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United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

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USDA Ups the Ante on a Cleaner Lake Erie

March 28, 2016 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

WLEB-area-postThe USDA announced on Monday that the federal agency is upping its previous $36-million-dollar investment in Lake Erie water quality by a further $41 million.

The previous dollars were part of the 2014 Farm Bill. This new money brings the total federal investment in various conservation programs to $77 million. The funds are part of a three-year plan to help clean up the lake and improve nutrient management and conservation practices in NW Ohio.

“The challenges that face Lake Erie require science-based solutions and a commitment from all partners to address the factors that impact water quality. The area’s farmers and ranchers have already made great strides in helping to reduce runoff, and with this new investment they will be able to do even more,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Farmers and landowners will be able to add conservation measures to about 870,000 acres in this critical watershed, effectively doubling the acres of conservation treatment that can be accomplished in the three years.”

Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Jason Weller unveiled a new initiative in Toledo on Monday that will run through 2018 and contains the new investment.

Also on Monday, Weller released a report from the Conservation Effects Assessment Project that showed voluntary conservation measures have made a difference in reducing nutrient and soil runoff from farms in the western Lake Erie basin.

Weller said that while gains have been made, there is still opportunity for improvement in NW Ohio, Indiana and Michigan and the new initiative and funding could make a difference in reducing Lake Erie’s plague of annual harmful algae blooms.

According to the CEAP report, this initiative will help landowners reduce phosphorus runoff from farms by more than 640,000 pounds each year and reduce sediment loss by over 260,000 tons over the course of the three-year investment.

“Throughout the basin, comprehensive field-scale conservation planning and conservation systems are needed to accommodate different treatment needs while maintaining productivity,” said Weller. “While voluntary conservation is making a difference in the basin, the CEAP evaluation tells us that there are still gains that can be made through an emphasis on practices like precision agriculture.”

Ohio Farmers Union Joe Logan attended the NRCS event in Toledo and said, “This is a big deal for western Lake Erie and in terms of the commitment USDA has shown agriculture in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.”

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Feature Tagged With: Jason Weller, Joe Logan, Lake Erie, NRCS, USDA

Nice Primer from OSU on Ohio’s New Manure Regs

July 17, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

If you’re involved in the ag industry in Ohio, one of the bookmarks in your favorite browser should be to the Agricultural Law & Taxation blog. It’s a service of OSU Extension and currently curated and written by Peggy Kirk Hall, Asst. Professor, Agricultural & Resource Law at Ohio State.

She recently posted this overview of Ohio’s newest manure regs courtesy of Senate Bill 1 passed earlier this year. Thanks to OSU for this document:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Fertilizer Application, Lake Erie, Manure Application, Phosphorous

OFU Forum Demonstrates Hope for Lake Erie

February 26, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Attendees listen to Dr. Jeffrey Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant in Ottawa.

Attendees listen to Dr. Jeffrey Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant in Ottawa.

OTTAWA – State and federal experts on agriculture and water quality gathered in Ottawa today to explain what’s causing harmful algal blooms (HAB) in the western basin of Lake Erie and what farmers can do to help alleviate the problem.

The Ohio Farmers Union and the Ohio Environmental Council sponsored the forum. Farmers in attendance were from northwest and west central Ohio in the heart of the Maumee River watershed.

“These gatherings are important to keep getting the message that Lake Erie can be restored and farmers will do their part,” said Ohio Farmers Union President Joe Logan.

“Farmers also come away with a great deal of information about best management practices in dealing with nutrients and keeping as much as fertilizer on their fields and out of our streams and lakes,” Logan added.

Dr. Jeffrey Reutter, director of Ohio Sea Grant and a researcher who has studied Lake Erie since the 1970s, told the gathering that Lake Erie is unique among the Great Lakes due to its relatively shallow depth and the rate at which water flushes out of the lake. In the western basin, where the algal blooms generally begin and are at their worst, Reutter said the flush out rate is 20 to 50 days.

He demonstrated that phosphorous overload in Lake Erie is indeed at the root of the HAB problem and that reducing the amount of phosphorous by 40 percent would curtail the blooms.

Another unique aspect of Lake Erie is the sheer amount of agricultural land that is encompassed by watersheds draining into its western basin Reutter said. The Maumee River watershed drains 4.5 million acres of agricultural land directly into the Maumee Bay near Toledo. In all, there are 7 million acres of agricultural land that drain into the western basin.

Reutter points to the fact that the lake was cleaned up in the 1970s and told the forum that it can happen again.

Also presenting was Greg LaBarge from the Ohio State University Extension. LaBarge explained the state’s new fertilizer applicator certification that must be completed by producers farming more than 50 acres by Sept. 30, 2017. To date well over 1,000 farmers have completed the training and in the coming months another 7,000 are expected to get certified. LaBarge said there are approximately 40,000 farmers with more than 50 acres in production in the state.

