Ohio Farmers Union

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United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

CAUV Values to Skyrocket for 2014 Tax Year

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CAUV-2014-ChartFixedFarmers across Ohio have benefited in the past in regards to CAUV values that have been kept extremely low and now these values are scheduled to increase quite a bit in the next few years.

Ted Finnarn, Darke County attorney, is the Ohio Farmers Union representative to the Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Division of Tax Equalization and this CAUV Advisory Committee functions to advise the Ohio Department of Taxation on the operation of the Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV) law and the consequent valuations used under the law.

Finnarn has served on this State Committee for over 38 years originally being appointed by the Ohio Farmers Union in 1976. Scott Zumbrink, Darke County Treasurer, has also served on the committee, representing the State Treasurers’ Association since 2007.

According to Finnarn and Zumbrink, the CAUV table valuations (which vary according to soil type, slope, drainage and soil management groups, using inputs of a 5-year “olympic” average of crop prices and costs of production) will increase substantially for tax year 2014 effective for taxes to be paid in 2015. When the more important comparison is made between the 2011 table valuations to the 2014 valuations (the 2011 table being the last one used by counties, which will now use the 2014 values, due to the 3 year rotation), farmers may see increases of approximately 110-185% or more in CAUV values.

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2014 OFU ‘Special Orders of Business’

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Each year in late January, the Ohio Farmers Union holds its annual convention and outlines its main policy priorities for the coming year. These priorities are debated in OFU’s policy committee and by all delegates on the floor of the convention. This past weekend the 80th Annual Ohio Farmers Union Convention was held in Columbus. Here are OFU’s Special Orders of Business for 2014.

If you would prefer to download a PDF, click this link.

Special Orders of Business

Ohio Farmers Union

As Passed by the 80th Annual Convention, Columbus, Ohio

February 2014

 

Shale Gas Exploration & Production in Rural Ohio

The extraction of oil and natural gas from shale formations such as the Marcellus and Utica formations presents enormously complex technical challenges, consumes large volumes of fresh water and requires the use of a wide array of hazardous chemicals. Farmers Union urges caution in the development of such fossil fuel resources, as doing so will slow our progress toward renewable fuels and accelerate climate change.

OFU proposes the following policy recommendations in order to protect Ohio’s farmland, water and air from contamination associated with the drilling or hydraulic fracturing of production wells or from contamination associated with waste disposal of hazardous by-products from the process:

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White House: Sequestration’s impact on Ohio

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The automatic across-the-board cuts known as “sequestration” began on March1 and the White House wants you to know how these cuts will hurt Ohio.

Sequestration is the fallout from the 2011 deal between Congress and President Barack Obama to increase the nation’s debt ceiling. At that time and since, leaders from both parties have admitted that sequestration is bad policy because it cuts all domestic programs except for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veteran’s programs. The thinking was when it was passed that these cuts were so egregious that sequestration would be repealed and replaced with reasoned, balanced deal to cut the deficit. Partisanship in Washington remains more important than progress and it wasn’t repealed let alone replaced.

These cuts will be a slow burn and most Americans won’t notice any changes for weeks or months. For instance, most of the 26,000 civilian Defense Dept. employees in Ohio who will be put on ten to 20 day furloughs must be given a minimum of 30 days notice before being furloughed.

The White House issued a memo one week ago which outlines some of the fallout specific to Ohio. Among the cuts expected are:

  • $161 million in pay for those civilian Dept. of Defense employees in the state removed from the economy due to furloughs
  • 4,700 low income families will lose rental housing vouchers
  • $25 million in lost funding for K-12 public education
  • $22 million in lost funding for public school instruction of disabled kids
  • 1,450 fewer work study jobs for Ohio college students

In the last newsletter we reported that Senate Democrats were offering up USDA guaranteed payments as part of a replacement deal for the sequester. That bill is going nowhere for now. Republicans are dug in that there will be no further tax increases as part of a better deal. Both that Senate bill and a proposal the president has floated include closing certain tax loopholes affecting the wealthy and large, profitable corporations. The GOP is calling such tax reforms “increasing taxes” for now. The stalemate continues. The military and most vulnerable pay.

USDA Announces New Microloan Program

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usdafsaSmall, family or socially disadvantaged farmers now have access to a USDA microloan program.

The microloans – identified by USDA as loans under $35,000 were announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today in Memphis, TN. Vilsack also announced recently that he will be staying on as ag secretary into President Barack Obama’s second term.

USDA said the purpose of these smaller loans secured through the agency are to assist start-up farmers in building their business so that they may eventually move into the commercial credit arena.

“I have met several small and beginning farmers, returning veterans and disadvantaged producers interested in careers in farming who too often must rely on credit cards or personal loans with high interest rates to finance their start-up operations,” said Vilsack. “By further expanding access to credit to those just starting to put down roots in farming, USDA continues to help grow a new generation of farmers, while ensuring the strength of an American agriculture sector that drives our economy, creates jobs, and provides the most secure and affordable food supply in the world.”

