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- May 14, 2014
Virginia Wind Forum to be held June 3 in Harrisonburg
According to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Virginia’s onshore wind potential at 80 meters hub height is 1,800 megawatts. Virginia’s offshore wind potential is more than 18,000 megawatts at 90 meters. But to date, Virginia has no installed capacity.
Virginia wind stakeholders will be gathering at James Madison University on June 3rd to discuss the opportunities for, benefits of, and challenges to Virginia’s wind energy future. In the morning, attendees will hear from AWEA’s senior VP of policy on the national wind energy situation, as well as the regional electricity context in which Virginia operates. GE will review the wind-natural gas economic picture. The morning will conclude with the first of 5 Virginia-focused panels, composed of various Virginia stakeholder groups; this panel will focus on the history of wind development in Virginia (panelists will include representatives from the utility, industry, state agency, advocacy, and academic sectors).
Lunch will focus on small group topical roundtables where each attendee will have an opportunity to speak to experts in 20 specific wind energy topics, including economics, myths, utility integration, wind for schools, siting and permitting issues, to name a few.
The afternoon will include panel sessions on distributed and community wind, land-based utility–scale wind, off-shore wind, and to wrap up the day, Virginia wind futures. Panelists will represent a broad array of Virginia stakeholders and leaders, with various experiences, approaches, and perspectives.
The agenda can be viewed at http://www.awea.org/events/Event.aspx?EventID=27946. Please consider joining your Virginia colleagues on June 3 at JMU in Harrisonburg by registering at http://www.awea.org/events/Event.aspx?EventID=27946&SubSectionID=6336.
Tell EPA to "Ditch the Rule" Tuesday During Twitter Chat
Join experts from EPA for a Twitter chat on the proposed rule to clarify Clean Water Act protection for certain types of streams and wetlands. The chat will take place on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Time through EPA’s water Twitter account @EPAwater or https://twitter.com/EPAwater. To participate in the chat or ask a question go https://twitter.com/EPAwater or follow the hashtag #USwaters on Twitter.
Tuesday’s Twitter chat would be a great opportunity to let the EPA know you want them to “Ditch the Rule!” Go to http://ditchtherule.fb.org/#filter=.gosocialfor tweets to send the EPA during the Twitter chat.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has asked its members to resist a proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency that it says will impose unworkable regulations on the nation’s farms.
Published Monday in the Federal Register, the more-than-111,000-word “Waters of the U.S.” proposed rule reflects the EPA’s latest interpretation of the 1972 Clean Water Act. The rule could ultimately lead to the unlawful expansion of federal regulation to cover routine farming and ranching practices as well as other common private land uses, such as building homes.
“This rule is an end run around congressional intent and rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, alike,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said. “Congress and the courts have both said that the 50 states, not EPA, have power to decide how farming and other land uses should be restricted. It’s time to ditch this rule.”
Among other things, the rule would expand federal control over land features such as ditches and areas of agricultural land that are wet only during storms.
EPA says its new rule clarifies the scope of the Clean Water Act. However, EPA’s “clarification” is achieved by categorically classifying most water features and even dry land as “waters of the United States.”
If carried out, Farm Bureau says, ordinary field work, fence construction or even planting could require a federal permit. The result will be a wave of new regulation or outright prohibitions on routine farming practices and other land uses.
“Congress, not federal agencies, writes the laws of the land,” Stallman said. “When Congress wrote the Clean Water Act, it clearly intended for the law to apply to navigable waters. Is a small ditch navigable? Is a stock pond navigable? We really don’t think so, and Farm Bureau members are going to be sending that message.”
EPA contends that an entire set of exemptions will protect many farmers from the burdensome new rule. But Stallman counters that those exemptions will only apply to farming that has been ongoing since the 1970s, not new or expanded farms. Even for those farms, the exemptions do not cover weed control, fertilizer use or other common farm practices. The already narrow exemptions, Stallman said, have existed for years but have been further narrowed by EPA guidance issued simultaneously with the proposed rule.
“The EPA exemptions offer no meaningful protection for the hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers whose operations and livelihoods are threatened by this expansion of EPA’s regulatory reach,” Stallman said.
“EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have said the WOTUS rule provides clarity and certainty. The only thing that is clear and certain is that, under this rule, it will be more difficult for private landowners to farm and ranch, build homes or make changes to the land—even if the changes that landowners propose would benefit the environment. This is pure and simply wrong, and it is why we need to ditch the rule.”
From the Field: County Farm Bureaus Support Youth Livestock Shows and Clubs
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.
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| Champion market lamb showed by my son, Daniel, and judge Corey Childs. |
Now that spring is finally here, several livestock shows are taking place across the state, and county Farm Bureaus are very supportive of the youth livestock exhibitors.
