From the Field: County Farm Bureaus Have Programs to Help Members and Communities

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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.

Earlier this year, you may remember me informing you about Louisa County Farm Bureau providing a poultry litter spreader for rent as a service to the farmers in the county. Well, this is just one county of several that have looked at discount programs and community services at the local level. American Farm Bureau and Virginia Farm Bureau have several member discount programs that certainly are available to all counties. But, in some cases, county Farm Bureaus have carved out niches to further expand the membership advantage in their county.

While not specific to just Farm Bureau members, Tazewell County Farm Bureau in cooperation with local veterinarians and the county government sponsor a free rabies clinic every November that is available to all county citizens, and there is no limit to the number of pets. This one-day clinic is a cooperative effort in that all three parties chip in money to cover the costs of the rabies vaccination and share the workload. Two veterinarians cover eight locations across the county. The Tazewell County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee helps staff the locations and prepares the certificates. It has been going on for about five years, and turnout has been great.

A few other county Farm Bureaus such as Bland, Franklin, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Prince George offer member programs with discounts to Texas Roadhouse (yummy- my favorite!), O’Charley’s, Advance Auto Parts, Gardner’s Frozen Treats, Anderson Animal Extractions, tax preparation service, Sam’s Club and vendor fee at the farmers market. The local discount programs have been well received in those counties. The reciprocal part of the agreement is that the county Farm Bureaus promote the businesses and the discount to their respective members.

Farm Bureaus time and time again to meet their purpose and fulfill their mission that is described in the bylaws as “…working to achieve educational improvements, economic opportunity (like the examples anove), social advancement, and thereby promote the national welfare…” A big thank you goes out to all of the Farm Bureau volunteer leaders and county Farm Bureaus that worked tirelessly to get the constitutional amendment on eminent domain passed by a huge majority. If you are not actively involved in your county Farm Bureau, I encourage you to do so. New ideas are always welcome and an extra helping hand with activities is certainly welcomed. Your District Field Services Director is your local liaison to Virginia and American Farm Bureau and always ready to assist you and your county Farm Bureau.

Until next time,
Mark

BREAKING NEWS: Property Rights Constitutional Amendment Passes!

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We did it!!!! Thank you, Virginia Farm Bureau producer members! Without your grassroots support, the property rights constitutional amendment wouldn’t have been a reality!

Once the votes are certified, the amendment will go into affect Jan. 1, 2013. 
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Virginians overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday night that will restrict the state’s ability to take private property for commercial purposes.

The amendment – backed by almost 80 percent of voters — requires that private property be taken by the government only for a true “public use” and not given to another private landowner, such as a developer, even in the case of job creation. Exceptions would include utilities or the elimination of a public nuisance. 

The amendment ensures that property owners who have their land taken are properly compensated, including lost profits to businesses.

County Farm Bureau leaders convene in Roanoke for annual Resolutions Committee meeting

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Virginia Farm Bureau County leaders from across the state convened in Roanoke today for the 2012 VFB Resolutions Committee meeting.

This meeting is one of Farm Bureau’s most important yearly functions.

Among the topics discussed are funding for conservation practices required to meet water quality commitments; damage to their farms from wildlife such as coyotes, elk, geese, deer and bears; and protecting their property from trespassers and liability claims from those who trespass.
The meeting also included discussion of issues relating to taxes, farmland preservation and farm commodities.

Policies developed during the resolutions meeting will be considered for official VFBF policy during the organization’s annual convention November 27-29 in Chantilly.

Many of the resolutions approved at the meeting will be lobbied for during the 2013 Virginia General Assembly, as well as in Congress.

Interested in getting involved in the VFB policy process? Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information.

New ID Policies in Place for Upcoming Election

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In 2012 changes were made to Virginia’s voter identification laws. Virginia voters are reminded that state law requires all voters to provide an acceptable form of identification (ID) at the polls. Voters arriving to the polls without ID will be required to vote a provisional ballot and will have until noon on the Friday after the election to deliver a copy of identification to their locality’s electoral board in order for their provisional ballot to be counted. Please see below in “Provisional Ballot Process for Voters Who Arrive Without Identification” for more information on how the provisional ballot process will work for those arriving to the polls without ID.

