Click here for this week’s Commodity Comments, a weekly newsletter designed to provide agricultural producers with an analysis of current market trends by Farm Bureau Market Analyst Jonah Bowles.
This Week’s Commodity Comments: July 29, 2015
Stallman: Secret Documents Show EPA Dismissed Concerns about WOTUS Rule
Just when it seems EPA’s handling of the waters of the U.S. rule couldn’t be more suspect, secret documents have come to light that show the process may be even worse than we thought.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, asked the Corps of Engineers to provide documents that came to his attention concerning the EPA’s and Corps’ development of the rule. The Corps provided the documents, but asked that they be kept from public view. Evidently, they show that Corps staff had questions about the validity of EPA’s economic analysis and the rule’s unworkability due to lack of clarity concerning what “waters” were to be regulated. The documents also show that staff’s concerns, even those based on the view that the rule didn’t go as far as they would like, were ignored or overridden. Chairman Inhofe remarked that while the rule was “purportedly a joint effort of EPA and the Corps,” it appears that the Corps was cut out of the process.
In other words, this was EPA’s show, and political officials in the administration were determined to push the rule through over objections by agency staff, not to mention the objections of thousands of farmers and other landowners, other regulated sectors and state and local governments. The documents reveal a dysfunctional process, and they show that an “ends justify the means” mentality prevailed at EPA.
Unfortunately, this isn’t very surprising. All of this seems to validate much of what we have been saying about the serious flaws in EPA’s economic analysis, and about how difficult it is for anyone, including apparently the Corps, to know what is a “water” and which “waters” are regulated under the rule.
The fact that these documents exist and that the Corps has asked the committee to keep them hidden from the public begs the question: what else is out there? What other internal agency documents might reveal what’s behind the flawed economic analysis, or other factors that shaped the rule? What EPA documents have not been revealed that would shed light on how the agency made decisions and whether it genuinely considered the public’s concerns?
It’s time for some transparency.
House Approves the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015
The House on Thursday approved H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, on a 275 to 150 vote. Passage of this legislation is a priority issue for Farm Bureau.
“Congress stood with farmers and ranchers today in supporting innovation that helps the environment and keeps food prices down for everyone,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said in a statement. The legislation protects consumers from confusing and misleading GMO labels and will create a national, voluntary labeling standard based on science and common sense.
This Week’s Commodity Comments: July 22, 2015
Click here for this week’s Commodity Comments, a weekly newsletter designed to provide agricultural producers with an analysis of current market trends by Farm Bureau Market Analyst Jonah Bowles.
Stallman Announces Departure in January
AFBF President Bob Stallman announced on Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in January 2016 following 16 years at the helm of the nation’s largest, most influential general farm organization. Stallman, a cattle and rice producer from Columbus, Texas, is the 11th president during AFBF’s almost 97-year history.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the nation’s Farm Bureau members and represent agriculture and rural America,” Stallman said. “After 16 years as AFBF president, six as Texas Farm Bureau president and several more in other Farm Bureau roles, it is time to hand over the reins of leadership—a decision that is made easier by knowing the great leadership and foundation that exist to continue moving Farm Bureau forward. I am as optimistic as ever about the future of American agriculture and Farm Bureau.”
Virginia Farm Bureau Responds to Lynchburg News & Advances’ Inaccurate Bay Op/Ed
On Sunday, July 5, the Lynchburg News & Advance ran an op/ed piece on the Chesapeake Bay that contained several inaccuracies. Virginia Farm Bureau Federation President Wayne Pryor responded with a letter to the editor. It reads below:
Just as it is the responsibility of all Virginians to protect our waterways, it is the responsibility of the media to accurately portray the state of our natural resources.
In the July 5 editorial, “A degree of progress on the James and the Bay,” The News & Advance incorrectly reported that the “dead zone” in the Chesapeake Bay this year will be about 1.37 million cubic miles. It’s actually expected to be a much-less-dramatic 1.37 cubic miles, as reported on June 23 by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.
It is my hope that some of your readers saw that figure, questioned its accuracy and were able to find the correct information online. It’s readily available. It’s also my concern that the astoundingly large error overshadowed the fact that the year’s dead zone is 10 percent smaller than the long-term average as measured since 1950.