How, you may ask? County Farm Bureaus support the livestock shows and county fairs mostly in a financial manner, but many individual Farm Bureau members volunteer with the logistics. County Farm Bureaus buy animals at the sale after the show, sponsor a buyers’ dinner, or make a contribution to the 4-H livestock club. The contributions are often significant reaching several thousand dollars per year.
On May 3rd, the Central Virginia Livestock Show and Sale was held at the Lynchburg Livestock Market. It was a regional show with the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, and Nelson represented.
The buyers’ dinner was sponsored by Campbell County Farm Bureau. Campbell County Farm Bureau was also a significant buyer in the sale by purchasing several animals. Bedford County Farm Bureau and Bedford Young Farmers were buyers as well. Both of these county Farm Bureaus helped support the sale and offered a better price for the kids. These two county Farm Bureau names were called by the auctioneer several times throughout the sale. Their financial support was spread over many kids.
At most sales like these, the county Farm Bureau purchases are as “support,” which means that they pay the difference between the final purchase price and the established floor price. The animals purchased as “support” are then resold to a buyer or packer at market price. There are other buyers at the sale too which include businesses and families. A large portion of these purchases at the Central Virginia Livestock Show and Sale went for processing for people that wanted to fill their freezers with some high quality meat.
Animals that are shown in breeding classes such as heifers, ewe lambs, gilts, and does are not sold and usually return back to the herd or flock back home at the family farm. The Amherst and Nelson County Farm Bureaus make donations to the 4-H livestock club, and Appomattox donates to the FFA chapter which has its own small farm and a large number of exhibitors. This kind of support is not isolated to central Virginia. In fact, many county Farm Bureaus all over the state are supportive in similar fashion.
The county Farm Bureaus recognize the importance of supporting the next generation of agriculturalists and realize how vital they are to the future of the agriculture industry. These livestock exhibitors are members of 4-H, FFA, or both. They put in a lot of time and effort into preparing their animals for the shows which begins months prior. Their livestock project teaches them about animal husbandry, nutrition, and business management.
All of the exhibitors have to complete a record book, which is very detailed listing such things as cost of feed/head/day, feed labels, calculated average daily gain, and management activities. The cost of inputs and price of the animal all add up, and getting a good price at the sale is essential in having a profitable project. The kids are strongly encouraged to get buyer interest for their animals prior to the sale, and this helps with communication skills and builds confidence.
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| Champion market goat shown by Phillip Saunders of Nelson County with buyer W.P. Johnson of Bedford County Farm Bureau |
The Amherst/Nelson 4-H livestock club swept up by having grand champion steer, market lamb, market goat and market hog all from Nelson and Amherst counties. These lessons of animal care, business management, and leadership and communication skills learned by the youth livestock exhibitors are strong reasons that county Farm Bureaus are more than willing to support the livestock shows and sales. Some shows taking place this month that I know about are in Blackstone and Fredericksburg. Check with your county extension office to find out when the closest show is to you. It is an enjoyable time to watch the next generation of agriculturalists and a good opportunity to support the youth.
Until next time,
Mark
This Week’s Commodity Comments- May 7, 2014
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.
Franklin County Women’s Committee Receives AFBF Food Link Grant
Franklin County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee was one of four county Farm Bureaus to receive a $700 grant from the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee to help fund “Our Food Link” activities.
Other grant recipients include Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Utah Farm Bureaus; Dickey County (North Dakota), Franklin County (Virginia), Jerome County (Idaho) and Summit County (Ohio).
Grant-winning programs demonstrate a strong connection between the food system and agriculture, while creatively engaging consumers in a way that encourages them to learn more about food and agricultural products.
“Year-round outreach through ‘Our Food Link’ is more important than ever because the average American is now at least three generations removed from the farm,” explained Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and chair of the AFBWLC. Farm and ranch families make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population today.
Throughout the year, Farm Bureau members help consumers of all ages and backgrounds connect with sources of clothing, food, shelter and energy in their communities. Program activities range from outreach at supermarkets or farmers’ markets to hosting interactive booths at community events, speaking with lawmakers and neighbors about food or visiting a classroom to help students understand agricultural topics.
Franklin County’s activities answer the question “Where does our food come from?” and will be in two phases. Phase 1 will be an all-day event at a local elementary school where students and staff explore various aspects of agriculture, including compost, worms, soil and honey bees, healthy plants and finish with farm to table activities in 12 interactive stations that encourage different learning styles (hands on, auditory, visual and written). Phase 2 will continue using the same stations at the Franklin County Fair.
“Though a rural county, there is a growing number of “transplants” whose exposure to agriculture is limited,” said Debbie Brubaker, Franklin County Women’s Committee Chair. “We will provide unique learning opportunities that allow participants to explore the start to finish process of agriculture products and services. There will be a variety of agriculture fields covered using hands-on activities, interactive discussion, taste testing, age appropriate visuals, make and takes and live animals.”
“Our Food Link” activities may also include the collection of food and monetary donations for Ronald McDonald House Charities or other charities.
