Farmers from the 5th Congressional district met with newly elected Congressman Tom Garrett in Nelson County on Monday to discuss several federal issues of importance.  The fifth district is large, encompassing much of Southside Virginia and extending north all the way to Fauquier County.  Some farmers traveled more than two hours for the meeting.

The three issues were regulatory reform, Farm Bill, and Labor.  There was significant discussion on the labor issue, mainly the shortage of it and the bureaucracy of the H2A program.  Given that there are complexities and delays with the H2A program, a documented guest worker program; many farmers like it because the labor is good and dependable.  Congressman Garrett advised that he has become much more knowledgeable about the program since taking on his new role, and said that he would do his best to advocate for a more efficient process.  The first hand examples of farmers using the H2A program was beneficial and included fruit and tobacco growers and horticulture enterprises.  Regulatory reform was also discussed and we were pleased that work has already taken place in reducing some burdensome regulations.

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It’s Time to Bury the Death Tax … Permanently!

Representatives Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) have introduced the bipartisan Death Tax Repeal Act of 2017 (H.R. 631) to permanently repeal the estate tax. Senator John Thune introduced companion legislation, S. 205, in the U.S. Senate.

Estate taxes are a pressing problem for family-owned farms. Approximately 90 percent of farm assets are illiquid assets, such as land, buildings and equipment, which leaves few options when it comes to generating cash to pay an estate tax. A repeal of the death tax will allow the family business to continue without having to sell land, livestock or equipment to pay the taxes.

Farm Bureau believes that the estate taxes should be permanently eliminated.

To send a message, click here:  app.muster.com/take-action/7YFuXDsskT/

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Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced $4.5 million in new export sales of Virginia soybean products by Perdue Agribusiness to markets in Southeast Asia, an important and growing region with high demand for agricultural inputs from the United States. Soybeans and soybean meal are two of Virginia’s largest agricultural exports, with over $870 million worth of these products leaving the state for international markets in 2016 and over $55 million to the Southeast Asia region. The announcement was made during the 9^th annual Virginia Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade being held in Richmond. The sale was made as a result of a reverse trade mission of soybean buyers from Southeast Asia, arranged by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and coordinated by VDACS’ Southeast Asia-based trade representative.

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Describing the flawed “Waters of the U.S.” rule as nothing more than a federal land grab, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall called President Trump’s executive order to ditch the rule “a welcome relief to farmers and ranchers across the country.”

Duvall asserted that the U.S. 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.”

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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.”