Ohio Farmers Union

Serving Family Farmers and Consumers Since 1934



United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

Interested in Restoring America’s Manufacturing & Family Farming? Attend This Meeting …

By 2 Comments

Dayton Economic Summit

On The Revitalization of Manufacturing

Family farmers and consumers should be as interested in restoring America’s place as a world leader in manufacturing. We share many of the same concerns as U.S. manufacturers such as trade policy, tax reform that leads to local economic activity and access to capital. The Coalition for a Prosperous America is a nationwide organization dedicated to working for a new and positive U.S. trade policy that delivers prosperity and security to America, its citizens, farms, factories and working people. CPA has been holding regional meetings throughout Ohio focusing on the specific economic interests of those areas. Consider spending some time at the Dayton Economic Summit to learn about southwest and western Ohio’s potential. Be a part of breakout sessions where your voice can be heard and you can be a part of developing policy recommendations for the area’s state and federal legislative leaders. The summit will be held October 7 from 7:30 a.m to 1 p.m.

[Read more…]

National Farmers Union Calls on President Obama to Deny Keystone XL Pipeline Project

By Leave a Comment

NFU’s Johnson says current route could damage freshwater resources

WASHINGTON (Oct. 4, 2011) – National Farmers Union (NFU) submitted comments today on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project, urging the Department of State (DOS) to deny issuance of a Presidential Permit.

“NFU policy opposes any infrastructure or resource development that jeopardizes the health, safety and quality of the Ogallala and other freshwater aquifer resources,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “NFU continues to have serious concerns regarding the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and the agency-preferred route as outlined in the FEIS.”

In the letter, NFU expressed concerns over the environmental impact of the proposed pipeline route.

“Pursuit of the agency-preferred route places in serious jeopardy the groundwater resources in the Ogallala aquifer and related natural resources upon which our nation and our family farmers, ranchers and rural residents depend,” said Johnson.

News Update: October 4, 2011 – Farm Bill, Corn Harvest, Deer Accidents, AEP Overbilling

By Leave a Comment

Editors Note: You may recall that the Ohio Farmers Union opposed the drastic cut to the budget of the Ohio Consumers Council (OCC) called for in Gov. John Kasich’s last budget and essentially rubber-stamped by the Ohio General Assembly. Whether it’s an institutional bias or just the bias of those serving on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the PUCO does not have consumer interests at heart. The commissioners are political appointees and the politicians who appoint them garner lots of campaign contributions from American Electric Power and other utilities. It’s no surprise that only roughly 10% of what the Ohio Supreme Court found to have been overcharged by AEP will actually find its way back to the consumers who were cheated. Would a stronger OCC have made a difference. That’s hard to say, but your elected officials in Columbus have done their best to ensure that your consumer advocate is in a weakened position moving forward.

AEP owes you $12 or $30

Columbus Dispatch

…

The state’s utility consumer advocate does not think the PUCO went far enough in its decision yesterday.

“The PUCO failed to fully protect the public interest by allowing AEP to keep part of the costs ruled unjustified by the court,” said Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander in a statement.

Dave Rinebolt, executive director of Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, shares the same concerns.

“Ensuring revenue stability to the company is apparently more important public policy than giving a fair shake to customers,” he said. …

Read the entire story

Tracing food from farm to table a complex task

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The recent listeria outbreak carried in cantaloupe shows that large-scale occurrences of serious illnesses linked to tainted food have grown more common over the years, partly because much of what we eat takes a long and winding road from farm to fork.

A cantaloupe grown on a Colorado field might make four or five stops before it reaches the dinner table.

There’s the packing house where it is cleaned and packaged, then the distributor who contracts with retailers to sell the melons in large quantities. A processor might cut or bag the fruit. The retail distribution center is where the melons are sent out to various stores. Finally, it’s stacked on display at the grocery store.

Imported fruits and vegetables, which make up almost two-thirds of the produce consumed in the United States, have an even longer journey.

Read More

Oh, deer! They’re a traffic risk

The Columbus Dispatch

Drivers, beware: As October begins, so does the season of greatest risk for colliding with deer.

The risk is greater during the October-January mating season, when bucks and does are on the run and sometimes scamper across an interstate, a state route or a country road.

Reported deer-vehicle crashes last year totaled 23,201 statewide, a 7.7 percent decline from the 25,146 crashes reported in 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. There were 24,590 deer-vehicle crashes reported in 2008.

