Sign of life for GIPSA Rule?

March 26, 2016 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

While opponents of traditional family farming in Congress have blocked implementation of the Grain Inspection and Stockyards Protection Administration rule from the 2008 Farm Bill, the National Farmers Union has continued to lobby for full implementation of the rule which would add transparency and more competition to U.S. markets.

NFU and others got a boost recently when eight members of Congress sent USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack a letter renewing calls to finish the rule making on GIPSA.

That process could proceed more smoothly at USDA now that the anti-GIPSA riders have been removed from recent spending bills.

“Producers and consumers alike benefit from competitive and transparent markets… Deceptive, fraudulent, retaliatory, and anti-competitive practices have no place in a well-functioning market, and we need to have sound rules of the road to protect consumers, livestock producers and poultry growers in increasingly concentrated market environments,” the lawmakers stated in the letter.

Ohio’s own U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, signed the letter to Vilsack with three other representatives and four senators. You can read the letter here.

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Vilsack, McCarthy Hit on WOTUS, Rural Development in Remarks to NFU Convention

March 17, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks before the National Farmers Union Annual Convention in Wichita, KS, March 16. Photo: NFU

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy both made news and spoke frankly to the delegates and attendees of the 113th National Farmers Union Annual Convention in Wichita, Kansas.

NFU’s national convention kicked off this past Saturday and ends today. Nearly 500 members were in attendance.

McCarthy spoke to conventioneers on Monday and thanked NFU for not “having a knee-jerk reaction” to EPA’s roll out of a draft Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

McCarthy said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and EPA are working on details of the final rule and appreciated the comments submitted by NFU. On the subject of ditches, she said that EPA needs to make the definitions clearer. “Most farm ditches were never covered before, and they won’t be in this new rule,” she promised.

Another EPA hot topic for farmers has been the lack of action on setting up to date requirements for the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard.

“The RFS is a complicated program, and we weren’t able to accomplish what we needed to do last year,” she said. “Implementing the RFS as Congress intended has been challenging,” McCarthy said.

U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy also spoke to NFU conventioneers on Monday. Photo: NFU

Vilsack also spoke to NFU on Monday and announced $97 million in programs to support the continued development of farmers markets, farm to school efforts and rural economies and will also expand risk management tools for specialty crops and limited-resource farmers.

“Increasing market opportunities for local food producers is a sound investment in America’s rural economies, while also increasing access to healthy food for our nation’s families,” Vilsack said.

“There are over 400 school systems in this country that are purchasing locally and this is a tremendous opportunity to help rebuild the rural economy,” Vilsack said. He noted that the 2012 Census of Agriculture indicated more than 160,000 farmers and ranchers nationwide are tapping into growing consumer demand by selling their products locally.

“Consumer demand for local, healthy food is skyrocketing in schools, hospitals and wholesalers. These grant opportunities allow farmers and ranchers to meet this demand, and feed our nation’s kids.”

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Lots of News Out of OFU’s 80th Convention

February 5, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

The Ohio Farmers Union has a new president and rural concerns about the long-term effects of fracking and the disposal of toxic drilling wastewater continue to dominate policy discussions among its membership.

OFU held its 80th annual state convention this past weekend. With 110 delegates attending from the state’s county Farmers Union organizations and several additional non-voting members, the family-farmer and consumer oriented group had its largest convention in several years. Nearly 250 people packed the convention hall for remarks by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, right, speaks to OFU youth delegate Joe Schmitz of Darke County at the 80th OFU Convention.

Brown will get the chance this week to vote once again on the beleaguered, two-year delayed Farm Bill. The U.S. House accepted political compromise last week and approved a final version of the bill. Pending Senate passage later this week, President Barack Obama is expected to sign the measure which will replace most direct payments to farmers with an enhanced system of crop insurance.

“There are several titles in the farm bill, all of them important to this state. You think about rural development, you think about conservation titles, you think about commodities in title one and what we’ve been able to do there, and obviously you think about the nutrition part and all that helps make our state better,” Brown said.

“I’m virtually certain we’ll pass it, and I am virtually certain the president of the United States will sign it,” Brown added.

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Update: Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Speaking at OFU Convention

January 30, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

COLUMBUS – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be speaking at the 80th Annual Ohio Farmers Union Convention tomorrow at noon at the Airport Marriott in Columbus.

Vilsack bio here.

The House voted yesterday to move the Farm Bill conference report forward. A Senate vote is expected next week. The Farm Bill and a new proposed EPA rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard are sure to be among topics covered during the Q&A with Secretary Vilsack and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown following their remarks.

