Brad Copenhaver, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry

Brad Copenhaver has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. Brad grew up on his family’s beef cattle and burley tobacco farm in Washington County. After working on Capitol Hill as a legislative correspondent for Congressman H. Morgan Griffith (VA-9), he was the Director of Government Affairs at the Virginia Agribusiness Council, where he worked closely with the General Assembly and Virginia congressional delegation on a variety of issues including animal welfare, food safety and labeling, the environment and water quality, and international trade.

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Virginia farmers and food banks alike are reaping the benefits of the Food Crops Donation Tax Credit, which makes fresh, nutritious food available to residents served by seven regional food banks.

Approved growers are entitled to a state tax credit of up to 30 percent of the fair market value of a donation, not to exceed $5,000. The maximum amount the credit allows for all qualifying taxpayers is limited to $250,000 per fiscal year.

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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has announced the results of the Agricultural Yield Survey conducted at the beginning of the month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The report includes information on Virginia’s winter wheat forecast and on-farm hay stocks and is the first indication of crop acreages for the 2018 growing season.

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced “Hemp Farming Act of 2018” on Thursday that would remove federal barriers to hemp.

The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 aims to establish hemp as an agricultural commodity, protect state regimes, add crop insurance, and bolster research. And right off the bat, the bill puts to rest any questions about whether those hemp-derived CBD-rich extracts are indeed legal:

“The term ‘hemp’ means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

The bill, if successful, would end the debate that has picked apart the hemp plant in piecemeal and end interpretations that hemp-derived extracts rich in cannabinol and other cannabinoids are illicit substances. This would permanently legalize hemp removing it from the purviews of the Controlled Substances Act.

The bill is also backed by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). A companion bill has been introduced in the House.

On Thursday the House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conway released details on H.R. 2, the Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018 (Farm Bill).  It is Virginia Farm Bureau’s understanding that the bill will be marked up next Wednesday, April 18th at 10:00 a.m.

Introduction of the 2018 Farm Bill is a critical first step in getting a Farm Bill done this year.

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American farmers are already facing low commodity prices and the uncertainty of a ‘trade war’ drives prices even lower hurting farmers and ranchers and rural communities.  Commodity prices will fall as both sides ratchet the trade dispute upward.

China continues to add more agricultural products to its target list which includes beef, cotton, pork, nuts and soybeans to receive tariffs up to 25 percent.  Soybeans and cotton are our top two ag exports to China.

Tell our Trade Representative to negotiate on behalf of America’s farmers and ranchers to reduce tariffs and to open markets for our products!

Comments are being accepted through May 11 and we need your voice to make sure Farm Bureau members are heard loud and clear in the process.

Go to FBadvocacy.org to submit comments.