It’s unclear why the number of crashes reported to local and state law-enforcement agencies dropped last year, said Mary Bonelli, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Insurance Institute. It could be that people are dealing with higher gas prices by driving less, consolidating errands into one trip rather than several. Fewer drives mean fewer chances for deer-vehicle crashes, Bonelli suggested.

Read More

Ag Committee chair address Farm Bill

Farm Futures

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., says the Senate Agriculture committee is coalescing around a safety net structure for the 2012 Farm Bill that contains revenue protection and expanded federal crop insurance, but does not include the direct and counter-cyclical payment programs.

“It’s very clear as we look at what’s happening with the commodity groups, the proposals coming forward, the proposals within the committee from respected members of the committee that we are moving in a similar direction as it relates to a risk management program and a safety net,” Stabenow said.

She specifically welcomed the ADAP and STAX revenue-based safety net ideas championed by the National Corn Growers Association and National Cotton Council, respectively, and labeled as thoughtful two Senate proposals to build on changes in the current ACRE program.

“Those are very important pieces of work that colleagues on the committee are coming forward with,” Stabenow said. “We are sitting down working with all of them to see where we might come to an agreement.”

Read More

U.S. corn crop harvest behind 5-year average

Bloomberg

The U.S. corn harvest was 21 percent complete as of yesterday, compared with 15 percent a week earlier and the previous five-year average of 23 percent, the Department of Agriculture said.

An estimated 19 percent of the soybean crop was harvested, up from 5 percent a week earlier and less than the five-year average of 25 percent for the date, the USDA said today in report.

Read More

 

 

NFU’s Johnson says pending free trade agreements lack protections for American workers, farmers

By Leave a Comment

National Farmers Union says Congress should oppose FTAs until the playing field is level

WASHINGTON (Oct. 3, 2011) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in regard to the submission of the Korea, Panama, and Colombia Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) for consideration by Congress:

“These three agreements are similar to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Both of those agreements have worsened the U.S. trade deficit, because the U.S. does not compete on a level playing field with other nations. America adheres to higher labor and environmental standards than other nations, so U.S. companies incur costs that companies in other nations do not.

[Read more…]

Ag News Roundup – October 3, 2011

By Leave a Comment

Here’s what we’re reading and what they’re reading at the National Farmers Union:

Obama may be sending trade deals to Capitol Hill this week

Politico

President Barack Obama may send the long-delayed trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to Congress this week, according to new reports.

The three trade pacts could potentially boost U.S. exports by $13 billion annually, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. With the deals headed to Congress for consideration this week — sources told the paper Obama could forward the legislation as early as Monday — the three agreements could pass in mid-October after years of debate.

The White House and Republican leaders are looking to approve the three pacts, along with a Trade Adjustment Assistance compromise bill, which would offer extended unemployment benefits to workers who become unemployed due to the impact of international trade.

Passage of the South Korea pact before President Lee Myung-bak’s Oct. 13 state visit is a major goal, and a congressional source told the paper it would be “tough, but close.”

Committee hearings could begin as early as Wednesday, and Congress has 90 days to approve the deals.

The three deals are expected to widely impact U.S. agriculture, auto makers, financial services, legal and healthcare companies, and there would be added exports and foreign services available in the U.S. as well, the Wall Street Journal noted.

Read More

Ag provides a harvest of budget cuts

Kansas City Star

In the summer debt ceiling deal, Congress set up a “supercommittee” to find $1.2 trillion in additional budget cuts over the next decade. The panel began work — and so did the lobbyists. Among the most energetic are those defending farm subsidies.

The wholesale elimination of the nation’s agricultural programs won’t happen. Yet it should be possible to push through two important reforms: Terminate annual cash payments and create an effective income cap to curtail subsidies for wealthy farmers. As a bonus, one might even hope for an end to ethanol subsidies.

Cash payments are outlays based on acreage and historic yield, and they are paid whether farmers grow anything or not. Cost to taxpayers: nearly $5 billion a year.

Blake Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, says the program should continue, partly because many farmers still depend on those checks. Hurst says he understands that agriculture will face cuts this year, but he would prefer that all programs continue, even at lower amounts.

That, however, would make it easier for lawmakers to add money to those budget items later. Eliminating a program entirely ensures that the savings continue.

The Obama administration agrees that cash payments should cease. Even some farmers no longer support them. Craig Lang, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau, told The New York Times that with the economy so weak, he could not justify taking the money.