Virginia’s ID requirements also apply to absentee voters who vote in-person. Please see below in “Special Federal ID Requirements for Certain First Time Voters”for other potential special cases for first-time voters.

Acceptable forms of identification include the following:

•Virginia voter registration card

•Valid Virginia driver’s license

•Military ID

•Any Federal, Virginia state or local government-issued ID

•Employer issued photo ID card

•Concealed handgun permit

•Valid student ID issued by any institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth of Virginia

•Current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck indicating the name and address of the voter
•Social Security card (*please see below as the social security card does not satisfy special federal ID requirements)

A voter who does not bring an acceptable ID to the polls will be offered a provisional ballot.


Don’t have one of these forms of ID?

All Virginia active registered voters will be mailed a new Virginia voter registration card prior to the November 2012 General Election. If you are not registered but are eligible for registration, please register today and a voter registration card will be mailed to you by your local general registrar’s office after your application has been processed.

Provisional Ballot Process for Voters Who Arrive Without Identification

All active registered voters in Virginia will be mailed a new voter identification card prior to the November 2012 General Election. Voters without any other ID should bring this form of ID with them to the polls as this will satisfy the voter ID requirements for Virginia and federal law.

A voter who arrives at the polling place without an acceptable form of identification will be given the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot. After completing the provisional ballot, the individual voting will be given written instructions from the election officials on how to submit a copy of his/her identification so that his/her vote can be counted.

A voter will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the identification to the local electoral board. Voters may submit a copy of their ID via fax, email, in-person submission, or through USPS or commercial delivery service. Please note that the copy of the ID must be delivered to the electoral board by noon on Friday, or the provisional ballot cannot be counted. A Friday postmark will not be sufficient if the copy of the ID is not delivered to the electoral board by noon on Friday.

The written notice given to the voter will provide the necessary information, including email, fax, and address of where the ID should be delivered.

Dos and Don’t For Campaigners and Authorized Representatives

Special Federal ID Requirements for Certain First Time Voters

For persons who registered to vote in Virginia by mail, federal law requires them to show identification (ID) when voting (in-person or absentee) for the first time in a federal election if they did not send a copy of one of these IDs with their voter registration applications. Voters subject to this special ID requirement will have the phrase “First-time Federal” after the “ID Required” item in their on-line voter registration record. Any of the following types of ID are acceptable:

1.A current and valid photo ID (for example a driver’s license);

2.or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows name and address;

3.or another government document that shows name and address (for example a voter card).

This federal ID requirement applies the first time a person votes in any federal election, either on the day of the election or by absentee ballot. If the voter does not present one of these forms of ID at the polls, that person will be offered a provisional ballot that includes a voter information statement under felony penalty. This is a paper ballot that the local electoral board may count if the voter later provides the required identification. Such persons have the right to appear before the Electoral Board and can request an extension up to one day to present evidence. If the voter returns an absentee ballot by mail without a copy of one of these forms of ID, the absentee ballot will be treated as a provisional ballot and counted only if the voter provides a copy of ID to the electoral board by the deadline applicable to all voters.

Please remember that these requirements apply to first-time voters who are voting absentee by mail and in-person.

*Note: In nearly all cases, the Virginia identification requirements mirror and satisfy the federal ID requirements. However, a social security card does not satisfy the federal ID requirements, if you are a first-time voter who fits the criteria listed in this section. Please also remember that the federal ID requirements apply to both absentee voting and voting at the polling place on Election Day.

Proposed eminent domain amendment protects ‘the little guy’

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November 6th is fast approaching, and many people are still not aware of the property rights constitutional amendment and how its passage (or lack thereof) will affect them. Below is another example of eminent domain abuse in Virginia that appeaered in last week’s edition of News Leads, a press release of the top stories in Virginia agriculture sent to media across the state by Farm Bureau’s Communications department.

If the amendment doesn’t pass, Snively’s story could happen again to someone else. Please remember to Vote Yes on Question 1 on Nov. 6, and please encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Joel Snively served 22 years as a Marine in posts around the world. Ironically, he said, one of his toughest battles was defending his private property rights at home.

