Ohio Farmers Union

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Ag News Roundup – August 19, 2011

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Here are a few things I found and some of the stories they’re reading at the National Farmers Union from this week:

Cincy meat company recalls ground beef

Fox 19

Two local residents were sent to the hospital after eating tainted beef.

The incident sparked a voluntary recall of 72,800 pounds of beef from the Cincinnati-based distributor J.B. Meats.

According to Mark Wordeman, owner of J. B. Meats, the product was sold to restaurants in the Cincinnati area. He said the 10 to 12 restaurants he supplies have been notified and are no longer using the meat. He also tells FOX19 the E. coli did not come from his business and most likely came from a slaughter house.

Wordeman asked all restaurants who have purchased ground beef and ground beef patties from them between August 18, 2010 and August 18, 2011 to stop serving the meat. The Ohio Department of Agriculture says some of the beef is possibly infected with E. coli. Each clear plastic bag and label have the establishment number “est. 1188” within the Department of Agriculture’s mark of inspection.

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Brown announces new resource for clean energy

WDTN

Two Darke County businesses are among 900 agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country that have been awarded resources to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their operations. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that 4-E, Inc. and DBA M&M Petrol & Pantry were awarded $13,850 in new federal resources to develop a flexible fuel pump in Darke County. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Rural Energy for America Program helps to increase the production and use of renewable energy sources in the United States to reduce America’s dependence on foreign energy sources.

“Agriculture and energy innovation are critical to Ohio’s long-term economic development,” Brown said. “Growing Ohio’s clean energy economy in small towns and rural areas like Ansonia help to create jobs while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Developing clean energy will put Ohio communities at the forefront of the innovation and energy independence that America needs to out-compete the rest of the world.”

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USDA: No rulemaking will require CDLs for farmers

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Apparently, the rumors circulating that the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was considering regulations to require commercial drivers licenses for farmers or farm workers was just that – rumor.

Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise was in Columbus for a meeting late last week with U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Deputy Secretary John Picaro and Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Edward Avalos. Picaro told the room of rural development and Ohio Dept. of Agriculture officials, including ODA Director James Zehringer, that one of the reason he was in Ohio was to dispel the myth that there were any regulations being considered in Washington which would require farmers to attain CDLs.

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USDA: Number of farmers markets up 31% in Ohio over last year

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According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s newly released 2011 National Farmers Markets Directory, markets are on the rise and Ohio’s number – 278 reported farmers markets – is up 31% when comparing 2011 to 2010.

Across the country, USDA reports there 1,000 newly reported farmers markets this year for a national total of 7,175. In 2010 USDA reported 6,132 farmers markets. Ohio’s number of markets and percentage increase landed the state in USDA’s top 10 list of states for growth in markets. Ohio ranks ninth on the list.

“The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “These outlets provide economic benefits for producers to grow their businesses and also to communities by providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In short, they are a critical ingredient in our nation’s food system.”

USDA’s farmers market count is a voluntary survey with information provided to the agency by farmers market managers around the country. Market managers who participate in the survey get their market into the USDA’s national directory. There are likely more farmers markets around the nation and in Ohio than what’s captured in the USDA numbers.

For information and an interactive directory of farmers markets in Ohio, check out Ohio Proud.

 

Food & Ag News Roundup – August 11, 2011

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Dept. of Energy panel seeks stronger rules on drilling of gas wells, fracking

New York Times

A federal Department of Energy panel issued recommendations on Thursday for improving the safety and environmental impact of drilling in shale formations for natural gas.

In a report on the drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that is used currently in most oil and gas wells, the seven-member Natural Gas Subcommittee called for better tracking and more careful disposal of the waste that comes up from wells, stricter standards on air pollution and greenhouse gases associated with drilling, and the creation of a federal database so the public can better monitor drilling operations.

The report also called for companies to eliminate diesel fuel from their fracking fluid because it includes carcinogenic chemicals, and for companies and regulators to disclose the full list of ingredients used in fracking.

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Farmers Markets on the Rise

USA Today

The newly released 2011 National Farmers Market Directory shows a total of 7,175 farmers markets in the U.S. this summer, up from last year’s 6,132.

These markets allow farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers and often bring fresh fruits and vegetables into neighborhoods that lacked them.

There could be even more than the 7,000-plus on USDA’s list, says agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. The USDA’s list is compiled as part of a voluntary, self-reporting system by the Agricultural Marketing Service. It used information from farmers market managers collected April 18 through June 24, 2011.

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USDA has new scheme to trace animal disease

Food Safety News

For most of the past decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture tried to get farmers and ranchers to accept the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) without success. NAIS was to be a high tech solution, with top down coverage of nearly every critter on the land. But, as everybody in rural America knows, NAIS is dead. Still U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has every reason to worry about tuberculosis, brucellosis, scabies, pseudorabies, hog cholera and like animal diseases. So to improve the traceability of U.S. livestock moving through interstate commerce when animal diseases do strike, Vilsack Tuesday rolled out a new, decidedly low tech tracking system.

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Renewable Fuels Standard emerges as ethanol’s Sacred Cow

National Journal

You wouldn’t know it from the political cloud over ethanol, but the federal government will keep propping up the industry even if Washington eliminates its three-decade-old tax subsidies.

A newer law quietly ensures ethanol’s sustained growth. And that mandate isn’t going anywhere.

By year’s end, the congressional “super committee” charged with reducing the federal deficit likely will topple the $6 billion in annual ethanol industry tax credits and a corresponding government tariff on imported ethanol. But another prong of ethanol’s government support – the “renewable fuels standard” – will remain. And it may ultimately be more important to corn farmers and the ethanol industry.