An agronomist who specializes in fields, LaBarge gave examples of several best practices already in use by many Ohio farmers. He said that there are a few other items that should get more attention by producers. Among these are efforts to slow down the movement of water off of a farmer’s land, looking at each field and its risk profile separately and building up soil quality.

Also speaking at the forum were Jocelyn Henderson, Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources; John Wilson, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Christopher Gibbs, Mercer County FSA and Marla Koerner, USDA.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Greg LaBarge, Harmful Algal Blooms, Jeffrey Reutter, Lake Erie, Ohio Farmers Union, Ohio Sea Grant

Farm Solutions and Opportunities Forum, February 26

February 16, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

ofulogofbfeatJoin Dr. Jeffrey Reutter, director of Ohio Sea Grant and representatives from USDA and OSU Extension as they discuss nutrient management in the Lake Erie basin on February 26 in Ottawa.

Sponsored by the Ohio Farmers Union and the Ohio Environmental Council, the Farm Solutions and Opportunities Forum will present those attending with the current science regarding Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms, the context of agriculture in the lake region and what farmers are doing to mitigate nutrient runoff from their lands. The forum will provide opportunities for citizens in the western basin of Lake Erie to learn more about this vital watershed and farmers will get the latest information on best practices and state and federal programs that may be put to use on their farms.

Speakers include:

  • Dr. Jeffrey Reutter, Ohio Sea Grant
  • Greg LaBarge, OSU Extension
  • Jocelyn Henderson, ODNR, Division of Soil and Water
  • John Wilson, Natural Resources Conservation Program, USDA
  • Chris Gibbs, Ohio Farm Service Agency, USDA
  • Joe Logan, Ohio Farmers Union
  • Adam Rissien, Ohio Environmental Council

The event will be held Thursday, February 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Putnam County Educational Service Center, 124 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa, Ohio. Registration is free and open to the public. Registration for the forum may be made by contacting Linda Borton, Ohio Farmers Union at lborton@ohfarmersunion.org or at 800-321-3671. Lunch will be provided for registrants.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Forum, Jeffrey Reutter, Lake Erie, Nutrient Management, Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Farmers Union, Putnam County

OFU 2015 Special Orders of Business

February 3, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

ofulogofbfeatAdopted by delegates to the 81st Annual Ohio Farmers Union Convention

You’ll find below a link to our 2015 Special Orders of Business. Each year at the OFU Annual Convention, delegates debate a range of public policy topics they believe need attention from state or federal officials. Many of these are officially adopted as ‘special orders of business’ for OFU to pursue as an organization throughout the rest of the year. This year’s slate of special orders covers topics from taxes to money in politics to the water quality issue in the western basin of Lake Erie.

Click Here for 2015 OFU Special Orders of Business

Click Here for advisory white paper accepted by convention delegates regarding Current Agricultural Use Valuation in Ohio

Read the news release:

Ohio Farmers Union Outlines State, Federal Policy Priorities for 2015

Lake Erie, Pipelines, Taxes and Trade Among Concerns

 

COLUMBUS – Meeting in Columbus over the past weekend, Ohio’s second-largest general farm organization adopted twelve state and federal agricultural policy priorities for 2015.

Joe Logan, president of the Ohio Farmers Union, said delegates to OFU’s 81st Annual Convention focused primarily on two issues – water quality in the western basin of Lake Erie and farm real estate (CAUV) taxes.

“Most Ohioans don’t realize that many farmers’ real estate taxes on their farmland have spiked 100, 200 – even up to 300 percent in the past few years,” Logan said.

“Ohio’s program for establishing the tax value of farmland was a major issue for delegates and we approved a policy proposal that we believe would alleviate the shocking increases in tax rates farmers have experienced,” Logan said. “Farmers are being asked to shoulder an unfairly large portion of the total tax burden,” Logan added.

“This is an alarming trend that has been picking up steam in recent years.”

On Lake Erie, Logan said that the “overwhelming majority” of farmers are good stewards of the land and water. Many have adopted conservation, technological and nutrient management best practices to alleviate agricultural run-off into Lake Erie.

“The science tells us that agriculture remains a significant source of the phosphorous feeding harmful algal blooms in the lake. It appears that the legislature is choosing a more regulatory approach to nutrient management. We believe any regulations should be targeted toward those watersheds where problems are known to exist and should deal with all sources of nutrient overloads,” Logan said.

The twelve policy statements, or “special orders of business” for OFU may be found online.

They include statements on:

  1. Water Quality in Ohio
  2. Syngenta GMO Corn Litigation
  3. Current U.S. Trade Policy Concerns
  4. Private Property Rights and Private Sector-Owned Pipelines
  5. Farm Real Estate Taxes – CAUV
  6. Maintaining Guaranteed Landline Telephone Service
  7. Community Right to Know
  8. Seed Saving and Genetic Diversity
  9. A Move to Amend the U.S. Constitution
  10. Severance Taxes on Oil and Gas in Ohio
  11. Change Laws Regarding the Commodity Checkoffs
  12. Funding Claims Under the “Predator Law” in Ohio

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2015, CAUV, D-4, D4, Fast Track, Lake Erie, Landlines, Move to Amend, Nutrient Management, Ohio, Ohio Beef Checkoff, Pipelines, Predator Law, Severance Taxes, Special Orders, Syngenta, TPP, U.S. Trade Policy

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.