Five years ago Snively was approached to allow a utility easement on Stafford County land zoned for agricultural use.

“In my case they offered me a certain amount of money for an easement for an underground power line. They almost acted like they were renting the property from me for the purpose of putting a line in,” he said.

But when he didn’t agree to the request, a local court moved immediately to condemn the land through eminent domain.

“My land was condemned by a judge with no hearing. I never even got my day in court before the condemnation. They rammed the case through and then decided to sort out who got what,” Snively said. “They said I could farm this land, but they told me I couldn’t raise certain crops. My point is now I can’t use my land as I see fit. … In reality they own it except in title. They can restrict my movement on it, they can put up a barrier saying you can’t come onto the property, but under current law I still have the tax burden on it.”

After four years of legal wrangling Snively reached a settlement and has relocated to Augusta County to pursue his dream of starting a small farm operation. But he said his case is one of many that prove Virginia’s constitution needs to be amended.

“It’s not what they take that’s so valuable as what they take from your future,” Snively said. “They limit what you can do with the property in the future. … This amendment will help balance the scales when the little guy goes up against a big utility or government body in an eminent domain dispute.”

From the Field: Where’s the Beef?

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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.

I recently received the 25th Anniversary edition of Directions. Directions is a report that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) publishes in their magazine to members. I always look forward to reading this report and viewing the rankings.

It should come as no surprise that there were some shifts in cattle production and numbers this year. The droughts of the past two years have placed significant pressure in cattle country, which is the center of the country to include the Midwest and Plains states. Although I will say, the Southeast contributes a significant number of cows to the US herd.

We all heard and saw pictures and video of the severe drought in 3/4ths of the country this summer. Even now, the drought still persists. Let’s not forget about the severe drought that brought Texas and Oklahoma to its knees last year. These two years of droughts have forced a lot of cattle to the market that would not have normally gone there. Some ranchers completely exited the beef business. Others sold part of their cow herd.

The one shinning spot in this were the record high prices for all classes of cattle and good exports. This has been good for the cow-calf producer; but not for the cattle feeders who have lost upwards of $250/head this year. Packers have not done much better as they have been forced to pay more for a limited supply of cattle. Higher input costs and land competition have also been challenges to the beef industry the past few years. Higher input costs such as diesel fuel hovering around $4.00/gal., and high fertilizer prices have led many cattlemen to skip a year or go with reduced amounts of fertilizer on the hay and pasture land.

While we have not seen the land competition between livestock and grain farmers as much on the East Coast; it has been very competitive in the Midwest. With the higher prices for corn and soybeans, cattlemen haven’t been able to compete on land rental rates with the grain guys. Cattlemen that I know in the Midwest and Plains have all talked about this as a big challenge to long term sustainability. Even here in my travels in central Virginia; I have seen corn and beans in fields that I would have never expected. Round-up ready crops and no-till drills add a lot of flexibility these days as to what one does with agriculture land.

Here are just a few highlights from the report. As of January 1, 2012, cattle numbers are down 2 percent, with the largest decline in region 4 which includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Virginia also had a decline. Lots of states had declines.

But some states actually saw an increase in their cattle numbers. Remember what I ssaid about the changing demographics? Nebraska had a huge jump this year of 250,000 cattle and calves. I heard that Nebraska experienced a large increase last year as well, where some cows were shipped from Texas and Oklahoma ranches to Nebraska where there was some grass to be found. Florida had an increase in cattle numbers. You may not think of Florida as being a large cattle state, but they are a major player. How about this? In the top 25 largest cow-calf operations in the country, 8 are in Florida with the largest having 42,000 cows and the smallest Florida ranch in the top 25 with 4,700 cows. Florida also ranks #10 in the number of beef cows per state. If you ever travel to Florida; take a drive into the central and southern parts of the state. You will see plenty of cattle and other agriculture enterprises and get a sight of what the native Floridians call the “Old Florida”.

