State agriculture and forestry officials recently outlined some challenges and accomplishments for leaders of the state’s largest farmers’ advocacy organization.

Dr. Basil Gooden, Virginia secretary of agriculture and forestry; Sandy Adams, commissioner of agriculture and consumer services; and Bettina Ring, state forester, addressed the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors at the board’s Feb. 23 meeting.

“Certainly, it’s been an interesting few months,” said Ring, who cited an active fire season in 2016 and state budget cuts that prompted the Department of Forestry to eliminate five positions and sell some properties that were not state forestland. She also noted the 100th anniversary of the department’s nurseries.

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A Feb. 28 article in the Washington Post notes that Tuesday  President Trump will instruct the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to “review and reconsider” a 2015 rule known as the Waters of the United States rule, according to a senior official.

Response from American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall:

“President Trump’s executive order to ditch the Waters of the U.S. rule is a welcome relief to farmers and ranchers across the country today.

“The flawed WOTUS rule has proven to be nothing more than a federal land grab, aimed at telling farmers and ranchers how to run their businesses. The Environmental Protection Agency failed to listen to farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns when drafting the rule and instead created widespread confusion for agriculture. Under the rule, the smallest pond or ditch could be declared a federal waterway.

“Farmers and ranchers have been calling for a common-sense approach to regulatory reform, and today the Trump administration responded to that call. EPA has too long been characterized by regulatory overreach that disregards the positive conservation efforts of farmers and threatens their very way of life. Today’s action is as much a beginning as an end, and there is much work to do to ensure that any revised rule is transparent and fair for America’s farmers and ranchers.”

To read the article in its entirety, go here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/02/27/trump-to-direct-rollback-of-obama-era-water-rule-tuesday/?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_trumpepa-1145pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.d21dfb288ee6

On Jan. 9 the U.S. Department of Agriculture began allowing farmers  to terminate their Conservation Reserve Program contracts early in order to transfer property to the next generation.

CRP participants voluntarily take highly erodible land out of agricultural production in the interest of boosting soil and water quality and enhancing wildlife habitats. Land eligible for early termination is among the least environmentally sensitive land enrolled in the program.

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Virginia Farm Bureau Federation leaders say new data emphasizes the contributions of immigrants in the state’s agriculture sector and the critical need for immigration reform.

A partner of the American Farm Bureau Federation, New American Economy, has released a mapping of the impact of immigrants in all fifty states, all 435 Congressional Districts, and 50 metro areas—including Richmond, Virginia. Map the Impact features sector-specific data and quantifies every locality’s foreign-born population, tax contributions, spending power, home ownership, and voting power, among other items.

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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct their March Agricultural Survey on more than 1,600 farmers in the Commonwealth to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

“The USDA’s Prospective Plantings report provides the first survey-based estimates of farmers’ planting intentions for the year,” said Herman Ellison, NASS state statistician for Virginia. “The March Agricultural Survey provides the factual data that underpins these projections, making it one of the most important surveys we conduct each year.”

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American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall:

“Scott Pruitt’s confirmation to lead the Environmental Protection Agency will bring a breath of fresh air to the post. America’s farmers and ranchers look forward to working with Administrator Pruitt as he leads the EPA with a welcome level of common sense in the important job of protecting the environment.

“For too long, farmers and ranchers have been victims of EPA’s harsh regulatory overreach. Farmers are conservationists to the core and we want to play a positive, cooperative role in protecting the environment we rely on to produce food for this nation.

“In his position as attorney general in Oklahoma, Pruitt stood up for common-sense, effective regulation that protects the environment and the rights of the regulated community. We’re optimistic that he will retain those same values as administrator and we look forward to working with him. But what we truly look forward to is working with someone at EPA who understands how farmers and ranchers care for our nation’s natural resources each and every day.”

Jessica Pittman, a first grade teacher in Caroline County, has been named Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom 2017 Teacher of the Year.

The award recognizes a Virginia educator for efforts in incorporating agriculture into his or her core curriculum.

“Jessica uses agricultural concepts daily in her classroom as the real-life examples to demonstrate required core curriculum,” said Tammy Maxey, AITC senior education manager. “Through Jessica’s efforts, her students are gaining a greater appreciation for agriculture, as well as an improved understanding that food begins on the farm.”

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From American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall’s Beyond the Fencerows column:

Americans’ confidence and trust in key institutions is at a historical low, according to a 2016 Gallup poll. Even institutions that have enjoyed high levels of trust in the past, such as churches and schools, have dropped in Americans’ respect and regard over the past 10 years. Others, such as banks, big business and Congress, have struggled for decades to earn the public’s confidence. Their ratings haven’t gotten any better.

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SB 1195, currently before the Virginia General Assembly, would provide an important, competitive opportunity for large-scale Virginia produce farms that market fruits and vegetables across state lines. Not all Virginia produce farms fall under this regulation.

The bill authorizes the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to carry out the federal Produce Safety Rule, which sets minimum standards for the safe growing and handling of fruits and vegetables for interstate commerce. If SB 1195 passes in the state legislature, Virginia farmers would not have to rely solely on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for education, assistance and compliance. To date 41 other states have entered into cooperative agreements to carry out specifics of the rule, including all but one of Virginia’s neighbor states.

The rule is part of the 2011 federal Food Safety Modernization Act. In the event that the act is repealed, the Produce Safety Rule would no longer apply to the nation’s or Virginia’s farms.

If it stands, however, SB 1195 will allow Virginia farmers to have VDACS as a resource close to home for the 400 Virginia operations that will be covered. For that reason, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation encourages state legislators to support this bill.

Please email members of the House Agriculture Committee and ask them to support this bill on behalf of Virginia’s farmers. Click here: app.muster.com/take-action/u6n9hY81X4/

Wayne F. Pryor, President

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation

The 2017 Virginia Agritourism Conference will be held April 18-20 in Richmond.