Blog — Page 26

NFU: WTO’s Ruling Shows USDA Headed in Right Direction

October 24, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson said that the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) recent ruling on Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) clearly shows U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is headed in right direction.

“This ruling demonstrates the legitimate nature of the COOL objective and finds that the current labeling rule is an improvement over the original rule, but it remains unbalanced between consumer information and production costs,” said Johnson. “This decision, as it has been issued, will likely be modified on appeal and NFU strongly urges USTR to appeal the ruling.”

Johnson moderated the panel discussion, and was also joined Danni Beer, president of U.S. Cattleman’s Association, Patrick Woodall, research director at Food & Water Watch, and Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, to discuss the details and implications of the WTO ruling.

On Monday, the WTO released the long-awaited, 200-plus page ruling that found the regulatory goal of COOL was WTO-compliant, and that the new 2013 labels provided better, more accurate information for consumers.

[Read more…]

Darke County Farmers Union Honors Shields

October 23, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Duane Shields, left, past-president of the Darke County Farmers Union receives a reward from Todd Rhoades, president, Darke County Farmers Union.

During a recent meeting of the Darke County Farmers Union, a special award was given to Duane Shields, past Darke County Farmers Union President.

Shields served as president for the organization for over twelve years from the year 2000 to 2012. During that time, he was the first person from the county to serve on the Ohio Farmers Union Executive Committee.

Shields participated in many long Executive Committee meetings and was instrumental in helping to reorganize the Ohio Farmers Union after administrative issues in the state-office. He also made several trips to Washington, D. C. on legislative fly-ins to fight for the rights and interests of family farmers.

Shields was presented a certificate and a clock that was presented by Darke County President Todd Rhoades. The award demonstrates great appreciation for the progress made in the Darke County under his leadership and as an acknowledgement of his gift for strengthening the local organization’s relationship with the Ohio and National Farmers Union organizations.

OSU Extension Latest Crop Guide Now Available

October 23, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

The 2014 Guide on Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa now available for purchase from OSU Extension Service. The printed guide is $12.50. There is also a PDF version of the guide if you’d like to put it on your computer or mobile device available for download for $10.00

Click the image to go to the Extension’s online store to order.

According to OSU Extension:

The guide contains information on insect, disease and weed identification as well as agronomic information that should be valuable when checking fields. The guide is divided into seven sections: Corn Management, Soybean Management, Wheat Management, Alfalfa Management, Weed Identification, Sampling, Pesticide Application Technology, and General Crop Management. This spiral-bound book includes color photographs, as well as an index of topics that can be used to quickly locate page numbers for your topic of interest.

Logan: WTO Ruling on COOL Can Be Overcome with USDA Action

October 20, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Farmers Union President Joe Logan spoke out today in favor of country of origin labeling (COOL) for meat products sold in the U.S.

“Americans want to know were their food comes from and COOL has been ensuring that for several years,” Logan said.

“While the multi-national meat packers want to obscure this information and have continued to attack COOL through the World Trade Organization and the U.S. judicial system, the consumer’s right to know must continue to prevail,” Logan said.

Logan referred to a ruling today by the WTO that found that COOL in its amended form discriminates against the Canadian and Mexican livestock industries. The U.S. amended the COOL regulations after a similar ruling in 2012.

Logan said that the National Farmers Union has been a leader in preserving COOL for several years because of food safety concerns, the consumer’s right to know and to protect the value of U.S. beef, pork and poultry farmers and ranchers.

He and other members of the NFU board of directors believe that COOL implementation rules can be further tweaked administratively.

“The WTO has not found the law to be non-compliant,” Logan said. “At issue is our current implementation and that can be fixed.”

“Under the guidance of USDA, any changes to COOL to ensure full compliance with today’s decision should be able to be made administratively, while maintaining the integrity of COOL labels,” said Roger Johnson, NFU president.

A May 2013 public opinion poll found that more than 90 percent of consumers support COOL, and feelings for the labeling law are equally strong in rural America. “We are confident that given that level of support, Congress will reject all heavy-handed attempts to make legislative changes to this important labeling law,” said Johnson.

Since its passage in 2002, COOL has been under constant attack by the trans-national meat processing industry, and by the agribusiness advocates that operate under their influence – yet COOL has been repeatedly upheld by U.S. courts.

Family Farms Putting the Local Back Into Food

October 10, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: The United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming. The Ohio Farmers Union blog is highlighting this through a series of articles in 2014 focusing on particular aspects of independent, family agriculture.

This month of October highlights two important aspects of family agriculture that are older ideas that are growing once again here in the U.S. through the many family farmers fueling the local food movement.

October is Cooperative Month and also Farm to School Month. Luckily, we still have many members still active in the Ohio Farmers Union who are old enough to remember when a great deal of our food came from the region in which we live. So called, “farm to school” wouldn’t have needed a boost in the early or mid twentieth century before technological advances in agriculture and transportation allowed for the consolidation of much of the business of growing and distributing what goes on our plates.

The same might be said for cooperatives. When I talk with farmers about the changes in farming over the years, it’s apparent that local and regional cooperatives ruled. In decades past, it was more likely that a grain farmer actually had what amounted to an equity stake in their local elevator if it was owned partially or wholly by local producers. Now, most elevator operations are not independent and tied to one of the huge agribusiness giants.

As family farmers get short shrift in the forest of tall trees that is increasingly the domain of the vertically integrated and multi-national corporations, cooperatives are gaining favor again and your kids’ or grandkids’ chances of eating locally grown food in their school cafeteria is increasing.

Through USDA Rural Development, there are now seven major programs that offer grants to public institutions and farmers themselves to help build and promote cooperative marketing programs. Your local farmers market may have even been helped off the ground with a bit of grant funding from the USDA or another group.

Farm to school has two components and is another USDA priority thanks to the local food movement and consumer and farmer interest in more sustainable agriculture. First, is getting more fresh, local food into school cafeterias. Second is to expose school kids to agriculture through gardening, farm visits and culinary classes. OFU has a member, Debra Eschmeyer, who is a nationally recognized expert in farm to school programs and the co-founder of Food Corps.

[Read more…]

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.

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