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U.S. DOT: No changes to road rules

agriculture.com

If you haul grain as part of a crop share agreement with your landlord, you’re not going to have to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

That’s what the Department of Transportation says in an official guidance issued today, hoping to calm members of Congress and farm groups who feared a new set of burdensome regulations.

Instead, the Department is not changing any federal rules that apply to requirements for CDLs for farmers.

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http://www.agriculture.com/news/policy/dot-no-chges-to-road-rules_4-ar18218

VIDEO: Interview with Roger Wise & Linda Borton

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On July 30 Linda Borton was named interim executive director of the Ohio Farmers Union. Linda has been serving and will continue to serve as interim secretary/treasurer of the OFU Board of Directors.

In the past year Linda has been instrumental in helping OFU – an organization she has been involved with for years – keep its head above water financially as OFU re-establishes itself after a former employee stole operating funds. The video below was taken at the OFU annual Summer Picnic in Clyde, Ohio:

Farm Policy: Weathering the Storm in Washington

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National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson spoke on a panel today at the American Sugar Association Sugar Symposium entitled, “Farm Policy’s Future: Weathering the Storm in Washington.” The symposium was held in Stowe, Vt.

“The 2012 Farm Bill faces quite a few hurdles, not the least of which is the budget situation,” said Johnson. “The passage of the debt ceiling bill in Congress should help give us a better idea of how much money the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Agriculture Committees will have to write the legislation. We still do not know exactly how much money we will have to write the next farm bill. Only time will tell. We do know that there will be less money available for the next farm bill, so it is critical that the agriculture community comes together to ensure that the next farm bill has everything we need, even if it doesn’t have everything we want.”

Jerry Hagstrom, director and executive editor of the Hagstrom Report moderated the panel, which featured Johnson, Mary Kay Thatcher, director of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, and Rick Tolman, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association.

“One of the most essential things that must be included in any farm bill is a strong safety net to protect family farmers and ranchers,” said Johnson. “The Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program has no funding baseline past this year, and 36 other farm bill programs, including four other disaster programs, have no funding past next year. We must ensure that SURE and other disaster programs receive the funding they need. Between 1996 and 2002, the federal government made $30 billion in emergency payments to farmers and ranchers because it cut the safety net from the 1996 Farm Bill, written during a time of high prices. We must not repeat that mistake. The cost to extend SURE and other disaster programs for five years is a much more reasonable $8.9 billion. In the long run, including disaster programs in the farm bill is cost-effective.”

VIDEO: Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise Updates Members at Annual Picnic

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The Ohio Farmers Union held it’s annual Summer Picnic on July 30 in Clyde, Ohio. OFU President Roger Wise sat down for a few minutes in front of the video camera to update members on the state of OFU. Tomorrow, we’ll have a second video featuring Roger and new OFU Interim Executive Director Linda Borton.

ODNR to Hold Seminar on Planning for a Changing Climate in Northern Ohio

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Although the Ohio Department of Natural Resources press release mentions land use planners, emergency preparedness and wildlife managers, I thought Ohio Farmers Union members – especially producers – would be interested to know ODNR is planning a workshop on planning for “climate impacts.” (Read: Climate Change) Information about the workshop:

The Planning for Climate Impacts workshop features the latest science research and forecast models regarding the impacts a changing climate could have on Great Lakes’ coastal communities and ecosystems. The workshop focuses on actions communities can take today to prepare and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. Based on a successful national model, the workshop was tailored to the Great Lakes region with extensive input from a local planning team to ensure that the workshop will address regional needs and issues.

Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center and NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability will provide an overview of the latest climate science, information about climate planning processes and strategies, and examples of available planning tools and resources.  The workshop will include an interactive session that offers an introduction to assessing climate vulnerabilities in Northern Ohio communities.

Participants will have the opportunity to tour the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s PNC SmartHome and visit the Museum’s climate change exhibition. Representatives from the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cleveland State University, Ohio Balanced Growth Program, and the City of Cleveland Heights will share case studies of planning approaches and practices that support resilience to a changing climate. Planners can earn six American Planning Association Certification Maintenance credits for participating in the course.

The workshop will be held August 10 at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $20 per person and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and parking. For more information, contact Heather Elmer at (419) 433-4601 or heather.elmer@dnr.state.oh.us. Online registration and speaker information is found at http://nerrs.noaa.gov/CTPIndex.aspx?ID=663

RFA Says Ethanol Subisidy Not Affected by Debt Agreement

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Here’s a statement from the Renewable Fuels Association regarding ethanol, the debt agreement between President Barack Obama and both houses of Congress and what they are looking for in future budget negotiations:

“The current deal to raise the debt limit does not include any revenue raising measures, including the compromise to reform ethanol tax policy. As this deal calls for a commission and a future budget framework, the possibility still exists for a more comprehensive dialogue about energy tax policy, including how to assure the continued evolution of the ethanol industry to new feedstocks and technologies, how to assure needed investments in vehicles and infrastructure to accommodate higher ethanol blends, and how to end the billions in subsidies and tax preferences still enjoyed by very mature and profitable petroleum fuels. With the debt ceiling crisis looking as though it has been averted for now, we hope Congress and the Administration are now prepared to address the nation’s worsening energy crisis, as oil and gasoline prices continue to rise and the nation’s investment in home grown renewable fuels languishes.”

NFU: Farm equipment should be exempt from CDL

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National Farmers Union (NFU) submitted comments to Thomas Yager of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) about a possible reinterpretation of the Motor Carrier Act of 1935, the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984, and the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. The FMCSA is exploring the possibility of categorizing “implements of husbandry and other farm equipment” as commercial motor vehicles, thus requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate.

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