 

ofu_200COLUMBUS – 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…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Dave Hall, H.B. 490, Harmful Algal Blooms, Jeffrey Reutter, Joe Logan, Lake Erie

Presentations and Clips from OFU’s Lake Erie Solutions Forum

September 23, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Lake-Erie-Forum640I’m working on a story and our own video coverage from what turned out to be an excellent set of presentations from Dr. Jeff Reutter, Ohio Sea Grant; Greg LaBarge, OSU Extension; Todd Hesterman, farmer and NW Ohio Coordinator of Conservation in Action and Adam Rissien from the Ohio Environmental Council. For now, find below the PowerPoint presentations from our presenters and links to media coverage of the event. Thanks to all who attended and to our presenters!

OFU Farmers Seeking Solutions Forum – Presentations

  • Dr. Jeffrey Reutter, Ohio Sea Grant (PDF)
  • Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension (PDF)
  • Todd Hesterman, NW Ohio farmer and Coordinator of Conservation in Action Program (PDF)
  • Adam Rissien, Ohio Environmental Council (PDF)

OFU Farmers Seeking Solutions Forum – Media Coverage

  • Worst Risk to Toledo water has passed – for this year – The Blade
  • Scientists meet with farmers to discuss Lake Erie’s algae problem (Text) – NBC24
  • Scientists meet with farmers to discuss Lake Erie’s algae problem (Video) – NBC24
  • Farmers share algae solutions at Toledo forum (Video) – Toledo News Now 11
  • Ohio Farmers Union discussing water quality solutions (Video) – ABC13

13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Toledo News Now, Breaking News, Weather, Sports, Toledo

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Adam Rissien, Algae, Greg LaBarge, Jeff Reutter, Joe Logan, Lake Erie, Nutrient Management, Ohio, Ohio Farmers Union, Phosphorous, Todd Hesterman, Water Quality

OEC’s Jack Shaner on Agriculture and Lake Erie’s Woes

September 3, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council talked to OFU members and organization’s board of directors at the recent summer picnic. Here, he discusses recent events in the western basin of Lake Erie and agriculture’s role in the watershed’s problems:

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Algae Blooms, Jack Shaner, Lake Erie, Nutrient Management, OEC, Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Farmers Union, Phosphorous, Toledo

A few words on Toledo water crisis

August 6, 2014 By Ron Sylvester 2 Comments

Well, when roughly half a million people in and around Ohio’s fourth largest city can’t shower, wash clothes and dishes or drink their tap water for two days, the politicians start to pay attention to the annual environmental catastrophe known as the Lake Erie algal bloom.

If you’ve followed the Ohio Farmers Union’s take on water quality and agriculture’s role, you’ll know that OFU acknowledges the science that places agriculture at the top of the list of contributors of nutrients into Lake Erie and other surface waters and we are committed to having agriculture be a major part of the solution.

In reviewing the State’s response to our water quality problems, we believe there is one segment of nutrient management that has been ignored by the decision-makers in Columbus. That’s the use of manure from large animal feeding operations. Ohio is home to many thousands of these industrial scale livestock facilities. Only the 200 largest of which are managed under oversight of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA). Manure from confined animal feeding operations supplies a significant proportion of the nutrients that Ohio farmers use to boost crop production.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Fertilizer, Lake Erie, Manure, Nutrient Management, SB 150, SB 490, Toledo, Water

Ohio Senate Ag Will Wait Til Next Year – Nutrient Management Bill

December 20, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Senate Bill 150, the measure which would enact a fertilizer application licensing process in Ohio similar to the pesticide applicators’ program hit a wall in late 2013 due to so-called ‘affirmative defense’ language in the bill.

Bill sponsors Senate Ag Chairman Cliff Hite and Sen. Bob Peterson put the measure on hold until 2014 while issues among stakeholders over the affirmative defense language is sorted out.

Under language in a recent version of the bill, a farmer’s filing of a voluntary nutrient management plan for his or her farm would qualify as an affirmative defense in court should that farm be sued relative to civil nuisance actions. An affirmative defense means that legally certain facts are established on their face by the existence of a nutrient management plan.

At the last hearing of SB 150 in the Senate Agriculture Committee, Peterson noted that one of the amendments for that day – which was eventually agreed to – would strip the affirmative defense language from the bill. He added that it is his intention for a different version of that language to go back into the bill after negotiations with stakeholders.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: AFO, CAFO, Fertilizer, Lake Erie, Manure, Nutrient Management, Phosphorous, Roger Wise

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