That decrease is due in part to efforts to decrease agricultural and other runoff into the bay and its tributaries. It’s a sign that progress is being made. The Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged as much, noting recently that Virginia is among states on target to meet their goals for nitrogen and phosphorous runoff by 2025.
I have to assume they checked and double-checked their math.
Lawsuit Regarding Additional Regulation of Large Livestock Farms Dismissed
A circuit court judge in Richmond rejected on July 9 a lawsuit aimed at declaring a cow a fertilizer applicator.
The suit by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation asserted that Virginia should prohibit large-scale livestock farmers from allowing their animals access to rivers and streams.
The state defines “large” cattle farms as those with 200 or more animals; there are fewer than 70 such farms in Virginia. State law mandates that “waste shall not be applied” in farms’ buffer zones along stream banks, and the lawsuit argued that waste dropped by animals near streams constitutes application.
The court, however, maintained that the language of existing law refers to farmers spreading manure for fertilizer—a regulated practice that requires a permit.
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest farmers’ advocacy organization, was among agricultural groups that intervened in the case. VFBF President Wayne F. Pryor, a grain and beef cattle producer, said he was pleased with the outcome. “Pastured livestock are exempt from storm water regulations, but stream exclusion fencing is not a particularly new practice and livestock farmers are well aware of the need to protect water quality—both locally and downstream,” Pryor said.
“In recent decades, many, many Virginia farmers have voluntarily fenced their animals out of streams. And we know many more have applied for available cost-share funding to help them do likewise.”
This Week’s Commodity Comments: July 15, 2015
Click here for this week’s Commodity Comments, a weekly newsletter designed to provide agricultural producers with an analysis of current market trends by Farm Bureau Market Analyst Jonah Bowles.
GMO Labeling Bill Brings Greater Clarity
The House Agriculture Committee approved H.R. 1599 on Tuesday, a move that will bring greater clarity to food labeling, according to AFBF. H.R. 1599 empowers consumers by continuing to require warning labels for foods that may have adverse effects on the public, noted AFBF President Bob Stallman in a statement. “At the same time, it does away with labeling schemes that would stigmatize foods based on nothing more than the way in which they were developed,” he added.
Further, “H.R. 1599 restores reason to our food discussions and shows pseudoscience and food quackery the door,” said Stallman. “We look forward to passage by the full House in the very near future.”
From the Field: Farm Bureau Out and About
From the Field is a bi-monthly column written by Mark Campbell, Farm Bureau Field Services Director for the Central District. He writes about Farm Bureau member benefits and County Farm Bureau activities.
Last week, the agents at the Buckingham County Farm Bureau office and I had a booth at the open house for the “BARN” at Buckingham Courthouse. “BARN” stands for Buckingham Agriculture Resource Network, and it is a building facility comprised of cattle pens area and classroom space. This was a project primarily driven by the Buckingham Cattlemen’s Association, who is no stranger to the beef industry and is, in fact, nationally recognized for their preconditioned, value added feeder cattle and bred heifer sales.
The purpose of our booth was to promote Farm Bureau. We interacted with a lot of Farm Bureau members, which were most of the attendees. There were only four people that we not members and we provided information about our organization and encouraged them to join. I think these opportunities are important for us as our presence helps strengthen our foundation in the agriculture community. It also builds a stronger relationship with the members and builds loyalty. The personalized service of the agents and MSSs helps with member retention, and the agents that worked the booth with me engaged every person that walked by. Several members even sat down and talked a while. It was obvious that the agents were well liked and respected by the members. It was a fun day, and I enjoyed seeing the facility and the fencing demonstrations.
Other agriculture infrastructure has been completed across the state over the past few years which has been beneficial to farmers and good for Virginia. Projects range from farmers markets and food hub facilities to livestock venues such as the Olde Dominion Ag Complex. The Olde Dominion Agricultural Foundation has an excellent video on their website http://www.theodac.com/that is very inspiring about the future of agriculture and describes the facility. It is worth watching. Let us also not forget the State Fair of Virginia grounds with more space and new buildings.
The next big event that I will be at with Farm Bureau will be the Ag Expo. The Ag Expo will be in eastern Orange County this year. I have never been to it before because it has traditionally been in eastern Virginia, but a few of my co-workers have, and they said that it is a big event that attracts a lot of farmers. We will have a presence there as we have had for years. So look for us there on August 6.
Until next time,
Mark
Plows and Politics 