Visack: Taking New Steps to Care for the Land and Water

September 13, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s Weekly Column:

Natural resource conservation is paramount to the ongoing strength of our nation. Healthy soil contributes to agricultural productivity. Healthy forests clean our water and air. Vibrant waterways are critical for our health, for transportation and for trade. Investments into conservation spur job growth and community development, particularly in rural areas.

This is an uncertain time for USDA conservation activities. Congress has not yet passed a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that would continue to invest in conservation efforts, while providing rural America with certainty regarding many other important programs.

As we continue urging Congress to provide a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill, USDA this week took several new steps to strengthen conservation across the country.

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Secretary Vilsack on Strengthening Homegrown Energy

October 22, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

by Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary

As the drought continues today, USDA and other Federal agencies are doing all we can to help farmers, ranchers and communities who have been impacted.

Unfortunately, our tools are limited. Due to inaction by Congress, many parts of the 2008 Farm Bill expired October 1, and other aspects of the law will expire in the coming months.

This brings tremendous uncertainty for rural families – particularly livestock producers who have lost access to disaster programs, and dairy producers who no longer have access to dairy support programs.

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Ohioan among new appointees to United Soybean Board

September 25, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Ohio’s John B. Motter along with sixteen others to the United Soybean Board this morning.

“These appointees represent a cross section of the soybean industry and I am confident that they will serve the soybean producers well,” said Vilsack.

The 69-member board is authorized by the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act. The Secretary selected the appointees from soybean producers nominated by Qualified State Soybean Boards. All appointees will serve 3-year terms beginning December 2012.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

Obama Admin details new efforts to assist farmers and ranchers affected by drought

July 23, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

USDA Secretarial Drought Designations by County, July 20, 2012

With 62 percent of U.S. farms currently affected by nationwide drought conditions, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today several ways in which the agency is attempting to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to get help.

“President Obama and I are committed to getting help to producers as soon as possible and sustaining the success of America’s rural communities through these difficult times,” said Vilsack. “Beginning today, USDA will open opportunities for haying and grazing on lands enrolled in conservation programs while providing additional financial and technical assistance to help landowners through this drought. And we will deliver greater peace of mind to farmers dealing with this worsening drought by encouraging crop insurance companies to work with farmers through this challenging period.”

The assistance announced uses the Secretary of Agriculture’s existing authority to help create and encourage flexibility within four USDA programs: the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and the Federal Crop Insurance Program.

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What USDA is doing to support cutting US reliance on fossil fuels

April 16, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

This is a column from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack provided by the agency.

By Secretary Tom Vilsack

Since taking office, President Obama has been committed to an all-of-the-above approach that expands production of American energy resources. Already, there are signs that this strategy is making an impact. Last year, domestic oil production reached the highest level in nearly a decade. Imports of foreign oil fell to the lowest level in 16 years. We’re producing more natural gas than at any time in our history. Since 2008, renewable energy generation from sources like wind, solar, and geothermal has nearly doubled. And the Obama Administration has supported the first nuclear power plant in thirty years.

Strengthening the domestic biofuels industry has been another critical component of this overall strategy. And today, U.S. biofuel production is at its highest level in history. In fact, average monthly production increased more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2011. That means more jobs – especially in rural America – and greater energy security.

At USDA, we continue to support cutting-edge efforts to reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuel. For example, earlier this month, USDA announced approval of a $5 million payment to Western Plains Energy, LLC to support the construction of a biogas anaerobic digester in Oakley, KS. The completed project will utilize waste energy resources from a local cattle feedlot to replace almost 90 percent of the fossil fuels currently used by Western Plains Energy. In Blairstown, Iowa, USDA funding will be used to construct a 55,000 square foot facility that will produce cellulosic ethanol by converting municipal solid waste and other industrial pulps into advanced biofuels, as well as using conventional renewable biofuel derived from seed corn waste. When operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 3.6 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. Support for renewable energy projects such as these is an example of the many ways USDA is helping revitalize rural economies.

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Vilsack says Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food an opportunity for farmers & ranchers

March 2, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Opportunity in local and regional food in America

by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Two and a half years ago, I announced a new initiative here at USDA called Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food.

It’s the public face of our commitment to help farmers and ranchers of all sizes take advantage of new opportunities, meet the growing demand for local and regional food and succeed in America’s diverse marketplace.

Last week, USDA unveiled new tools showcasing what we’ve accomplished over the last few years as local food sales have expanded as a multi-billion dollar industry.

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass is an electronic document and interactive map you can access online.

It can help you navigate USDA resources that support local and regional food systems. It introduces farmers, ranchers, businesses and communities around the country that are tapping into these opportunities to improve incomes and create jobs. It is a jumping off point so you can join the national conversation about where our food comes from.

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Opportunity in local and regional food in America

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