taxpayers money by cutting direct government payments to farmers while continuing to provide a market stability-based security net.

“(MDIS) is an agricultural commodity program that mitigates price volatility, providing advantages to livestock producers, the biofuels industry, and to hungry people in this country and around the world. In addition, it would reduce government expenses, increase the value of crop exports, and maintain net farm income over time,” NFU President Roger Johnson recently told a Congressional committee.

Johnson and others have been educating Congress on MDIS, it’s time you learned more and joined the effort.

First:

Go to the MDIS page at the NFU website. Familiarize yourself with some of the basics and ask yourself, “What would this policy mean for my farm and my business?”

Then:

Contact your legislator and let them know in your own words why you support MDIS in the Farm Bill. In Ohio our U.S. Senators are Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman – they need to hear from you and know this is a serious, win-win policy proposal for farmers and taxpayers. Follwing this link will take you to a tool where you can determine who your member of Congress is and contact them as well. Use the zip code lookup.

 

FDA issues voluntary guidance on use of antibiotics in animals used for food production

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Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance to the livestock, drug and medical communities on what it termed the “judicious use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals.”

Although FDA guidance to industry is voluntary, the agency said a voluntary approach is a recognition of the “need to collaborate” with all parties and not disrupt animal health or the agricultural industry. FDA said it will monitor the effectiveness of its voluntary strategy for three years and determine whether further regulatory action is needed at that time.

The public health issue FDA is trying to address is the growth of antimicrobial resistance in animals as well as humans. Once animals or humans develop a resistance to an antibiotic various illnesses or infections may no longer be cured by that drug. A focus of the new guidance to producers, drug makers and veterinarians is that antimicrobials or antibiotics should only be used when medically necessary. On some farms, especially in so-called factory farms, antibiotics are added to animal feed to promote faster growth and prevent infections among livestock when no illness exists. Essentially, FDA would like to see these drugs used only when vets believe they are necessary to stop infection or illness and for drug companies to not promote antibiotics for animal growth or most preventive uses.

Three documents were published to the Federal Register outlining FDA’s action. You can read them by following the links:

 

[VIDEO] Here’s an idea for low-cost, do-it-yourself baseline well water testing

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If you farm near an injection well in Ohio where they dump frack waste water, you might try this

The ideas described in this video will not hold up in court against a polluter should your well water be contaminated by frack waste, but this technique – and working with your neighbors – could give you an affordable way to track one aspect of water quality. An increase in the level of chlorides in your water over time could be the canary in the coal mine telling you to get professional testing done.

A Health Care Law for Rural America

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by Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Two years ago last week, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act – the law that gives hard working, middle-class families the health security they deserve.

For too long, rural Americans have been getting the short end of the health care stick, with limited options, fewer doctors and nurses, and more expensive insurance. But the new law is building a stronger health system in rural communities – increasing payments to rural health care providers, strengthening Medicare, and training thousands of new primary care doctors who will serve in rural areas.

As the Affordable Care Act is giving our health system a much-needed overhaul, I want to explain how to take advantage of some of the most important changes.

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Frack tax proposal one of several items discussed during OFU Legislative Day

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The Ohio Farmers Union made contact with more than a dozen state legislators earlier this week during our 2012 Ohio Legislative Day in Columbus and discussed hot topics like the shale oil and gas boom in eastern Ohio, the Ohio Turnpike, restoration of funding for the Office of the Ohio Consumers Counsel, grain indemnity and Ohio’s renewable energy goals.

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Ohio Farmers Union to hold info meeting on fracking in Windsor

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Focus will be on waste water injection wells & the basics of hydro-fracking

WINDSOR – Two chapters of the Ohio Farmers Union are sponsoring an informational meeting for farmers, rural residents and other interested parties on the subject of shale gas and oil exploration and drilling and the injection wells in the area used for waste water disposal.

Joe Logan, agricultural policy director for the Ohio Environmental Council will present along with members of the Ohio Farmers Union. The meeting will be held March 26, 6:30 p.m. at the Windsor Community Center. The community center is located at 5430 Mayfield Road, Windsor, Ohio. For information, the public may call 440-272-5154 or 440-272-5174.

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Contact

Ohio Farmers Union
P.O. Box 363
1011 N. Defiance Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875
Phone: (419) 523-5300
Toll Free: (800) 321-3671