USDA NEWS

USDA Taking Applications for Rural and Farm Energy Funding: On January 20, USDA announced that it is taking applications for Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funding. For FY2012, USDA has $25.4 million in budget authority for REAP, which will support at least $12.5 million in grant funding and approximately $48.5 million in loan guarantees. Read more…

Funding Available for Organic Research: On Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced the release of its 2012 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), which provides grants to academic, private, and non-profit research institutions to investigate research issues related to organic production.  Applications are due on March 9th, 2012, and approximately $19 million is available.  Read more…

USDA Announces CIG Funding for Water Quality Markets: On Friday, January 13, USDA announced the availability of $10 million for water quality credit trading projects through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. According to USDA’s vision of water quality credit trading, “a producer who implements conservation practices to reduce water quality pollutants can also benefit by generating water quality market credits that could be sold in an open market, which would reduce the costs of implementing and maintaining the conservation practices.”  Read more…

OTHER NEWS

New Regulatory Certainty Program Announced in Minnesota: On Tuesday, January 17, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, and USDA’s Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Dave White met in Minnesota to announce a new partnership between the State, USDA, and EPA.  Through the partnership, producers would receive immunity, also known as regulatory assurance or certainty, from regulation under Minnesota’s water quality standards in exchange for the implementation of certain conservation activities.  Read more…

USDA Announces Greater Flexibility and Additional Tools for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012 — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson today announced today a new rule that expands loan opportunities for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, while also establishing a new Land Contract Guarantee Program. The rule provides additional flexibility allowing FSA loan officers to consider all prior farming experience, including on-the-job training and formal education, when determining eligibility for FSA for farm operating and ownership loans. It also expands a previous pilot program, the Land Contract Guarantee Program, from six states to all 50 states. This program is designed to encourage farmers and ranchers to sell their property to beginning and socially disadvantaged (SDA) farmers and ranchers through the use of seller financing.
“USDA continues to find ways to improve our services for farmers and ranchers by streamlining processes, accelerating delivery, and using innovative solutions to 21st century agricultural challenges,” said Nelson. “These improvements demonstrate FSA’s commitment to helping the next generation of America’s farmers and ranchers participate in our nation’s agricultural economy. The new flexibility also enlarges the pool of potential farmland buyers, which is important to young, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers who start out or operate without established credit.”
The changes in eligibility announced today will increase access for farmers and ranchers to FSA loans and credit assistance. The new rule enables landowners to sell their farmland to the next generation on a contract for deed with a 90-percent guarantee against losses to the seller. Alternatively, the agency can provide a guarantee of three years’ amortized loan installments, plus payment of real estate taxes and hazard insurance premiums for the same three-year period.
U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing its most productive period in decades thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of America’s producers. The improvements outlined today will help producers and businesses maintain this competitive edge. In late 2011, FSA announced a series of additional process improvements that included quicker disaster assistance and less reporting dates. Details follow:
USDA is reviewing comments on a proposed rule to streamline the process for its Secretarial Disaster Designation, allowing farmers and ranchers devastated by natural disasters to obtain emergency loans and other assistance faster than before. Streamlining the process from six steps to two will enable USDA to help those in need in an expedited manner. Additionally, the proposed rule can help to ensure all eligible disaster counties receive a designation.
USDA established 15 common Acreage Reporting Dates (ARDs) for farmers and ranchers participating in FSA and Risk Management Agency (RMA) programs. The common reporting dates will reduce the reporting burden on producers and also help to reduce USDA operating costs by sharing similar data across participating agencies. Before the streamlining, RMA had 54 ARDs for 122 crops, and FSA had 17 ARDs for 273 crops.
More information on the new Land Contract Guarantee Program and the other changes are available at local FSA offices nationwide. Information about Farm Loan Programs and FSA loan qualifications can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov.
The Obama Administration, with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, has worked tirelessly to strengthen rural America, implement the Farm Bill, maintain a strong farm safety net, and create opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its best years in decades thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of our producers. Today, net farm income is at record levels while debt has been cut in half since the 1980s. Overall, American agriculture supports 1 in 12 jobs in the United States and provides American consumers with 86 percent of the food we consume, while maintaining affordability and choice. The Obama Administration has aggressively worked to expand export opportunities and reduce barriers to trade, helping to push agricultural exports to record levels in 2011 and beyond. Strong agricultural exports are a positive contribution to the U.S. trade balance, support nearly 1 million American jobs and boost economic growth.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Under-35 Panel Highlights Advocacy & Grassroots Seminar at October’s Washington Public Policy Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Four of the leading young minds in federal agriculture policy will provide an inside look at how produce industry members can communicate more effectively with their elected officials at the United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Public Policy Conference, October 3-5 in Washington, D.C.

On Monday afternoon, October 3, the Fresh Impact Panel at United’s Advocacy & Grassroots seminar features four leaders—all under the age of 35—at the forefront of agricultural policy in Washington. USDA’s Anne Cannon MacMillan, Matt Perin of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture, Russell & Barron’s Tyson Redpath, and Jacqlyn Schneider of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will join United Fresh members for a fresh and unconventional look at the process of connecting with members of Congress and conveying produce industry priorities.

“These four leaders represent the new guard and next generation of policy rainmakers in Washington and, even with their youth, they have a seasoned ability to artfully communicate complex agricultural policy issues up the chain to the highest levels of government,” said United Fresh Senior Vice President of Public Policy Robert Guenther. “Our members will benefit tremendously as Anne, Matt, Tyson and Jacqlyn sit down to share their fresh take on how best to approach and work with lawmakers with the goal of getting real results and building industry success.”

MacMillan serves as a senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, assisting the secretary in developing and implementing policy priorities in the areas of nutrition, specialty crops, food safety, livestock markets and animal health.  Prior to joining USDA, MacMillan was the senior policy advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and legislative director for Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.)

Before joining the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture as staff director, Perin served on the personal office staff of Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio), and managed the successful reelection campaign of Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) in 2004.

Now senior vice president, Redpath joined Russell & Barron after twice serving on the legislative staff of Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio). Prior to joining Speaker Boehner’s office, Redpath directed state delegation outreach operations at the 2004 Republican National Convention, and specialized in issues concerning food safety, child nutrition and generic drug applications for the law firm of Olsson, Frank and Weeda.

