Ohio Farmers Union

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United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

NFU hails WFO Trade Policy Adoption

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The World Farmers Organisation adopted its first policy on international trade last week in Niigata, Japan.

“The WFO is committed to the pursuit of ambitious trade policy objectives and the reinforcement of the global agricultural trading system so that we can operate in a fair, transparent and predictable trading environment,” the policy noted.

Among its key policy objectives, the WFO body highlighted the need for country-of-origin labeling requirements that allow countries to distinguish their products without distorting trade.

Find out more about the WFO.

“America’s farmers, ranchers and livestock producers take great pride in making high-quality products available to consumers, who are demanding more information about from where their food comes,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We are pleased that the WFO recognizes the importance of country-of-origin labeling and has incorporated the principle into its trade policy.”

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 57 countries, including Canada and Mexico, require some form of country-of-origin labeling for food. These countries account for 94 percent of U.S. trading activity for food and animals.

Farmers need to be aware of EPA Spill Control Deadline

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Ohio farmers are talking about a U.S. EPA deadline coming on May 10. It’s the deadline for having a “Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures Plan” (SPCC) regarding oil – which by EPA definition appears to mean just about any liquid on the farm which is carbon-based or derived in part from oil.

Ohio Farmers Union Executive Director Linda Borton and Clinton County Farmers Union President Walt Streber have both attended recent OFU or Farm Bureau local meetings at which the EPA’s SPCC program was a major topic of conversation.

Streber, who farms several hundred acres in southwest Ohio, and Borton both say family farmers need to be aware of SPCC and how it affects their farming business. The issue is that if provisions of the program are applicable to your operation – and you’re not in compliance – your farm may be subject to a fine from the EPA.

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Ohio Farmers Union offers comments on proposed water quality legislation

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Proposed bill has no sponsor, may be held in reserve if Lake Erie algae problems worsen

Lake Erie's 2011 algal bloom, satellite view.

Lake Erie’s 2011 algal bloom, satellite view.

With Grand Lake St. Mary’s essentially dead, increasingly frequent and enlarged algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie and problems of varying degrees in other Ohio bodies of water, the Kasich Administration has passed proposed nutrient management legislation around to several environmental and agricultural organizations in the state.

Comments were requested to be submitted to the directors of the Ohio Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The Ohio Farmers Union submitted comments from President Roger Wise.

“We understand that historically state government has been reluctant to intervene in the business operations of Ohio’s agricultural producers. We are however dealing on another historic level regarding water quality in Ohio when one considers the devastating algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie and the de facto death of Grand Lake St. Mary’s,” wrote Wise.

Wise pointed out that OFU has entered into a strategic partnership with the Ohio Environmental Council and is providing high quality farmer education sessions throughout northwest Ohio regarding nutrient management and agriculture’s place in the problems of the Lake Erie Watershed.

“On the other hand, I am compelled to point out that the water quality issues taken up by the proposed legislation are also the responsibility of the several other stakeholders including the City of Detroit, other Lake Erie area municipal water treatment districts, homeowners and lawn treatment professionals,” Wise wrote.

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Ohio Dept. of Ag will hold ‘listening session’ on proposed fresh produce rule

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freshpostThe Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University Extension will be hosting a listening session on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act Proposed Fresh Produce Safety Rule. The Proposed Fresh Produce Rule will be presented on Tuesday, Apr il 30, 2013 from 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. at the Shisler Conference Center, OARDC Wooster Campus, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, Ohio.

The FDA FSMA was signed into law on January 4, 2011. FSMA aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to incidents to preventing them. On January 4, 2013, FDA issued two major proposed FSMA rules regarding preventive controls in human food and produce safety. The purpose of the listening session will be to provide industry an overview of the proposed produce safety rule, solicit comments, respond to questions, and inform the public about the rulemaking process.

Invited speakers include: Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods & Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food & Drug Administration; Steven Slack, Associate Vice President and Director of OARDC; and ODA officials. For more information on the proposed rule, FDA fact sheets and to register for the event, please visit ODA’s Web page for the listening session . Please note that due to limited space, registration for the event is requested. There is no cost for registration.

National Farmers Union on record supporting EPA’s 2013 Renewable Fuel Levels

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National Farmers Union submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency last week supporting the EPA’s proposed volumes for cellulosic, advanced and other renewable fuels. Under section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required to set the renewable fuel standards each November for the following year.

“NFU strongly believes that the United States should make the development of renewable sources of energy our number one priority in reducing dependence on fossil fuels,” said NFU President Roger Johnson in the comments. “As part of this we encourage EPA to incentivize the renewable fuels industry and American agriculture by creating ambitious targets for renewable energy production.”