Read More

Dairy legislation, crop insurance and an uncommunicative ‘super committee’

Penton Business Media

On Friday afternoon, the Dairy Security Act of 2011 was introduced in the House. Sponsored by Minnesota Rep. Collin Petersonand Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, the act has come following a string of turbulent years in the dairy industry alongside numerous congressional hearings and attempted regulatory fixes.

According to National Milk Producers Federation, which is pleased with the proposed legislation, the act would:

Make voluntary the Dairy Market Stabilization Program, which will help reduce milk output during times of low margins. If producers enroll in the USDA’s subsidized margin insurance program, they will automatically be enrolled in the Dairy Market Stabilization Program. This will provide alerts when additional production may affect overall margins.

Extend the “basic” level of margin insurance coverage to 80 percent of a producer’s production history, from 75 percent as initially proposed. The “supplemental” margin coverage option is also improved, as it will allow producers to purchase insurance for growth in their milk production history.

Include a refined provision in the Dairy Market Stabilization Program to ensure that it does not activate during times when signals for farmers to reduce production may impinge on the ability of the U.S. to export dairy products.

Read More

Crop insurance cutbacks

News Channel 10

In an effort to cut into America’s deficit, President Obama plans to take $8 billion from the crop insurance program.

Crop insurance helps farmers sustain themselves when they lose large portions of crops, but this assistance could be in jeopardy.

Crop insurance is farmer, Dale Artho’s best tool to manage risk. His risk is the weather, something he faces each year when he plants his livelihood.

Artho explains, “We provide a safe, affordable food supply. Without crop insurance, it’s going to be very difficult to do that.”

That is because the White House’s plan calls for changes that will affect both insurance companies and producers.

Dede Jones with AgriLife Extension says, “If they’re going to change how they pay on these policies, these guys really need to get some insurance payments this year. The dry land crop was completely destroyed and we are seeing about a 20-50% reduction in irrigated crop yields.”

Read More

Kasich at Farm Science Review: Ag is base for economic growth

Farm & Dairy

LONDON, Ohio — Ohio Gov. John Kasich wants a strong agriculture industry in the state. Because that means a strong economy in general.

Speaking Sept. 20 at the Farm Science Review in London, Ohio, Kasich said the Buckeye State is underpinned by an agricultural economy, an ag economy that is a $102 billion industry.

It’s a base of economic growth, and job creation, Kasich added.

“When farmers do well, Ohio does well; when farmers don’t do well, Ohio suffers.”

And it’s an industry that can grow, the governor added, citing examples of food processing, bioproducts and “flying cows to Istanbul,” which is happening now.

“Folks, agriculture is so important,” Kasich said.

Read More

State targets Lake Erie Algae

Columbus Dispatch

Ohio spent millions of tax dollars this summer fighting toxic, blue-green algae in Grand Lake St. Marys with chemicals, dredging equipment and nets.

But what about Lake Erie, which has algae problems, too?

In fact, Erie saw a record toxic-algae bloom spread across its western basin this year, adding to the “dead zone” where fish can’t live and threatening the lake’s $10 billion annual tourism industry.

The state plans to form two study groups to look for solutions.

Read More

 

 

 

 

VP of Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga Farmers Union chapter tells public meeting why he supports repeal of S.B. 5

By Leave a Comment

Wally Kauffman is a longtime Ohio Farmers Union member who is currently serving as the vice president of the Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga Counties Farmers Union. In this video clip from a recent public meeting held for family farmers and others interested in rural issues affecting northeast Ohio, Kauffman put forth his case for voting no on State Issue 2 this November. State Issue 2, if it should fail at the ballot box, will nullify Senate Bill 5 which the Ohio General Assembly passed and Gov. John Kasich signed into law earlier this year. S.B. 5 is a direct attack on Ohio workers’ right to organize and collectively bargain for wages, benefits and safety issues.

Krugman adds voice to Senate consideration of currency manipulation bill

By Leave a Comment

Last week on this blog we ran a release from the National Farmers Union which urged the U.S. Senate to adopt legislation that hold currency manipulators, like China, accountable. Today, Nobel Laureate and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman devoted his column to this issue. Read the excerpt below and visit the NYT to read the entire column.

…

Ask yourself: Why is it so hard to restore full employment? It’s true that the housing bubble has popped, and consumers are saving more than they did a few years ago. But once upon a time America was able to achieve full employment without a housing bubble and with savings rates even higher than we have now. What changed?

The answer is that we used to run much smaller trade deficits. A return to economic health would look much more achievable if we weren’t spending $500 billion more each year on imported goods and services than foreigners spent on our exports.