Schneider serves as senior professional staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where she manages specialty crops, organics, FDA food safety and nutrition issues for Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). Prior to joining the committee, Schneider was legislative director for Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) handling legislative issues including healthcare, trade, education and immigration. Before serving in Rep. Costa’s office, she worked in government relations for a biotech trade association.

“With the fresh, youthful insight of these four policy pros, our members will come away from this year’s Advocacy & Grassroots Seminar with real, tangible strategies and tools for connecting with their elected officials,” added Guenther.

The Fresh Impact Panel and Advocacy & Grassroots Seminar add to a busy schedule of events for the annual Washington Public Policy Conference, including the Wednesday keynote address from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), discussions with federal regulators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration, market segment-specific education sessions and the popular Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill. Additionally, this year’s event includes the most visits to congressional offices by conference attendees in the event’s history.

Ed. Note: Press registration for the Washington Public Policy Conference is complimentary and may be arranged by contacting United Fresh Communications Manager Patrick Delaney at 202-303-3400, ext. 417, or pdelaney@unitedfresh.org.

Saturday, December 3, 2011; Alphonse J. Schwartze Catholic Center – 2207 West Main, Jefferson City, Missouri; 8:30 AM to 3:40 PM

State and national leaders in the local and healthy foods, family farm, and sustainability movements will join us on Dec. 3 for the 2011 Rural Life Day. With them we will examine the misdirection, restrictions, and opportunities contained in what is perhaps the centerpiece of global food and agriculture policy – the US Farm Bill.

We will have the opportunity to hear and interact with the lived experiences of farmers and those that research and document the lives of family farm and food producers in the US.  And, we will endeavor to pull together the experiences and research with a faith that calls us to wholeness and place it into a vision and a quest for a better way to live on our fragile, abundant and fruitful, yet increasingly endangered Earth.

·      With Dr. John Ikerd we will experience the passion of a researched and reasoned academic’s call to ecological sustainability and the kind of public policy that would support it.

·      With Melinda Hemmelgarn (and assistance from Dan Hemmelgarn) we will be witnesses to a dynamic photographic storytelling of the American food and agricultural landscape.

·      With Richard Oswald we will hear in prose and poetry the authentic life and work of a fifth-generation American farmer.

·      And, with Brother David Andrews, we will hear and discuss the moral vision and practical applications that are essential to holistic and holy farm, food and environmental policy that would preserve, protect, and enrich the fundamental elements and resources of our Earth – for us and our children’s children.

PLAN TO JOIN US –

Registration – $30 per person  (pre-payment required for pre-registration)

Checks payable to – Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (note for Rural Life Day)

Send to CCCNMO

P O Box 104626, Jefferson City, Missouri 65110

For more information contact-

Barbara Ross

Director of Social Services

Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri

P O Box 104626

Jefferson City, M0 65110

573.635.9127 x225

bross@cccnmo.org

New ERS Conservation Articles and Report

On Monday, August 22, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) issued a new edition of its Amber Waves magazine, featuring two important agricultural conservation stories.

“Reducing Agriculture’s Nitrogen Footprint: Are New Policy Approaches Needed?” is a helpful quick review by Marc Ribaudo of earlier ERS publications on nutrient management and the array of possible policies to accelerate adoption, including financial assistance, compliance, and regulation. Read more…

Farmer Backlog for Federal Credit Addressed but Serious Gap Remains

On July 28, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) transferred unneeded Guaranteed Farm Operating Loan (GOL) funds to two credit programs with higher demand – Direct Farm Operating Loans (DOL) and Guaranteed Farm Ownership (GFO) loans.  FSA has general authority to transfer a portion of appropriated funds from one loan program to another to bring spending more in line with farmer demand for credit. Read more…

USDA Proposes New Animal ID and Tracing Regulation

On Thursday, August 11, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a proposed rule with national official identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock moving interstate.  Read more…

2011 Conservation Innovation Grant Awards Announced

On Monday, August 22, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the 2011 recipients of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).  Approximately $22.5 million will be awarded to 52 non-profit, private and public organizations addressing natural resource concerns in 40 states across the country. Read more…

New USDA Report Highlights Successes of the Wetlands Reserve Program

On Monday, August 22, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released a new publication highlighting the success of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) over its 20-year history.  Read more…

An FDA Inspector in Arizona - Photo from FDA Flickr Photo Sharing

In a recent article from the FDA entitled The ‘Teeth’ of FDA’s Food Safety Law, the agency puts a very positive spin on the law itself and it’s implementation. Because this is a controversial issue (to say the least), I’m sure that some of you will feel that I’m being wishy washy (at best) by presenting the article without personal comment. But for those who don’t follow the Facebook page, my policy is now to present the news, and (to the best of my ability) refrain from giving editorial comment on it. I find this inspires better dialog, and lets people form and express their own opinions, which is something I want to encourage. I know that for many of you, this article will make your blood boil. But please direct your opinions toward the issue, not toward me personally. I simply thought people should know what the FDA is saying about the new law. So here goes:

EXCERPT: The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by President Obama in January, has been called “historic” because it puts the focus of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on prevention—working to ensure that unsafe foods are not distributed in the first place. FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg says the law directs the agency to oversee food safety in a way that applies “the best available science and good common sense to prevent the problems that can make people sick.” What lends the new law additional importance is that it provides FDA with new enforcement and inspection authorities. “These new authorities are critical for the law’s success,” said Michael R. Taylor, FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods. “They give the food companies strong additional incentives for keeping their products safe, and that helps us achieve the new law’s goal, which is to protect consumers from unsafe food.”

The full article is available at: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm267460.htm Please feel free to share your opinions using the comment link above, or on the Facebook page.

