Click Here to download the entire report in pdf.

In a report released in late July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provided an update on its investigation into recent market disruptions and price volatility in the beef industry.

The investigation was prompted by complaints from ranchers, who attributed the rising spread between live cattle prices and boxed beef prices to anticompetitive practices among meat processors. The report neither exonerates beef packers nor reveals violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act. However, it does provide policy recommendations for strengthening competition and transparency in the industry.

Said the USDA in the opening of its report:

This report, prepared by AMS in coordination with USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, first summarizes market conditions, fed cattle prices, boxed beef values, and the spread before and after the fire and plant closure at the Tyson Holcomb plant. The report then summarizes market conditions, fed cattle prices, boxed beef values, and the spread before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It does not examine potential violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act.  The investigation into potential violations is ongoing, and therefore, AMS has limited ability to publicly report the full scope and status of the investigation.

A vocal proponent of open and competitive markets, National Farmers Union (NFU) welcomes USDA’s inquiry into these two events. However, as farmers endure unfair and abusive conditions, the report must be accompanied by real and meaningful reforms, as NFU President Rob Larew affirmed in a statement:

“Price fixing in the meat industry is not a new phenomenon; a century ago, Farmers Union members were contending with similarly high levels of concentration among meatpackers and the anticompetitive practices that kind of market power enables. Recognizing the immense danger of unchecked corporate consolidation, Congress and the White House worked together to restore competition and shield farmers and ranchers from abusive treatment.

“We appreciate USDA’s efforts to examine this issue and present potential solutions, but it is clear that this is just the beginning; now, like 100 years ago, radical and immediate action is needed to create a fair and balanced food system. The agency must thoroughly conduct its ongoing investigation, for which we intend to hold them to account. Additionally, we urge legislators, USDA, and other federal agencies to strengthen protections for farmers and ranchers, enforce existing antitrust regulations, and prevent future abuses of market power.”

To download a copy of the report, CLICK HERE.

Here is the registration link for the event – https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArcOygqDIoHdY7Xvr_eiViiK6yQ_QxaG9W

The news and information landscape in the U.S. is more confusing than ever. Legitimate, balanced and professionally edited journalism is on its heels due to the decline of local newspapers and locally-produced radio.

Then, there’s the partisan-driven “news” operations online creating linkbait to enrich site owners by enraging folks to click through to get barraged with ads or other sales schemes. Along these lines are also the purely ideologically partisan or other bad actors who are put out one side of the story or disinformation to forward political fortunes or simply troll Americans to weaken our communal bonds.

Sometime after March 24, this post will become a standing page here at ohfarmersunion.org that will be updated as needed. For now, here’s a curated collection of where folks can get real information.

Reliable Government Sources of Corona Virus (COVID-19) Info

The state of Ohio has set up a page that is a catch-all of information from various state agencies and Gov. Mike DeWine. You will find information about statistics regarding confirmed cases, tips and guidance to stay healthy, the governor’s executive orders and other pandemic guidelines for all Ohioans and individual groups as well as info for business and consumers.

The state of Ohio has also set up a hotline to answer citizen questions. This is being managed by the Ohio Dept. of Health: 1-833-427-5634.

As of March 24, 2020, Gov. DeWine and Ohio Health Dept. Director Dr. Amy Acton are giving live-streamed daily updates for Ohio. You can stay on top of the schedules for these news conferences and watch them live or recordings after the fact at The Ohio Channel. Some Ohio local television stations are carrying these news conferences live.

Nationally, the best general source of information from the federal government is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Corona Virus-COVID-19 Resource page. CDC’s page is a great resource for staying on top of what experts know about symptoms to look for and preparedness guidelines for various communities from senior citizens to health care professionals.

Internationally, the United Nations-afilliated public health organization is the World Health Organization. Their Corona Virus resource page has a lot of information in the context of the worldwide nature of the disease. Their library of recent news conferences and their daily “Situation Reports” are good indicators of where we’re at in the worldwide battle. There are also areas to check up on specific countries and a dashboard that’s a one page snapshot of maps and statistics.