The National Farmers Union praised the program. “The next generation of family farmers are critical to the continuation of the long tradition of agriculture in our country,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Today’s announcement is a tremendous benefit to those looking to enter into farming.”

“Beginning farmers and ranchers and veterans will greatly benefit from this program, and a streamlined application process is of great value,” said Johnson. “Access to credit is one of the greatest challenges that beginning farmers and ranchers face, and I commend the department for proposing a common-sense way to help alleviate the problem.”

According to USDA’s website, the microloan program features a streamlined application process. Loans may be used for:

  • Initial start-up expenses;
  • Annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents;
  • Marketing and distribution expenses;
  • Family living expenses;
  • Purchase of livestock, equipment, and other materials essential to farm operations;
  • Minor farm improvements such as wells and coolers.
  • Hoop houses to extend the growing season;
  • Essential tools;
  • Irrigation;
  • Delivery vehicles.

Click here for an online fact sheet.

For information on the program or to apply, farmers are encouraged to contact their local Farm Service Agency office.

 

Ohio FSA’s Maurer Reminds Farmers That All Ohio Counties Were Designated as Primary or Contiguous Disaster Areas

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Steve Maurer, the State Executive Director for the USDA Ohio Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers about the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretarial designation on Sept. 5, 2012. All of Ohio’s counties were designated as primary or contiguous agricultural natural disaster areas due to drought and excessive heat that occurred from February 1, 2012 and continuing.

This gives all qualified farm operators in the designated areas the opportunity to file an application for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

USDA FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. Other programs available to assist farmers include the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

Interested farmers may contact their local FSA county office for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs.

 

Ohio Swine Flu Update – August 19, 2012

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As the summer county and state fair season turns into the fall season, one thing has been on all livestock exhibitors, public health and ag officials and patrons minds: Swine Flu.

Ohioans began to hear about Swine Flu in early August when some patrons of the Butler County Fair were diagnosed with the virus, H3N2v. Some swine being exhibited at the fair were found to be sick with the virus and media and state agency reports at the time indicated most of the human victims were children who had come into contact with infected swine. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health both report that kids are especially susceptible to Swine Flu because they haven’t had time to develop antibodies against the virus.

So far in Ohio there have been 72 cases of the flu in humans with most of them directly attributed to contact with pigs or hogs. There have been less than 10 hospitalizations, with all of those patients treated and released. There have been no deaths from this summer flu outbreak.

Public health officials at the state and federal level are continuing to monitor the situation closely, however. For now, there is no evidence that the virus is transmittable from human to human contact. The virus would need to mutate in one of its human victims in just the right way to spread from human to human and if it did, it would become a bigger problem for public health.

There are still several county fairs to occur around Ohio and the Ohio Dept. of Agricuture is teaming up with ODH to strengthen health precautions at swine exhibits around the state. At every county fair there will be daily health checks of pigs and hogs by a veterinarian. Several animals have already been removed from fairs, including two removed from the recent Ohio State Fair. ODA and ODH officials or their local designees will also be meeting face to face to with all swine exhibitors to discuss the virus, what to look for in their animals and the precautions that they and fair goers should take around livestock barns.

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Ohio getting federal funding to fight Asian Longhorned Beetle

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $14.8 million in funding to prevent the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Ohio.

“The USDA, together with our partners in Ohio, is working hard to contain and eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle from Clermont County,” Vilsack said. “With this funding, USDA reinforces our shared goal of stopping this destructive pest and protecting as many trees as possible. The additional funds will allow for an increased effort in fighting the beetle and help prevent the beetle from spreading to surrounding areas.”

The additional funding will be used to increase tree inspection surveys in order to determine the extent of the infestation and ensure the timely removal of infested trees.

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Ohio FSA: Continuous sign-up for CRP Highly Erodible Land Initiative

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Steve Maurer, State Executive Director for Ohio’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced that continuous sign-up for the Highly Erodible Land (HEL) Initiative under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) started on July 23, 2012. Ohio received a total allocation of 24,300 acres to enroll in the HEL CRP program. Offers will be accepted until either the state acreage allocation limit is reached or September 30, 2012, whichever occurs first.

“CRP is a voluntary program that has protected environmentally sensitive land for more than 25 years,” said SED Maurer. “This initiative will accept offers with an erosion rate of at least 20 tons per acre per year for new cropland or CRP acres that expire on September 30, 2012; however, existing grass stands that are not expiring CRP will not be considered eligible,” he said.

Producers can stop by their local FSA office to determine if their land qualifies for the Highly Erodible Land Initiative and to receive additional location-specific details.

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Contact

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