Friday Update: Congress Returns with Budget Front and Center: At the conclusion of the May 5 meeting at Blair House between Vice President Biden and six congressional leaders, all parties to the talks said progress had been made toward a deal that would lead both to a deficit reduction budget deal and a positive vote in Congress to raise the federal borrowing limit. Beyond general platitudes, however, it was not clear to those outside the room just what exactly constituted progress other than they met and agreed to meet again next Tuesday. Republicans leaders insisted that discretionary and entitlement spending was on the table and tax expenditures off the table, while Democratic leaders insist that everything must be on the table. Read more…

Senate Bills Take Different Routes to Phase-Out Ethanol Tax Credit: This week saw the introduction of two Senate bills with different routes to phasing out the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) for ethanol blended with gasoline and a tariff and ad valorem tax on imported ethanol, both of which are intended to stimulate ethanol production in the U.S.  Last December, Congress approved legislation that extended until December 31, 2011, the 45 cents per gallon VEETC, as well as the 54 cents per gallon tariff and ad valorem tax of 2.5 percent on imported ethanol. Opposition to the VEETC and ethanol tariff has intensified in 2011.  Those opposed to the VEETC represent a wide array of perspectives. Read more…

Results U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Jury Award to Poultry Growers: On Monday, May 2, the U.S. Supreme Court declined, without comment, a petition of certiorari to review a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the case O.K. Industries v. Been.  The Appeals Court upheld a federal jury award of $14.5 million to poultry growers from a poultry processor because of the processor’s violations of Section 202(a) of the Packers & Stockyards Act (PSA). PSA Section 202(a) provides that it is unlawful for live poultry dealers, packers or swine contractors to engage in or use any unfair, unjustly discriminatory, or deceptive practice or device. Read more…

Farm Service Agency Makes Good Choice for First BCAP Project: On Thursday, May 5, USDA Secretary Vilsack announced that the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project area would cover 30 counties in western Missouri and nine counties in Eastern Kansas, with biomass facilities operated by the Show Me Energy Cooperative as the biomass conversion facilities for the project.  About $15 million will be available for payments to farmers who participate in this first BCAP project. BCAP projects provide funding to farmers, ranchers, and nonindustrial forestland owners to establish and maintain bioenergy feedstocks specified in a BCAP project. Read more…

Food Desert Locator Tool Released: Following on previous efforts to make information available to the public using visual interfaces, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released the Food Desert Locator this week.  This new tool provides population characteristics of areas considered food deserts according the definition by the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Working Group. The HFFI, a partnership between the Treasury Department, Health and Human Services, and the Agriculture Department (USDA), with the collaboration of ERS staff, defines a food desert as a low-income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. Read more…

CONGRESSIONAL NEWS

Congressional Bioenergy Briefing: On On Tuesday, April 27, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute hosted a congressional briefing entitled Developing Sustainable Biomass Supplies.  Presentation slides and an audio recording of the briefing are posted on the Institute’s website. The briefing began with an overview and update on implementation of the Farm Bill Energy Title programs administered by the Rural Development Agency, as well as the Biomass Crop Assistance Program overseen by the Farm Service Agency.  Then Dr. Jeffrey Steiner, the National Program Leader for Biomass Production for the Agricultural Research Service, discussed the challenges to achieving sustainable biomass production.

USDA NEWS

NIFA Director Roger Beachy to Resign : On Friday, April 29, USDA announced that Roger Beachy, Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will leave his post on May 20 of this year. USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics, Cathie Woteki, announced Beachy’s resignation today in a memo to her staff. Beachy intends to return to St. Louis.

USDA Releases Assessment of Natural Resources in the United States : On Wednesday, April 27, USDA released a pre-publication copy of its long-awaited 2011 Resource Conservation Act Appraisal.  The appraisal, part of USDA’s implementation of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA), assesses the status of soil, water, and related natural resources on non-Federal land and analyzes the effectiveness of current conservation policies and programs. The RCA also directs USDA to develop a “national conservation plan” in response to its Appraisal.  The plan is due to Congress early next year and might also serve as a vehicle for Administration ideas for the conservation title of the 2012 Farm Bill.

Results on Nationwide Analysis of Food Hubs Released : On April 19, at the Making Good Food Work Conference in Detroit, Michigan, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan released the results of a nationwide analysis of food hubs.  Merrigan focused on the  economic opportunities of food hubs, an emerging set of business models to provide additional outlets for small and medium sized farmers and bring local food to more consumers in a region. “Food hub” is a general term that encompasses a variety of models.  Common features of food hubs are aggregation,  distribution, and marketing services for small and especially mid-sized farms.

Proposed National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement Released: On Tuesday, April 26,  USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released its proposal for a National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (NLGMA).  If adopted, the  program would be used to govern the production, handling, and manufacturing of leafy green vegetables, including spinach, lettuce, and cabbage, for handlers who sign on and for all the farmers who supply those participating handlers. Explaining the vision for the proposed Agreement, AMS says NLGMA “would minimize the potential for microbial contamination, thereby improving customer confidence in leafy green vegetables in the marketplace.”  The Agency adds that the Agreement “would be available to operations of all sizes, locations, and agricultural practices.”

EPA NEWS

EPA and Army Corps Release New Guidance on Scope of Clean Water Act : On Wednesday, April 27, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers issued a proposed guidance for determining which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act.  A notice of the release of the proposed guidance will be published in the Federal Register on May 2, which starts a 60-day public comment period on the proposed guidance. Two U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the last decade have engendered uncertainty and controversy over the issue of the scope of the Clean Water Act.  In the 2001 case Solid Waste Authority of Northern Cook County v. Army Corps of Engineers, the Court ruled that the Army Corps and EPA could not rely solely on the use of a wetland area by birds as the jurisdictional support for protecting a wetland isolated from other waters under the Clean Water Act.

Challenge to EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Regulation : On April 18, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) filed a petition with the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in a challenge to EPA’s 2010 final regulation for changes to the renewable fuel standard program (also known as RFS2).  In 2010, NWF had petitioned EPA asking the agency to reconsider the final regulation, a request which EPA denied. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates that under the RFS2 up to 36 billion gallons of renewable biofuels be used by the transportation sector in 2022.  The Act also imposes limits on the greenhouse gases that can be emitted throughout the full lifecycle of each type of biofuel specified in the Act.

OTHER NEWS

The Atlantic Holds Annual Food Summit in DC : Earlier this week The Atlantic held its annual Food Summit in Washington, DC.  USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan gave the keynote address.  Merrigan started by acknowledging that it is an exciting time for people working in the food and farm sectors since Americans are increasingly interested in where their food comes from, how it is produced, and who produces it. Merrigan then spoke specifically about one of the Agency’s primary goals: healthier children and improved child nutrition programs.  She referred to the most recent Child Nutrition Reauthorization as “landmark legislation,” which passed on December 2010.  Included in the bill is $5 million per year in mandatory funding for farm to school programs that NSAC and allied groups help secure.

If you have previously sent in comments or questions you don’t have to re-send them, Stabenow’s Committee Staff has informed me. But you do need to RSVP again.

