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Governor-Elect Youngkin Announces Agriculture Appointments

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Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin today announced Matt Lohr as the next Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and Joseph Guthrie as Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin today announced Matt Lohr as the next Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and Joseph Guthrie as Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“Agriculture is the Commonwealth’s largest independent industry and plays a crucial role in Virginia’s economy and communities. Matt and Joseph bring decades worth of hands-on experience that will give Virginia a competitive advantage in the agriculture industry. Together, we will deliver for our ranchers, farmers and all Virginians to help ensure our farmers and ranchers thrive,” said Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin.

Matt Lohr, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry

Matt Lohr was raised on a Virginia century family farm in the Shenandoah Valley. As a fifth-generation farmer, he has spent his entire life working for the betterment of the agricultural industry and rural America.

Matt developed his passion for public service and agricultural policy while serving as both a state and national FFA officer before graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. degree in agricultural education. He has more than 30 years of experience as a professional leader and communicator.

Over the past two years, Matt has served as the Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency with more than 10,000 employees across 3,000 field offices and an operating budget of over $4.5 billion.

Matt previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2006-2010 before being appointed as the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. His other career experiences include serving as Director of the Farm Credit Knowledge Center, teaching middle school agriscience, operating his own leadership development company and serving as President of Valley Pike Farm, Inc., his family’s farming operation.

Joseph Guthrie, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Joseph W. “Joe” Guthrie was raised on his family’s farm in Pulaski County, and received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Virginia Tech. He was named Virginia Tech’s Man of the Year as the outstanding graduating senior in 1989. He earned a master’s degree in 1991 in agricultural economics and international trade from Massey University in New Zealand, where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar. In 2007, he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in Agriculture to research international trade of beef from Australia and New Zealand.

Joe has ten years of experience as an elected official. In 2011, he was elected to a four-year term on the Pulaski County School Board. In 2015, was elected to a four-year term on the county’s Board of Supervisors. He was re-elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2019 and elected Chair of the board by his peers in 2020 and 2021. 

He currently serves as a Senior Instructor at Virginia Tech and has been teaching courses in business management, finance, communications and leadership in the Agricultural Technology Program since 2007. He also owns and has operated a beef cattle and hay farm in Pulaski County. He has more than 25 years of agricultural business management experience that he has brought to the classroom, which he now brings to the administration.

Joe has served as the president of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Association, president of Pulaski County Farm Bureau and president of the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association. He was appointed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board and was appointed by former Governor Bob McDonnell to the Virginia Cattle Industry Board.

Joe and his wife Carol have three children and live on the family farm near Dublin.

Congresswoman Spanberger Hosts Meat Processing Roundtable

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This week, Virginia Farm Bureau participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, with USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Moffitt, and USDA Rural Development Acting State Director for Virginia Terry Rosta. The officials led a conversation with local cattle producers and processors and agriculture organizations on the challenges associated with expanding meat processing capacity.

Fueled by a high consumer demand for local meat, farmers across Virginia are experiencing extreme backlogs at local slaughter and processing facilities, with most completely booked for six months to a year or more. While this may seem like an opportunity for new businesses, the roundtable discussion highlighted barriers to entry, including the difficulties in securing capitol for high upfront investment costs, finding specialized labor, competing with market concentration, dealing with unfavorable local zoning ordinances and gaining access to technical assistance to navigate regulatory hurdles.

This event was related to the recent announcement of the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program, part of USDA’s Build Back Better initiative to strengthen critical supply chains and our food system. The program guarantees loans of up to $40 million for qualified lenders to finance food systems projects, specifically for the start-up or expansion of activities in the middle of the food supply chain. Of note, of the $100 million allocated to the program, 19% is specifically reserved for meat and poultry processors. This new program was inspired by legislation introduced earlier this year by Congresswoman Spanberger and co-patron Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, called the Butcher Block Act.  Interested borrowers should discuss the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program with their preferred lenders. 

In addition, in July 2021, USDA announced $500 million for expanded meat and poultry processing capacity as part of efforts to increase competition, level the playing field for family farmers and ranchers and build a better food system. For processors interested in expanding, this included over $55 million for Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants to help facilities come in compliance with federal and state inspection standards. While the initial application period has passed, a second grant round is expected.

USDA Provides Additional Pandemic Assistance to Hog Producers

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The USDA announced a new program to assist hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale during the period in which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and addresses gaps in previous assistance for hog producers. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications through February 25, 2022.   

SMHPP provides assistance to hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale from April 16, 2020 through September 1, 2020. Negotiated sale, or negotiated formula sale, means a sale of hogs by a producer to a packer under which the base price for the hogs is determined by seller-buyer interaction and agreement on a delivery day. USDA is offering SMHPP as packer production was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to employee illness and supply chain issues, resulting in fewer negotiated hogs being procured and subsequent lower market prices.  

“Previous pandemic assistance used flat rates across the hog industry, and this didn’t take into account the various levels of harm felt by different producers,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We worked closely with industry partners and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to target assistance to hog producers who were hit the hardest during the pandemic. This is one more example of our efforts to provide new, broader, and more equitable opportunities for farmers, ranchers and producers.”  

The Department has set aside up to $50 million in pandemic assistance funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for SMHPP. 

SMHPP Program Details  

Eligible hogs include hogs sold through a negotiated sale by producers between April 16, 2020, and September 1, 2020. To be eligible, the producer must be a person or legal entity who has ownership in the hogs and whose production facilities are located in the United States, including U.S. territories. Contract producers, federal, state and local governments, including public schools and packers are not eligible for SMHPP.  