Kentucky and Tennessee hold the 8 and 9 spots. Actually, these state rankings on beef cows haven’t changed much. But there is a consolidation taking place towards larger ranches with larger cowherds. The cattle feeding sector ranking has not changed much at all. The top 25 feeders are the same as last year. The big shift in the feeding sector has occurred with the smaller feedyards; primarily those with 5,000 head capacity and less. Most of the large feedyards are located in the High Plains of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. With the ethanol industry, the feeding sector in the Corn Belt areas such as western Iowa have seen a thriving group of feeders. These feeders have taken advantage of the ethanol industry by utilizing more economical co-products in feed rations to give them a competitive advantage. Plus they are still close to many of the packers in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

With cattle numbers low and beef demand high; the prospect for high prices into the future looks good, and cattlemen are optimistic. The grain prices will continue to play a significant factor in how cattle are raised, where they are grazed, and how they are fed and marketed. Obviously weather will always be a major factor. Let’s hope that all of us across the country enjoy good weather into the future with adequate precipitation for growing lots of grass. With plenty of forage, beef cattle have a nice advantage in being able to turn sunshine and grass into a wholesome, nutritiuos, and tasty beef.

Until next time,
Mark.

Tell Gov. McDonnell Your Ideas for Regulatory Reform

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Governor Bob McDonnell has announced the launch of the Governor’s Regulatory Reform initiative and creation of a new portal for citizens to submit ideas for regulatory reform. Governor McDonnell has also charged regulatory agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of regulations currently in place and repeal regulations that are unnecessary or no longer in use, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on individuals, businesses, and other regulated groups, and identify statutes that require unnecessary or overly burdensome regulations. The initiative is an extension of Governor McDonnell’s efforts as Attorney General to eliminate unnecessary and burdensome regulations through his Task Force on Regulatory and Government Reform. The task force made more than 300 recommendations to streamline Virginia’s Administrative Code, and reduce burdensome government regulation.

Speaking about the launch, Governor McDonnell said, “While the regulations contained in the Virginia Administrative Code are important parts of ensuring the safety and well-being of Virginians, these regulations can sometimes also be unnecessarily burdensome on the people and job creators of the Commonwealth. Unnecessary administrative burdens hamper job creation by Virginia employers. Smart regulatory reform will produce a freer and better environment for citizens and businesses. The initiative launched today will result in a reduction in unnecessary regulations and regulatory burdens, and I look forward to receiving recommendations from citizens and business people who understand firsthand the intended and unintended consequences of regulations.” Governor McDonnell continued, “All regulatory activity should be undertaken with the least possible intrusion in the lives of the citizens of the Commonwealth consistent with protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Virginia. Proposed and final regulations should make state government more efficient and should make Virginia a better place to live and work.”

As part of this initiative, Governor McDonnell welcomes recommendations from citizens and stakeholders regarding regulations that are overly burdensome and where reform is appropriate. They may submit their recommendations, here: http://www.RegReform.Virginia.Gov.

USFRA responds to: It’s Been Said: GMOs don’t actually decrease pesticide use, they increase it

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More than a year ago, Virginia Farm Bureau joined the United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, agricultural groups at the national, regional and state levels that have collaborated to lead the dialogue and answer Americans’ questions about agriculture and how we raise our food. On their Web site, www.fooddialogues.com, they respond to questions from readers as well as articles from publications that may contain some misinformation about agriculture.

Recently, they responded to an article that appeared in the Huffington Post about GMOs and pesticides. Here is an excerpt from the article:

University of Washington agricultural scientist Charles Benbrook recently looked at the rate of pesticide use in the age of genetically engineered seeds, or GMOs. Benbrook’s results undercut one of the main arguments in favor of this technology — the idea that they have significantly brought down pesticide use. According to Benbrook’s analysis, since their introduction in the 1990s, pesticide use for commodity crops like corn and soy has actually increased by approximately 7 percent.

Benbrook claims that Monsanto and its herbicide-resistant RoundUp Ready product line — seeds engineered to withstand the herbicide RoundUp — had the opposite effect, encouraging farmers to use a single pesticide, ultimately to excess.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/04/pesticides-gmo-monsanto-roundup-resistance_n_1936598.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

USFRA posted this response:

Benbrook’s study is flawed and incomplete. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ended its pesticide use tracking program in 2006, so Benbrook estimated the total use by using incomplete data from the USDA combined with other sources, like planting data and pesticide-use models. Not to mention, RoundUp Ready is an herbicide-resistant product line. Not pesticide.