AGRICULTURE FIELD HEARING – RESCHEDULED

April 26, 2011

As the new Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, I am writing to invite you to the first official field hearing on the upcoming reauthorization of our nation’s Farm Bill. Senator Pat Roberts from Kansas, who is the Ranking Member on the Committee, will be joining me for the hearing.

Senate Agriculture Committee Field Hearing

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Kellogg Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

http://www.kelloggcenter.com/about/location.html

Congress considers the Farm Bill only once every five years. As you know, this legislation has broad implications for agriculture as well as sweeping impact on our energy, conservation, rural development, research, forestry and nutrition policies. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard and to be a part of the official record of committee debate.

You may participate in the hearing by submitting written testimony which will be included in the official record of the hearing. Three copies of your testimony can be submitted at the hearing or can be sent to the Committee no later than June 7, 2011. You may also submit questions for possible consideration by the panel members during a limited question and answer period before May 26, 2011. Send your testimony or questions to aghearing@ag.senate.gov or to US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, 328A Russell Senate Office Bldg, Washington, D.C. 20510.  If you previously submitted testimony and questions, there is no need to resubmit.

For up-to-date information on the hearing and Farm Bill process, you can visit the Senate Agriculture Committee website at ag.senate.gov.

To RSVP for the hearing, contact the Agriculture Committee Office at 202-224-2035 or email aghearing@ag.senate.gov.

As a result of rapid consolidation and vertical integration, the livestock and poultry markets of this nation have reached a point where anti-competitive practices dominate, to the detriment of producers and consumers. Numerous economic studies in recent years have demonstrated the economic harm of current market structures and practices, and have called for greater enforcement of existing federal laws in order to restore competition to livestock and poultry markets.

Until recently, Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have largely ignored these trends. Fortunately, Congress included language in the 2008 Farm Bill to require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to write regulations, using its existing Packers and Stockyards Act authorities, to begin to restore fairness and competition in livestock and poultry markets.

On June 22, 2010, the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Agency (GIPSA) issued proposed rules to implement the 2008 Farm Bill mandates, and to address related anticompetitive practices in the livestock and poultry industries. These reforms are long overdue and begin to respond to the criticisms by farm groups, consumer groups, the Government Accountability Office and USDA’s Inspector General about USDA’s past lack of enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. The proposed GIPSA rules define and clarify terms in the Act in order to make enforcement more effective, and to provide clarity to all players in livestock and poultry markets.

The Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 makes it unlawful for packers, swine contractors, and live poultry dealers to engage in any “unfair, unjustly discriminatory, or deceptive practice or device,” or to “make or give any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any particular person or locality in any respect, or subject any particular person or locality to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage in any respect.” The ambiguity of these terms has resulted in uncertainty in the marketplace and hindered enforcement of the Act.

Key provisions of the proposed GIPSA rules would:

• Provide contract growers with commonsense protections when making expensive investments in facilities on their farms to meet the packer or poultry company requirements;

• Provide growers, farmers, and ranchers with access to the information necessary to make wise business decisions regarding their operations;

• Require transparency and eliminate deception in the way packers, swine contractor and poultry companies pay farmers;

• Eliminate collusion between packers in auction markets;

• Provide clarity about the types of industry practices the agency will consider to be unfair, unjustly discriminatory, or when certain practices give unreasonable preference or advantage. These are all terms used in the existing statute, which have never been adequately defined;

• Prohibit retaliation by packers, swine contractors or poultry companies against farmers for speaking about the problems within industry or joining with other farmers to voice their concerns and seek improvements. Currently, many farmers are often retaliated against economically for exercising these legal rights;

• Allow premiums to be paid to livestock producers who produce a premium product, but requires the packer or swine contractors to keep records to detail why they provide certain pricing and contract terms to certain producers;

• Reduce litigation in the industry by eliminating the ambiguity in interpretation of the terms of the Packers and Stockyards Act. Such ambiguity leads to litigation as farmers and packers seek court action to clarify the intent of the Act.

GIPSA has received approximately 60,000 comments on the proposed rule during the five-month public comment period that ended in November 22, of 2010. USDA is in the process of analyzing those comments, and providing the in-depth cost-benefit analysis necessary before issuing the final rule.

Because of the great importance of this rule to livestock and poultry producers and consumers, and the large volume of misinformation about the rule perpetuated by livestock and poultry trade associations and packer-producer groups, the undersigned organizations are writing to reiterate our strong support for the GIPSA rule and for its swift publication in final form.

We urge your support for the GIPSA rulemaking process, and its efforts to restore fairness and competition in our nation’s livestock and poultry markets.

The letter was signed by the following organizations:

Agriculture and Land Based Training Association (CA)

Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association

Alliance for a Sustainable Future (PA)

Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO) -MT

Ambler Environmental Advisory Council

American Agriculture Movement

American Corn Growers Association

American Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO), Local 3354, USDA-St.

Louis (representing Rural Development and Farm Loan employees in Missouri,

Oklahoma, and Kansas)

American Grassfed Association

American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association

Ashtabula-Lake-Geauga County Farmers Union

BioRegional Strategies

Buckeye Quality Beef Association (Ohio)

C.A.S.A. del Llano (TX)

California Dairy Campaign

California Farmers Union

California Food & Justice Coalition

Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform

Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Cattle Producers of Louisiana

Cattle Producers of Washington

Center for Celebration of Creation

Center for Food Safety

Center for Rural Affairs

Chemung County Church Women United (NY)

Chemung County Council of Churches (NY)

Chemung County Council of Women (NY)

Church Women United of Chemung County (NY)

Church Women United of New York State

Citizens for Sanity.Com, Inc.

Citizens for Sludge-Free Land

Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association

Community Alliance for Global Justice

Community Farm Alliance (Kentucky)

Community Food Security Coalition

Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias

Court St Joseph #139, Corning/Elmira, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Corning, NY

Crawford Stewardship Project

Cumberland Counties for Peace & Justice

Dakota Resource Council

Dakota Rural Action

Davidson College Office of Sustainability

Ecological Farming Association

Endangered Habitats League

Family Farm Defenders

Farm Aid

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

Farmworker Association of Florida

Fay-Penn Economic Development Council

Federation of Southern Cooperatives

Food & Water Watch

Food Chain Workers Alliance

Food Democracy Now!