SMHPP payments will be calculated by multiplying the number of head of eligible hogs, not to exceed 10,000 head, by the payment rate of $54 per head. FSA will issue payments to eligible hog producers as applications are received and approved.  

Applying for Assistance  

Eligible hog producers can apply for SMHPP starting December 15, 2021, by completing the FSA-940, Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program application. Additional documentation may be required. Visit farmers.gov/smhpp for a copy of the Notice of Funds Availability, information on applicant eligibility and more information on how to apply.  

Applications can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/service-locator. Hog producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance.  

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.  

Update: 2021 Redistricting in Virginia

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In October 2021, the newly formed Virginia Redistricting Commission was under the gun to meet a deadline to submit new state House, Senate, and Congressional district maps to the General Assembly for approval. The commission members were unable to come to an agreement, and therefore, responsibility for the drawing of new maps was handed to the Supreme Court of Virginia. These maps, drawn by two experts (Special Masters), chosen by the court, were released to the public on Wednesday, December 8. The proposed new districts will greatly impact upcoming elections. In addition to significant shifts in congressional districts that will remove multiple incumbents from their current districts and attract new candidates for the 2022 elections, analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPA) estimates approximately half of incumbent state delegates and senators were drawn into shared districts.

The proposed maps can be viewed using the links below:

Congressional Districts

Senate Districts

House of Delegates Districts

Curious if your representatives would change, but don’t have time to peruse the maps? Luckily, VPAP offers a Voter Impact tool that allows you to enter your address and quickly see how different plans would affect you. For those interested in a really deep dive, the full memo from the Special Masters detailing their process can be found here.

As with earlier stages of this process, multiple public comment opportunities are available:

  • Virtual Public Hearings
    • December 15 and 17 from 1-4 p.m.
    • In order to participate and offer public comment, participants must notify the Clerk of Court prior to the meeting by sending an email to Redistricting@vacourts.gov indicating they wish to offer public comment and specifying which date they prefer. The email must include the requester’s name and email address and indicate in what area of the Commonwealth of Virginia the person resides. In response, a meeting link will be sent by email in advance of the hearing to the email address provided. Requests to participate must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the public hearing.
  • Written Comments
    • Comments on maps proposed by Special Masters may be made directly on the interactive maps by clicking on the appropriate link on the Court’s website.
    • Email comments to Redistricting@vacourts.gov.

Congress Builds Bridges to Pass $1T Bipartisan Infrastructure Package

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Earlier this year, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the United States a “C- grade” on the nation’s infrastructure. I think I would agree with them on that, as I am writing this on my laptop in the waiting room of a service center after blowing out two tires on a pothole deep enough to swim in.

While a C- is an upgrade from the D+ ASCE issued in 2017, it continues to illustrate that our country has underinvested in the infrastructure we rely on to travel and move our farm goods to market. The underinvestment isn’t limited to just roads and bridges but includes our ports, canals, railways, and increasingly strained power grid. Imagine what would happen to your farm’s safety and productivity if you deferred maintenance, failed to mend fences, ignored damaged equipment, and generally underinvested in the things that make you successful; unfortunately that is the current state of U.S. infrastructure and why Farm Bureau has been calling for a significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure for years.

At long last, Congress has taken a step forward and passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package which will dedicate $1.2T over the next decade to infrastructure. Before we outline how that money will be spent and what it means here in Virginia, it is important to note that this bipartisan infrastructure legislation is different than the partisan spending plan, called the “Build Back Better Act,” currently being debated in Congress.

At its core, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package is a traditional infrastructure bill, but it also contains significant investments to benefit U.S. farmers, and rural communities.

Every day, Americans make 178M vehicle trips over structurally deficient bridges. In fact, over 40% of the bridges in the United States are over 50 years old. Anyone who hauls livestock or timber has noticed new weight restrictions popping up on Virginia bridges to try and address the issue of infrastructure in a state of disrepair. The infrastructure bill contains $110B for roads and bridges, including $530M specifically for Virginia.

Virginia is blessed with a deep-water port that moves goods in and out of the Commonwealth efficiently. However, much of our country’s inland waterways rely on 50+ year old locks, dams, and general infrastructure, which creates a supply chain bottleneck between farms and ports. The bipartisan infrastructure bill invests $17.3 billion to shore up our ports and inland waterways.

Broadband is infrastructure, and unfortunately, 1 in 4 U.S. farms have no access to high-speed internet. This tool is essential to modern agriculture and gives families access to online health care, education, and allows farmers to use precision ag technologies to reduce inputs, protect water quality, and improve soil health. The infrastructure bill invests $65 billion in broadband expansion so rural Americans aren’t left behind without affordable broadband service. A minimum of $100M of this amount is specifically being allocated to Virginia.

Beyond “shovel ready” infrastructure, the bill will help to address transportation-related supply chain issues that impact the rural and farm economy. Notably, to help alleviate the driver shortage and strengthen our supply chains, the bill includes provisions to help train and recruit truck drivers, and an exemption for livestock and insect (managed pollinators) haulers from Hours of Service regulations within a 150 air-mile radius from their final destination. This funding is targeted to focus on our nation’s infrastructure challenges and help keep Virginia farmers competitive internationally, and we look forward to seeing the implementation of the bill.

We are grateful to all our members who continue to make their voices heard on why infrastructure is critical to the agriculture industry and rural Virginia. Your efforts keep our lawmakers accountable to work together and find solutions that help this industry succeed.

Ben Rowe, National Affairs Coordinator