NFU agreed that cellulosic and other advanced biofuels hold tremendous promise for farmers in providing a buffer for large fluctuations in commodity prices by diversifying the rural economy.

“The Department of Energy found that the United State produces 1.2. billion tons of agricultural and forest waste annual. This is enough feedstock to produce about 85 billion gallons of biofuels, or enough to replace 30 percent of America’s annual petroleum consumption,” Johnson wrote.

In 2012, the biofuels industry supported more than 400,000 jobs and generated a $500 billion increase in communities’ farm assets around the country and $42 billion in economic activity.

 

National Farmers Union sends positive comments to feds on COOL

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Then National Farmers Union today submitted positive comments to the USDA on proposed changes to the  Country of Origin Labeling rule or “COOL.”

COOL mandates that certain foods must be labeled at the retailer with their country of origin. Originally passed as part of the 2007 Farm Bill, COOL was initiated by rule in 2009. Canada and Mexico successfully attacked the first version of COOL as promoting unfair trade practices before the World Trade Organization. The Obama Administration chose to deal with the ruling by not totally abandoning COOL, but by rewriting the rule.

Fighting against COOL are agribusiness giants like Tyson Foods and Cargill who routinely mix animals or animal products from other countries into products such as ground beef. Proponents of the rule argue that U.S. consumers deserve to know where their food is coming from and that U.S. raised and processed food will benefit from consumer awareness.

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NE Ohio-based OFU Chapter holding event on climate change and farming

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from Mardy Townsend:

Farmers spend a lot of time trying to figure out the weather, so those in northeast Ohio will be interested in the topic “Farming in a Warming World”. Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull Counties Farmers Union invite all climate and weather watchers to their spring educational event on April 6, at 1:30pm, at the Colebrook Community Center (682 Rte 322, Colebrook). Joe Logan, Director of Agricultural Affairs for the Ohio Environmental Council and president of Trumbull County Farmers Union, will address some important questions for farmers and consumers; Is climate change real? What will it mean for farmers? What can we do to adapt to a changing climate? How can farmers help to reduce climate impacts?

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments provided. Co-sponsored by the Lake Effect chapter of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. (The Colebrook zip code is 44076, which is really neighboring Orwell – this may confuse your GPS. The Colebrook Community Center is the old Colebrook Elementary School in southern Ashtabula County, on the northeast corner of State Routes 322 and 46.) For more information call Mardy and Marge Townsend at 440-272-5174.

U.S. EPA Report: 2012 saw great gains in auto fuel economy

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fueleconpostAccording to a recent report, EPA estimates that between 2007 and 2012 fuel economy values increased by 16 percent while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 13 percent, and in 2012 alone the report indicates a significant one year increase of 1.4 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and trucks.

The expected 1.4 mpg improvement in 2012 is based on sales estimates provided to EPA by automakers. EPA’s projections show a reduction in CO2 emissions to 374 grams per mile and an increase in average fuel economy to 23.8 mpg. These numbers represent the largest annual improvements since EPA began reporting on fuel economy.

Fuel economy is expected to continue improving significantly under the Obama administration’s historic National Clean Car Program standards. The program cuts greenhouse gas emissions and would double fuel economy standards by 2025. The standards will save American families $1.7 trillion dollars in fuel costs, and by 2025 will result in an average fuel savings of more than $8,000 per vehicle. The program will also save 12 billion barrels of oil, and by 2025 will reduce oil consumption by more than 2 million barrels a day – as much as half of the oil imported from OPEC every day.

 

NFU’s Johnson: Ban on legal, human horse slaughter misguided

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National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson released the following statement in response to the introduction of the Safeguard American Food Exports Act (SAFE), which would prohibit horse slaughter operations in the U.S. as well as prohibiting transport of the animals across the U.S. border for slaughter in Mexico and Canada:

“NFU has strongly opposed any ban on horse slaughter in the past and is also opposed to the legislation currently being proposed. The subject of horse slaughter has gained increasing momentum in the media recently and, unfortunately, the narrative being played is plagued with misinformation.

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Comments being accepted until April 11 on proposed COOL rule

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The National Farmers Union reported earlier this month that the Obama Administration’s Office of Management and Budget has released the proposed new rule on Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL.

COOL came under fire from a recent World Trade Organization ruling and the administration has been working toward re-tooling the policy to meet U.S. trade treaty criteria.

“The proposed rule changes released by OMB are an excellent response to decisions by the World Trade Organization that called for changes to our COOL implementation,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “By requiring further clarity in labels and stronger recordkeeping, the set of rules released today are a win-win for farmers, ranchers and consumers.”

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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