Food for Maine’s Future

Gardenshare: Healthy Farms, Healthy Food, Everybody Eats

Georgia Poultry Justice Alliance

Grassroots International

Heartland Center / Office of Peace and Justice for the Diocese of Gary, Indiana and the

Integrity of Creation

Hispanic Organizations Leadership Alliance

Idaho Rural Council

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND)

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska

Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

Iowa Farmers Union

Island Grown Initiative

Izaak Walton League

Kansas Cattlemen’s Association

Kansas Farmers Union

Kansas Rural Center

Ladies of Charity of Chemung County (NY)

Land Stewardship Project

Main Street Opportunity Lab

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

Michigan Farmers Union

Michigan Land Trustees

Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance

Midwest Environmental Advocates

Midwest Organic Dairy Producers Association

Minnesota Farmers Union

Missionary Society of St. Columban

Mississippi Livestock Markets Association

Missouri Farmers Union

Missouri Rural Crisis Center

National Catholic Rural Life Conference

National Family Farm Coalition

National Farmers Organization

National Farmers Union

National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Nebraska Farmers Union

Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society

Nebraska Wildlife Federation

Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility

New England Small Farm Institute

Nonviolent Economics

North Carolina Contract Poultry Growers Association

Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance

Northeast Organic Farming Association – NY

Northeast Organic Farming Association, Interstate Council

Northern Plains Resource Council

Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association

Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance

Ohio Farmers Union

Oregon Livestock Producers Association

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Oregon Rural Action

Organic Consumers Association

Organic Farming Research Foundation

Organic Seed Alliance

Organization for Competitive Markets

Partnership for Earth Spirituality

Past Regents Club, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Diocese of Rochester, NY

PCC Natural Markets

Pennsylvania Farmers Union

Pennypack Farm and Education Center (PA)

Pesticide Action Network North America

Pomona Grange #1, Chemung County NY

Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY)

R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA (RAFI-USA)

Rural Coalition

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Slow Food USA

South Dakota Livestock Auction Markets Association

South Dakota Stockgrowers Association

St John the Baptist Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order, Elmira, NY

Sustain LA

Taos County Economic Development Corporation

Texas Farmers Union

The Cornucopia Institute

Tilth Producers of Washington

Trappe Landing Farm & Native Sanctuary

Veteran Grange #1118, Chemung County, NY

Virginia Association for Biological Farming

Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC)

WhyHunger

Women, Food and Agriculture Network

Peak Land Markets Don’t Deter Beginners (by Elizabeth Williams – DTN Progressive Farmer)

EXCERPT: “Getting around that land barrier takes more patience than I first envisioned,” said Cannon, “because I don’t want to get land by being the highest rental bidder and undercutting the neighboring farmers. I don’t think that relationship is sustainable in the long run. If that’s all the landowner is looking for, who’s to say down the road, someone won’t come along and out bid me,” Cannon said. “I try to build a relationship with family friends, neighboring farmers and farm managers. I don’t want to come off as pushy.”

Livestock Indemnity Program Can Benefit Producers (by By Ellen Crawford – AgWeb)

EXCERPT: The federal Livestock Indemnity Program is available to provide payments to livestock producers who lose animals as a result of adverse weather conditions this year. “With flooding this spring, this program could be very helpful to producers,” says Oliver County, North Dakota Extension agent Rick Schmidt. “But the program is not limited to livestock losses from flooding. It also applies to losses from blizzards, wildfires, and extreme heat or cold.”

It’s an Inside Job! (By Kevin Spafford – Farm Journal Legacy Project)

EXCERPT: Family farms are not destroyed by outside forces—the estate tax, government regulations or any other untoward burden—as often as they are left in ruin by a lack of communication and the natural self-interests of active and inactive family members. As a rule, most farmers are not good verbal communicators.

The rule is referred to as the “Geographic Preference Option for the Procurement of Unprocessed Agricultural Products in Child Nutrition Programs” and it applies to any public institution which receives funding through the Child Nutrition Act – which is part of the 2008 Farm Bill. The rule which specifies that public institutions “may apply an optional geographic preference in the procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products” clears the way for local food to be preferentially purchased by schools and other public institutions including state agencies.

Though this was happening in many places already, there were concerns that “farm to school” programs and other public entities were in conflict with rules regarding interstate trade and other provisions. If you are interested in learning more about the rule, reading the summary or text, you can check it out in the Federal Register at: http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/04/22/2011-9843/geographic-preference-option-for-the-procurement-of-unprocessed-agricultural-products-in-child.

PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE – Comments on the VAPG Interim Final Rule Due Monday: On February 23, the USDA released its interim final rule (IFR) for the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.  The public comment period on the rule closes on Monday.  NSAC will submit its comments then.  We encourage those interested in the program to read on for information regarding the contents of the interim final rule and, if so inclined, to submit comments on Monday. We also expect USDA to issue the notice that it will be accepting new VAPG grant proposals soon, perhaps as early as next week.  There is likely to be a 60 day turnaround time for submitting proposals.  We will let readers know as soon as the notice is made public.     Read more…

CONGRESSIONAL NEWS

NSAC Submits FY 2012 Appropriations Testimony to Congress: On Thursday, April 14, NSAC submitted fiscal year (FY) 2012 appropriations testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.  The testimony includes NSAC funding requests for sustainable agriculture programs in FY 2012, and explains the importance of each program.  Click here to view a copy of the testimony.      Read more…

Letter to Congress in Support of Increased Fairness for Farmers and Ranchers: This week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition joined a total of 144 organizations from around the country on a letter delivered to members of Congress urging them to support a fair competition rule proposed by USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).  USDA issued the proposed rule in response to directives from Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill and to fulfill USDA’s duty to provide clear rules for implementing the Packers & Stockyards Act. The proposed rule is intended to increase fairness to farmer and ranchers in the marketplace for poultry, hogs and cattle.  Read more…

USDA NEWS

USDA Sets Deadline for Biomass Crop Assistance Program Project Proposals: On April 19, USDA’s Farm Services Agency (FSA) issued a Notice that the agency was setting a deadline for Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project proposals.  Farmers participating in approved projects are eligible for payments to establish bioenergy crops as well as an annual payment. Project proposals must be submitted by May 27 to FSA state offices.  FSA state offices have until June 10 to review project proposals, which will then be sent to FSA’s national office for review and a determination if additional environmental review is needed for the proposed project.  FSA has until June 24 to make this determination.    Read more…