In addition, according to a study assessing the global economic and environmental impacts of biotech crops for the first nine years (1996-2004) of adoption, biotechnology has reduced pesticide use – pesticide spraying decreased by 380 million pounds and has reduced environmental footprints associated with pesticide use by 14% (http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/4/default.asp).

Farmers use herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers with respect to the environment. They carefully follow labels and consider weather patterns that may impact the efficacy or leaching of an application. Further, farmers are incentivized to properly manage these tools because of the cost. Most strive to reduce the “inputs” they use to be more profitable.

USFRA firmly believes that biotech crops are safe for human and animal consumption. Countless studies have proven the value of biotech seeds. Farmers’ yields continue to increase while the amount of land used continues to be the same or even decrease. While these examples may only sound like farmer benefits, the environmental impact continues to decrease – less water, less pesticides, less land are needed.

As members, USFRA wants you to use Benbrook’s study as an opportunity to share your farming stories and background of biotech seeds. Tell consumers how you eat the same food that you produce and safety is an important factor when you grow and raise crops. Share what you have witnessed on your own farm firsthand – healthier crops, less pesticide use, less water use, etc. You can also share a recent discussion USFRA hosted regarding conventional and organic farming practices, which may help answer many consumer questions: http://fooddialogues.com/organic-chat-conventional-farming-discussion

Also, here’s the link to USFRA’s Overview of Biotechnology in Seeds:
http://www.fooddialogues.com/2012/08/22/overview-of-biotechnology-in-seeds

Want to learn more about USFRA? There will be a workshop at the Virginia Farm Bureau’s Annual Convention in November about USFRA and how to answer consumers’ questions about farming and agriculture. Be sure to sign up when you register!

BREAKING NEWS: Court Allows AFBF to Join Farmer Lawsuit Against EPA

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The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia has ruled that the American Farm Bureau Federation has a right to join in a lawsuit over the scope of the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate poultry and livestock farms under the Clean Water Act. In July, AFBF asked for permission to join on the side of West Virginia poultry grower Lois Alt, who brought suit to challenge an EPA order demanding that she obtain a CWA discharge permit for stormwater runoff from her farmyard. The West Virginia Farm Bureau has also joined the lawsuit. EPA aggressively opposed the Farm Bureaus’ participation.

“The court clearly recognizes the importance of this case for thousands of other livestock and poultry farmers threatened by EPA’s unlawful restriction of the agricultural stormwater exemption,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “The court flatly rejected EPA’s argument that other farmers facing similar EPA demands should be forced to file their own lawsuits. We are pleased that Farm Bureau will be allowed to challenge EPA’s actions on behalf of all our farmer and rancher members,” he added.

Alt sued EPA in June after the agency ordered her to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit. EPA’s order threatens Alt with $37,500 in fines for each time stormwater comes into contact with dust, feathers or dander on the ground outside of her poultry houses, or small amounts of manure that may be present in the farmyard as a result of normal poultry farming operations. EPA also seeks separate fines if Alt fails to apply for an NPDES permit.

According to AFBF’s intervention papers, EPA’s order to Alt represents the latest EPA attempt to regulate non-discharging farmers—this time by unlawfully narrowing the statutory exemption for “agricultural stormwater discharges.” EPA has claimed here that the agricultural stormwater exemption does not apply to larger farms that qualify as concentrated animal feeding operations, except for certain “land application areas” where crops are grown.

According to Judge John Preston Bailey, AFBF and WVFB demonstrated that a ruling upholding EPA’s order would harm numerous other farmers and ranchers. Under EPA’s reasoning, Bailey stated, “virtually every large [CAFO] would likely have an obligation to obtain a federally mandated permit if it rains enough in their area to wash manure and dust particles off their land and eventually into a jurisdictional water.”
In allowing AFBF’s participation, Judge Bailey noted that AFBF is a “veteran advocate in the courts on issues related to CWA permit requirements for CAFOs.” Stallman agreed and noted, “We are proud of our past efforts on behalf farmers and ranchers, and we are honored that the court recognizes that we bring something useful to the table.”