Ag-related Corona Virus Updates

Ohio

• Information for Veterinarians
• ODA Laboratories
• Ohio USDA Farm Service Agency – As of March 24, 2020, Ohio FSA is continuing to ask that farmers call their local office before coming in for service due to health concerns and limiting the number of people in the offices at one time.

National

• On this page, the USDA has information primarily related to conducting business with USDA and FSA offices during the outbreak.
• If you want general information on agriculture and food regarding the outbreak, this page at USDA’s main site has FAQs on a variety of topics.

Reliable News Sources for Corona Virus: Ohio and National

Sources on this list that normally are pay-walled, but have suspended their paywalls for Corona Virus coverage (as of March 24, 2020).

• Daily updates from the Statehouse News Bureau, a group of radio and TV journalists who provide reporting for Ohio’s public TV and radio stations are being carried by many of Ohio’s public TV stations daily. The Ohio Channel is a partner. Look to the Ohio Channel’s Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates. In Columbus, for instance, WOSU has aired these updates around the PBS NewsHour or before Gov. DeWine’s news conferences.
• Speaking of the PBS NewsHour, it remains a great resource where considerable time is being spent on reporting about the virus and government response without all the cable news opinion panels.
• The Columbus Dispatch is covering not only Columbus and Central Ohio, but state government-related news about the pandemic.
• Dayton Daily News is covering Dayton, Montgomery County and Miami Valley with Laura Bischoff in Columbus covering state government.
• Cleveland.com has the best from The Plain Dealer and their own team of journalists. Cleveland.com also has reporters in Columbus covering state government.
• Cincinnati Enquirer has southwest Ohio covered and also a Statehouse reporter in Columbus.
• There are still several smaller cities and regions with daily newspapers in Ohio, although their numbers have dwindled. Check out your local paper’s website, and if you can afford it, subscribe.
• The news coverage of the Corona Virus pandemic is free from both the Washington Post and The New York Times. Yes, their opinion pages contain pieces that you may not agree with, but their news coverage is still well-edited and stories are reported by journalists who do not write opinion pieces.

Info for Nerds: Deep Dive with Universities

The public health programs and research at Johns Hopkins University are world-renowned. JHU has gathered their Corona Virus response generally on this page. Another public service they are providing is the constantly updated pandemic data dashboard and map courtesy of JHU’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease and Research Policy (CIDRAP), not only aggregates the latest scientific papers and research on the virus, but part of their mission is essentially news reporting for the public on issues of infectious disease. As an aside, CIDRAP is also an important resource for the midwest and the nation regarding Chronic Wasting Disease which continues to spread through deer herds.

What About Social Media?

Well … you’ve got to be your own editor regarding links being posted around Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. That means: consider the source. Is the source a well-edited traditional or online publication that adheres to basic journalistic standards and ethics in news reporting? If it’s a particularly “shocking” story, is it covered by other outlets as well?

An example of this: The Drudge Report has a headline that links to the Daily Mail in the UK. The Daily Mail is one step up the food chain from the National Enquirer. Would you base decisions that affect yourself or your family on what you read in the National Enquirer? The Daily Mail sometimes covers the same subjects that respected news organizations cover. If a story from a source like them alerts you, see how it’s covered (or if it’s covered) by major newspapers or TV outlets in the U.S.

For a good read from an Ohio State University expert on social media and disinformation in light of the pandemic, check this out.

The Ohio Farmers Union Annual Convention will return to the Howard Johnson Hotel, Banquet and Conference Center in Lima, Ohio for 2020.

This 86^th annual meeting of the family farm organization will be held January 24-25, 2020.

Contact your county or regional Farmers Union president to inquire about becoming a delegate or simply attend for the fellowship and presentation on state and national farm policy, industrial hemp, how trade has affected family farms – and a 2020 trade outlook – as well as the Friday night banquet.

Saturday will conclude the convention with more special guest presentations and the adoption of OFU’s 2020 policy priorities – the ‘special orders of business.’