NSAC Submits Comment on Development of Guidelines to Measure GHGs and Carbon Sequestration: On Tuesday, April 19, NSAC responded to a request for comments by USDA on its intent to develop technical guidelines and methods to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration for agricultural and forestry activities. The 2008 Farm Bill directed USDA to prepare technical guidelines that outline methods to measure the carbon benefits from conservation and land management activities.  USDA intends to develop measurement methods and guidelines for various types of producers and conservation and production practices.    Read more…

Final Rule for Interstate Shipment of State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Announced: On Tuesday, April 19, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a final rule today to broaden the market for smaller, state-inspected meat and poultry plants.  As provided in the 2008 Farm Bill, state-inspected establishments with 25 or fewer employees will be eligible to participate in a voluntary cooperative interstate shipment program, which will give them the option to ship meat and poultry products across state lines bearing an official USDA seal of inspection. FSIS  Administrator Al Almanza says of the rule, “Allowing these state-inspected establishments to ship their products across state lines has the potential to expand rural development and jobs,  increase local tax bases, strengthen rural communities, and ensure that food is safe for consumers.”   Read more…

Final Rule on Geographic Preference in Child Nutrition Programs Released: Today the Food and Nutrition Service released the final rule on geographic preference in Child Nutrition Programs, demonstrating substantial progress for local and regional food systems. As the final rule explains, “geographic preference is a tool that gives bidders in a specified geographic area a specific, defined advantage in the procurement process.” This rulemaking follows from an amendment in the 2008 Farm Bill directing the Secretary of Agriculture to encourage local sourcing by institutions in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and Department of Defense (DOD) Fresh program, among others.     Read more…

National Farmers Market Directory Open for Updates: On Monday, April 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) opened the updating process for the USDA National Farmers Market Directory, which is the official count of farmers markets in the nation.  2011 will be the first year that the directory will track markets with multiple locations and days of operation. According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the directory is not merely a listing of the nation’s more than 6,100 farmers markets: it is also a resource for anyone interested in local food, small producers, and policy surrounding regional food systems.     Read more…

Federal legislation determining the nation’s farm and food priorities will be the focus of a panel discussion on “America’s Local Food Future”

America‘s Local Food Future

Tuesday, May 3, 6:30 p.m.

Launer Auditorium

Columbia College

901 Rogers Street, Columbia, MO 65216

Save Your Seat. RSVP at http://moenviron.org/foodfarm.asp; or call 314-727-0600

Join national & local experts for a discussion of our food system, what it means to your budget, your health, & how to change it

Speakers:

·      Dave Andrews, Senior Representative for Food & Water Watch, and former Executive Director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference

·      Brad Redlin, Agricultural Program Director with the Izaak Walton League and Montana farmer

·      Bill Heffernen, PhD., Emeritus, University of Missouri Dept. of Rural Sociology

·      Tim Gibbons, Political Director, Missouri Rural Crisis Center

Co-Sponsors – Izaak Walton League, Social Concerns Office Office-Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Missouri Rural Crisis Center, Slow Food KatyTrail, Sustain Mizzou, Main Street Opportunity Lab, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, Missouri Association for Social Welfare

The plan is rooted in a two+ year process with extensive community input and close collaboration with the Minneapolis Departments of Health and Community Planning and Economic Development and the Homegrown Minneapolis initiative.

As Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak put it, “This plan represents hundreds of hours of work of volunteers and City staff, and it’s paid off.  The plan makes it easier to be part of the local, healthy, sustainable food movement and is a giant step toward helping our city and state move closer to food independence.”

Efforts here in Minneapolis were informed and inspired by the many communities around the country who blazed the trail on urban ag.  Thanks for sharing your sage advice and helping us make this a reality here in the Heartland!

You can see the plan itself at:  http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/dhfs/homegrown-home.asp

FARMERS IN D.C.

Ohio Beginning Farmer Testifies at House Ag Credit Hearing: On Thursday, April 14, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit held a hearing to review credit conditions in rural America.  The two panels primarily featured witnesses from different credit providers, from independent banks to federal loan providers. Among the witnesses was Matt Starline, a young farmer and owner of Starline Organics in Athens, Ohio and a member of Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, an NSAC member group.     Read more…

Guest Blog: Value-Added Producer Grants in Action: We have delayed publishing an update on the fiscal year 2011 appropriations and fiscal year 2012 budget bills several times in the past week due to a lack of detailed information emanating from Capitol Hill.  Now, with the government shutdown averted just after midnight last night, we understand (from the many emails received!) that readers would like to know what happened on sustainable agriculture priorities.  Unfortunately there is not yet much to report with any degree of assurance.  Read more…

CONGRESSIONAL NEWS

Congress Passes FY 2011 Budget, Cuts Billions From Agriculture: On Thursday, April 14, Congress passed a final 6-month continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.  The CR cuts $42 billion relative to FY 2010 levels for non-defense spending, but couples that with a $4 billion increase in defense spending, for a net decrease of approximately $38 billion.  Of that $38 billion, $12 billion was already enacted via three preceding short-term continuing resolutions over the past five weeks, including a $2 billion cut enacted as late as April 8 in the form of a one-week CR.  Read more…

Congress Releases Draft 6-Month Continuing Resolution: On Wednesday, April 8, the Senate rejected four legislative riders that would have limited EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.  The riders were offered for attachment to a small business bill. The amendment offered by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and James Inhofe (R-OK) came closest to passing by a vote of 50-50 but did not receive the 60 votes required for passage of an amendment to the bill  . The amendment would have prohibited EPA from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas (GHG) to address climate change.    Read more…

What We Know and Don’t Know on the Budget: We have delayed publishing an update on the fiscal year 2011 appropriations and fiscal year 2012 budget bills several times in the past week due to a lack of detailed information emanating from Capitol Hill.  Now, with the government shutdown averted just after midnight last night, we understand (from the many emails received!) that readers would like to know what happened on sustainable agriculture priorities.  Unfortunately there is not yet much to report with any degree of assurance.  Read more…

House Hearing on the State of Poultry Industry: On Wednesday, April 13, the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry of the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the State of the Poultry Industry.  The three witnesses included a Virginia poultry grower representing the Virginia Poultry Federation, the chairman of an Iowa turkey processing company testifying on behalf the National Turkey Federation, and the President of a Georgia chicken processing company testifying on behalf of the National Chicken Council. The three major topics addressed at the hearing were the Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) proposed rule, the impacts of corn ethanol production on the poultry feed prices, and the EPA’s development of a Clean Water Act Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) plan for the Chesapeake Bay region.  Read more…

Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Hearing on Renewable Fuels: On Wednesday, April 13, the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee held a hearing on domestic renewable fuels, with a focus on corn ethanol.  Witnesses on the first two panels included USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and officials from EPA and the Department of Energy who work on renewable fuel issues.  They were followed by a panel of supporters and a panel of critics of the federal subsidies that are provided to corn ethanol.    Read more…

USDA NEWS

REAP Interim Final Rule and Notice of Funding Availability: On Thursday, April 14, USDA issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) which is effective immediately.  USDA is taking public comments on the IFR until June 13, 2011. NSAC appreciated the IFR ranking priority for funding to small farms.  NSAC also approves of the rule’s extending REAP funding to non-rural areas, if the applicant for funding is an agricultural producer.  This provision addresses some of NSAC’s concerns about REAP money going to non-rural areas and could give a boost to local food initiatives in those urban areas which can accommodate farming.  Read more…

FY 2010 AFRI Awards on Food Systems: Earlier this year, USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) posted the Fiscal Year 2010 awards for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).  Five of the six AFRI award categories focus on integrated solutions to five “societal challenge areas”: Childhood Obesity Prevention, Climate Change, Food Safety, Global Food Security, and Sustainable Bioenergy. The Global Food Security challenge area includes programs to address the availability and accessibility of food both globally and in the US.  Within this challenge area, one of the subprograms is “Improved Sustainable Food Systems to Reduce Hunger and Food Insecurity Domestically and Globally.”     Read more…

National Agricultural Landscapes Forum in Review: On Tuesday, April 5, Harris Sherman, USDA Undersecretary of Natural Resources and Environment, and Dave White, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. The hearing focused on the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget, which proposes deep cuts to many agriculture conservation programs.    Read more…

USDA Extends EQIP Organic Initiative Sign-up for FY 2011: On On Tuesday, April 5, Harris Sherman, USDA Undersecretary of Natural Resources and Environment, and Dave White, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. The hearing focused on the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget, which proposes deep cuts to many agriculture conservation programs. waterways.      Read more…

OTHER NEWS

EWG Report Calls Soil Erosion “Far Worse than Official Estimates” : On Wednesday, April 13, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a new report on soil erosion in Iowa.  The report, entitled Loosing Ground, states that soil in Iowa and other Corn Belt states is “being swept away at rates many times higher than official estimates.”  The findings are based in part on data from aerial surveys and Iowa State University (ISU). According to the report, the National Resources Inventory (NRI) data that are typically used by USDA suggest that erosion rates in Iowa averaged 5.2 tons per acre per year, and 3.9 across the entire Corn Belt in 2007.   Read more…

PLSOILIN 185 – Sustainable Living (4 credits -  online only) GenEd (I);  introduces you to diverse global perspectives and practical personal solutions related to environmental, economic and social sustainability. Taught by Katie Campbell-Nelson and John Gerber.  Click here for more information.

PLSOILIN 290C – Land Use Policies and Agriculture in the U.S. (3 credits -  online only); provides students with an opportunity to explore the political, economic and societal forces that influence land use decisions, an understanding of the history of land use policies and planning in the U.S. as they relate to agriculture. Taught by Robert Wagner, Senior Policy Analyst for American Farmland Trust. Click here for more information.

PLSOILIN 397C – Community Food Systems (3 credits – mostly online, with one Saturday field trip); examines the movement of food from seed to table. Participants in the course explore local and global food systems, and specific food related issues that impact health of communities.  Taught by Catherine Sands, Director of Fertile Ground. Click here for more information.

The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) administers a cost-share program to help certified organic farmers, ranchers, processors, and handlers pay for the cost of certification. If you have a current USDA organic certification, then you may be reimbursed for up to 75% of your costs for certification, such as inspection fees, application fees, and gross sales assessments/user fees. The annual maximum is $750 per certification. This is a great opportunity for organic operators to offset the cost of certification.

This program is not competitive, and money is available in all participating states. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis until the money runs out. During the last two years, less than half of all certified producers and handlers applied to participate. If your operation is certified as USDA organic, then you may take advantage of this easy way to reduce your certification expenses.

How To Apply

1.      Contact your state’s Department of Agriculture (or its equivalent) for an application.

Contact names for each state are available online at www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostShareProgramParticipants. Some states have application forms available for download, and these links are also available on the USDA website. If you don’t have access to the internet, then you can either call your certifier or your state Department of Agriculture to get an application. Note: At the time of writing, all states except Utah offered a cost share program.

2. Assemble your supporting documentation. You will need to show proof of your certification and the expenses you have already paid. Save your invoices, statements, and receipts – they may be required as proof of payment. The following documents are typically requested by State departments of agriculture, but make sure to review your state’s requirements carefully – it is your responsibility to ensure that your application is complete.

• Proof of USDA organic certification (a copy of your certificate)
• Itemized invoice showing expenses paid for certification
• W-9 tax form

Most certification-related expenses are eligible for reimbursement. However, keep in mind that items such as late fees, inspections due to noncompliance, and inspections for certifications other than USDA Organic (such as JAS or Bird Friendly) are not eligible for reimbursement under this program. You may receive one reimbursement per year for a new certification or a renewal of certification, provided that the annual maximum reimbursement does not exceed $750 per certificate.

Still have questions? Contact Betsy Rakola, the USDA National Organic Program’s cost share manager at 202-720-3252 or Betsy.Rakola@ams.usda.gov. Or, visit the cost share webpage at www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.

We have delayed publishing an update on the fiscal year 2011 appropriations and fiscal year 2012 budget bills several times in the past week due to a lack of detailed information emanating from Capitol Hill.  Now, with the government shutdown averted just after midnight last night, we understand (from the many emails received!) that readers would like to know what happened on sustainable agriculture priorities.  Unfortunately there is not yet much to report with any degree of assurance.

Fiscal Year 2011 Bill

We will likely not be able to provide details on the 2011 appropriations bill until late Monday after the bill is (hopefully) made public.  Appropriations staff on Capitol Hill are busy this weekend working on the details of the package announced last night.

From press accounts, the basics of the deal are a $42 billion cut below FY 2010 levels for non-defense spending coupled with a $4 billion increase in defense spending, for a net decrease of approximately $38 billion.  Of that $38 billion, $10 billion was already enacted via the two preceding short term Continuing Resolutions over the past five weeks and $2 billion more was enacted last night in the form of a new one-week Continuing Resolution.