To get our trade deficit down, however, we need to make American products more competitive, which in practice means that we need the dollar’s value to fall in terms of other currencies. Yes, some people will shriek about “debasing” the dollar. But sensible policy makers have long known that sometimes a weaker currency means a stronger economy, and have acted on that knowledge. Switzerland, for example, has intervened massively to keep the franc from getting too strong against the euro. Israel has intervened even more forcefully to weaken the shekel. …

Read More

Market Competition is good for consumers and family farmers & ranchers

By Leave a Comment

GIPSA rule would protect basic rights of family farmers – and maintain choices for consumers

It’s rather unbelievable that an administration in Washington which talks every day about “fighting for the middle class” has delayed implementing the GIPSA rule. Please find below a clear explanation of the issue from the National Farmers Union. The Ohio Farmers Union is joining NFU in urging our members – and others who support us – to contact their elected representatives in Washington and tell them you want the GIPSA rule implemented now. Follow this link to find your member of Congress and U.S. Senators and use the contact forms on their websites to ask them to tell the Obama Administration that GIPSA should be implemented now.

From the National Farmers Union:

In June 2010, the U.S. government provided some simple clarifications to the law that governs the relationship between livestock producers and the meatpackers and processors who buy their animals. This proposed change, known as the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (or GIPSA) rule, would help to ensure fairness and bargaining rights for individual producers and restore competition to agricultural markets. Predictably, it prompted immediate and vigorous backlash from meat processors.

What does the GIPSA rule, so demonized by packers and processors, actually do?

It protects the basic rights of family farmers. It ensures farmers are able to have their contracts reviewed by an attorney or financial specialist so they know they’re not being cheated, and it protects farmers who speak out against unfair practices from retaliation from packers and processors. It allows a poultry farmer, previously denied the opportunity to watch his chickens being weighed after purchase, to make sure the weights recorded are accurate. Hog farmers who were kept in the dark about each others’ contracting agreements could compare their contracts and other vital documents to make sure they are being treated fairly.

[Read more…]

NFU: Senate bill must pass to make trade agreements more fair

By Leave a Comment

Bill would help protect U.S. manufacturing & agriculture from currency manipulation by foreign governments

WASHINGTON (Sept. 30, 2011) – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson sent a letter to U.S. Senate Leadership today urging them to pass S. 1619, the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011. The bill would give the U.S. Treasury the authority to enforce existing currency manipulation laws with countries that trade with the U.S.

“The Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act is a comprehensive piece of legislation that uses U.S. trade law to counter the economic harm caused to U.S. farmers, ranchers and manufacturers due to currency manipulation,” said Johnson. “In addition to its 19 cosponsors, S. 1619 is supported by a broad coalition of farm, labor and manufacturing trade organizations and businesses.”

Unbalanced trade agreements have negative effects on the economy. They exacerbate our current trade deficit and cause job losses, which would be damaging to an already fragile economy.

“Before our trade can truly be fair, we need to ensure that all countries are playing by the same rules,” said Johnson. “For example, after signing the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico devalued its currency, wiping out most of the gains U.S. industries achieved in the agreement. This action set a precedent for our other trading partners, which continues today. As our country’s economic downturn continues, we cannot afford to continue to ignore the impact illegal currency manipulation has on the U.S. economy.”

 

Join the Ohio Farmers Union now through February and NFU will donate $10 to feed America’s hungry

By Leave a Comment

If you are concerned about rural Ohio, America’s family farmers and the quality of the food you eat there are many reasons to join the Ohio Farmers Union. From now until February 29, 2012 you can add helping to end hunger in America.

National Farmers Union and Feeding America have partnered to help fight hunger throughout the United States. According to Feeding America, one in six Americans struggles with hunger, including one-fourth of all children. When you join the Ohio Farmers Union, you are also joining NFU. National Farmers Union has pledged $10 to Feeding America for each new membership through next February.  Additionally, OFU/NFU members’ direct donations to Feeding America qualify for a matching grant provided by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Existing members should visit Feeding America’s NFU page for information and to donate.

“We are very proud to work with Feeding America to tackle this important issue,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Now, Farmers Union members can make an even bigger impact. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has challenged Farmers Union members to raise $50,000 by providing a matching grant. Every dollar donated by Farmers Union members will be matched by the foundation, up to $50,000.”

[Read more…]

NATIONAL FARMERS UNION

Click to Take Action



Contact

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