The launch of the program was spearheaded in January by the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee, although Gilbert noted, “All Farm Bureau members are invited and encouraged to consider participating in ‘Our Food Link’ activities. The flexibility of the program makes it a great fit for anyone looking for creative ways to reach the non-farming public with information about today’s agriculture,” she said.
This Week’s Commodity Comments- April 30, 2014
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.
State Veterinarian’s Office Urges Horse Owners to Check with Vets for Vaccination Schedule
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) urges all horse owners to check with their veterinarians for West Nile Virus (WNV), Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and rabies vaccination recommendations for their animals. Virginia only had one confirmed case of WNV and one of EEE in 2013, although the number of horses affected in other states was much higher.
State officials are concerned that horse owners may be lulled into inaction by the lack of disease activity last year and neglect vaccination this year. “Timely vaccination has been shown to decrease WNV and EEE disease incidence,” said Dr. Charles Broaddus, Program Manager for VDACS’ Office of Veterinary Services. “Without vaccination, we would expect to see many more infected horses, so we still urge horse owners to consider EEE and WNV vaccination. We believe that in most cases, private veterinarians will recommend them for their clients.”
Vaccines drastically reduce the incidence of WNV and EEE in horses. They are effective for six to twelve months, so horses should be re-vaccinated at least annually. In areas where the disease occurs frequently, most veterinarians recommend vaccination every six months. For the vaccine to be effective it must be handled and administered properly and be given at least two weeks before the horse is exposed to the virus. Additionally, to stimulate full immunity, horses must be vaccinated twice, about 30 days apart, the first year they are vaccinated. Other prevention methods include destroying standing water breeding sites for mosquitoes, using insect repellents and removing animals from mosquito-infested areas during peak biting times, usually dusk to dawn.
Dr. Broaddus also suggests that owners check about rabies vaccinations for their horses. The number of rabies cases in horses has grown in the past few years. In fact, recently rabies cases have exceeded cases of WNV or EEE.
Rabies vaccines are also very effective and vaccinating horses annually can prevent rabies in both horses and humans. In addition to taking measures to decrease the likelihood that horses will be exposed to rabies, routine rabies vaccination is a very important aspect of disease prevention. Virginia did not report any horses positive for rabies in 2013, but had four positive in 2012.
All three of these diseases – EEE, WNV and rabies – cause neurologic signs in horses, such as staggering, circling, depression, loss of appetite and sometimes fever and blindness. There is no cure for these diseases, which can kill anywhere from 30 percent (WNV) to 90 percent (EEE) to 100 percent (rabies) of the horses infected. Humans can become infected with rabies by handling a rabid horse but cannot become infected with EEE or WNV by handling an infected horse, nor can a horse acquire the virus from another infected horse. The presence of an infected horse in the area indicates that mosquitoes carrying EEE or WNV are present and those insects pose a threat to both humans and horses.
For more information, contact the Office of Veterinary Services, Division of Animal Industry Services, VDACS, at 804.786.2483 or see vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/diseases.shtml. Information about rabies and rabies exposures can be found on the Virginia Department of Health’s Rabies Control page at vdh.virginia.gov/Epidemiology/DEE/Rabies/. Horse owners
Sign-Up Begins Today for USDA Disaster Assistance Programs Restored by Farm Bill
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that eligible farmers can sign up for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance programs restored by passage of the 2014 Farm Bill.
“We implemented these programs in record time and kept our commitment to begin sign-up today,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “To ensure enrollment goes as smoothly as possible, dedicated staff in over 2,000 Farm Service Agency offices across the country are doing everything necessary to help producers that have suffered through two and a half difficult years with no assistance because these programs were awaiting Congressional action.”
Depending on the size and type of farm or ranch operation, eligible producers can enroll in one of four programs administered by the Farm Service Agency. The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) will provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, and including calendar years 2012, 2013, and 2014. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have suffered losses because of disease, severe weather, blizzards and wildfires.
Enrollment has also begun for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), which provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.
Producers signing up for these programs are encouraged to contact their local FSA office for information on the types of records needed and to schedule an appointment. Taking these steps in advance will help producers ensure their application moves through the process as quickly as possible.
Supporting documents may include livestock birth records, purchase and transportation receipts, photos and ownership records showing the number and type of livestock lost, documents listing the gallons of water transported to livestock during drought, and more. Crop records may include purchase receipts for eligible trees, bushes, or vines, seed and fertilizer purchases, planting and production records, and documentation of labor and equipment used to plant or remove eligible trees, bushes, or vines.
Producers have three to nine months to apply depending on the program and year of the loss. Details are available from any local FSA office.
For more information, producers may review the 2014 Farm Bill Fact Sheet, and the LIP, LFP, ELAP and TAP fact sheets online, or visit any local FSA office or USDA Service Center.
This Week’s Commodity Comments: April 23, 2014
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.
Plows and Politics 