No USDA programs were included in the new $2 billion in cuts; those cuts were focused on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.

Agriculture and rural development were already subject to disproportionately high cutbacks in the earlier two short-term Continuing Resolutions.

The new Continuing Resolution passed last night expires next Friday, April 15, at the same time that many people will be racing to the Post Office with their last minute tax return filings.  The rest-of-FY 2011 appropriations bill is being drafted now.  It will be made public soon, presumably on Monday.  The House will vote on the bill first.  By House rules, the bill will need to sit for three days before it can be voted on, presumably on Thursday.  The Senate will vote later on Thursday or on Friday.

Two issues have been particularly contentious over the last several weeks.  First, there has been significant disagreement over the issue of whether the final measure will include cuts to mandatory spending programs in addition to discretionary spending, which is the normal focus of appropriations bills.  (Cuts to mandatory programs, such as Social Security, food stamps, or farm subsidies, are known in Hill-speak as “CHIMPS” (changes in mandatory program spending)).  Second,  it has been uncertain whether the bill would legislate as well as appropriate via provisions known as legislative “riders.”

According to press accounts, the final bill does include substantial CHIMPS, as favored by Senate Democrats and the White House.  Nearly $18 billion of the $42 billion in non-defense cuts are reported to be from mandatory spending.  Or to put it another way, of the $30 billion remaining to be cut beyond the reductions already made in the short-term Continuing Resolutions, 60 percent will come from mandatory programs.

Among the CHIMPS in the bill are $3.5 billion from unspent Children’s Health Insurance Program,  $2.2 billion from the $6 billion in the health care law for co-op health plans, $2.5 billion in unexpended highway funding, and immediate as well as long term savings to Pell grants.  We do not yet know if the CHIMPS include cuts to the conservation, energy, or other Farm Bill titles.

On the legislative rider front, all of the measures past earlier by the House to curtail the authority of the EPA were excluded from the final deal.

A key issue in the final negotiations was whether to include restrictions on family planning and abortion programs in the bill.  The anti-Planned Parenthood and related riders were kept out of the final deal on the basis of a promise of a stand-alone vote on the issue later this year.

The District of Columbia was the big loser in the “rider” war.  The DC government is now prevented from spending its own tax receipts on abortion services for low-income women.  In addition, as championed by House Speaker John Boehner, the District must now provide vouchers to low-income children to attend religious or private schools instead of public schools.

House FY 2012 Budget Resolution

While all the activity on the FY 2011 appropriations bill was going on this week, the House Republicans also introduced and passed their budget resolution for FY 2012.  In the coming weeks, we will be covering that resolution in more detail, as well as the one expected to be released soon by Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), chair of the Senate Budget Committee.

We can say two things about the House resolution with assurance.

First, the House resolution suggests a $30 billion reduction in farm commodity and crop insurance subsidies over the course of the next ten years, but it postpones the reduction until after Congress has time to work on the 2012 Farm Bill.

If the $3 billion a year reduction were to be made with $2 billion from commodity production support and $1 billion from crop insurance, it would likely reduce direct payments to corn, soy, wheat, cotton and rice producers and landowners by 40 percent.

Second, the House resolution calls for a $18 billion reduction, over ten years, in environmental and natural resource spending.  These reductions will affect farm bill conservation spending as well as funding for EPA, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and other government natural resource agencies.

How much if any of that $18 billion is assumed to come from farm bill conservation spending or discretionary spending for conservation technical assistance at USDA is unknown at this time.

The budget resolution, once it is finalized, controls the spending limits that appropriations bills must abide by.  The House resolution assumes increasingly tighter limits on discretionary spending.

With respect to mandatory spending, budget resolutions can mandate a “budget reconciliation” process in which authorizing committees, such as the Agriculture Committee, must come up with legislation to scale back spending to the numbers in the resolution.  Strangely, however, the House budget resolution does not call for budget reconciliation, even while calling attention to items such as the suggested $30 billion cut in farm program spending and other large reductions in mandatory spending.

With respect to the nutrition program part of the farm bill, the House resolution assumes a radical change in the SNAP or food stamp program, transforming it from a federal entitlement program to a state block grant program that would reduce overall food stamp spending.  Similar proposals were attempted during the 1980s and 1990s, but both times were turned back by an alliance of farm, agribusiness, and anti-hunger groups.

Whatever the outcome of the congressional budget resolution process this year, it is important to remember that the budget resolution can assign a mandatory spending budget reduction number to an authorizing committee such as the Agriculture Committee, but then it is entirely up to the authorizing committee as to where and how to make the required cuts.  Assumptions undergirding the budget resolution are just that, assumptions, that do not need to be followed.

We will continue to report on the FY 2012 budget and appropriations process over the course of the coming months.

People’s Gardens Aim to Provide Nutritious, Safe and Healthier Choices for Children and Communities

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that Washington State University will develop and run the People’s Garden School Pilot Program which will serve an estimated 2,800 students attending 70 elementary schools in Washington, New York, Iowa and Arkansas. The Healthy Gardens, Healthy Youth pilot is an innovative strategy to help our nation win the future through improved K-12 education. It explores the impact of school gardens on learning and on changing student consumption patterns so they make healthier food choices.”School gardens hold great promise for educating our kids about food production and nutrition,” said Vilsack. “Learning where food comes from and what fresh food tastes like, and the pride of growing and serving your own fruits and vegetables, are life-changing experiences. Engaging kids in our efforts to end childhood hunger and curb childhood obesity is critical if we are going to succeed.”

The $1 million pilot program is authorized under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The schools selected to participate in this pilot come from urban, suburban, and rural communities and have at least 50 percent of their students qualified to receive free or reduced-price school meals The initiative is part of a the USDA People’s Garden Initiative which establishes community and school gardens across the nation to help unite neighborhoods in a common effort and inspire simple solutions to challenges facing our country – from hunger to the environment. The announcement comes as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative celebrates National Gardening Month (April).

“Washington State University is a leader when it comes to gardening and garden-based learning, and this important pilot program will make a significant contribution to the development of national models,” said Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “This program moves us toward our goal of improving the health and nutrition of our kids and communities, and instilling healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.”

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for information about FNS and nutrition assistance programs.