The change in venue from Columbus to Lima was a success last year. The facilities in Lima offered everything OFU had access to in Columbus and the reviews from delegates and participants was positive.

One interesting wrinkle this year will be a visit from National Farmers Union Vice President Patty Edelburg as NFU is going through its first leadership change since 2009 when Roger Johnson was elected president. Johnson announced his retirement recently after a strong ten years of leading NFU.

Ohio Dept. of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda will open this year’s convention with an address to the assembly on Friday. Other speakers lined up for the convention include the president of the Ohio Hemp Growers Coop and an agricultural trade expert from Ohio State University. Other speakers will be announced soon.

OFU will hold a policy committee meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2020. For information contact Ron Sylvester at rcs[at]ronsylvester[dot]com. Proposed Special Orders of Business will be adopted at the convention from among proposals adopted by the policy committee and any proposals from the floor that meet the rules of the meeting.

To register for the convention:

Download this registration form.

To receive the OFU discounted rate for a hotel room at Howard Johnson’s please contact the hotel at 419-222-0004 and mention the Ohio Farmers Union when making your reservation.

The 2020 Joseph Fichter Scholarship will be awarded January 25, 2019 at the 85th Annual Ohio Farmers Union Convention in Lima.

OFU high school seniors should apply now. The deadline for applications is January 22, 2020 at noon.

Entrants in the contest shall write on this theme for 2020:

2020 may go down as the year an industrial hemp industry begins in Ohio. The Ohio Dept of Agriculture will soon officially begin the state hemp program.

Based on information from ODA’s website and news coverage from other states, what’s your view of the feasibility of hemp becoming a profitable crop for family farmers? In your answer, consider things like the cost of licensing and proposed regulations as outlined in the ODA rules proposal. Also, consider the larger market forces for industrial hemp – where will farmers market their crops, are there other states in the U.S. or regions in Canada where there has already been success in hemp cultivation? Is industrial hemp an exciting new opportunity or are there too many risks in a market that is not fully formed?

Any member of the Ohio Farmers Union who is a high school senior may compete for this scholarship. Students who are not members but are sons, daughters or grandchildren of OFU members may apply.

First-place will receive $750 and the runner-up will receive $250 toward their post-secondary education expenses.

For complete instructions and to apply, please visit the Official Fichter Contest Page here. and follow the instructions.

This is the first year we’ve taken the essay application process completely online, here are a few notes:

• It’s suggested that you write your essay in a Word or other document type, save it and then cut and paste it into the editor at ohfarmersunion.org. In the event there is any issue with the app, you’ll have your essay saved.
• OFU’s website is secure. Entrants records, including name address, email, etc. will be deleted after the OFU convention.
• If there are any issues with the website and application online, please do not hesitate to contact Ron Sylvester with OFU at rcs@ronsylvester.com.

Deadline for online applications is January 20 at noon.

from National Farmers Union:

According to a recent Reuters report,  the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved 31 of its 38 pending small refinery exemptions (SREs) for 2018. Recipients of the exemptions are not required to comply with renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The RFS exists to drive investment in American-grown biofuels. However, EPA has consistently misappropriated RFS waivers, cutting demand for biofuels by 2.6 billion gallons and undermining the intent of the law. NFU President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the report:

“This has been a particularly painful week for American family farmers and ranchers. It started on Monday with China – historically our biggest trading partner – halting all imports of American farm products, and it ended today with EPA acting like a wholly owned subsidiary of big oil.

“But these aren’t isolated events – it has been month after month of bad news. After more than a year of constant trade escalation, President Trump seems determined to destroy the United States’ reputation as a reliable supplier of quality agricultural products. At the same time, his EPA seems bent on destroying our domestic market for renewable fuels. Together, these actions are crippling our markets, creating enormous stress in the countryside, and forcing more and more farmers into bankruptcy.

“Our farmers are growing weary of the news from this White House. They’re tired of the empty promises, they’re tired of the excuses, and they’re tired of their needs being put last.”