I just spoke with the Liz Boyd, press secretary for Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. I had called to obtain a short audio interview regarding the Governor’s decision to declare March 20, Michigan Meatout Day. I sincerely appreciate her calling me back so that we can better understand what in the world caused a Governor to make such a resolution.
Liz, however, refused a recorded interview saying it was “unwarranted.” She says that the Governor gets lots of requests to issue such proclamations and this was nothing unusual. She also told me that the request came from a local field representative for Meatout which is a program of FARM, Farm Animal Rights Movement. Their theme this year is, “Eat for Life – Live Vegan!”
Liz than told me the Governor would be issuing another proclamation making Saturday, March 20 a day to celebrate Michigan agriculture. When I asked if she realized that the Governor’s resolution urging citizens to not eat meat was detrimental to Michigan agriculture she acknowledged that it was but said that with March Madness she was sure that lots of burgers and hot dogs would be eaten on Saturday.
Amazing. I would characterize the conversation as “rushed” and had a feeling that she thought my questions and comments were “silly.” Unfortunately when the government takes this kind of thoughtless action it has negative consequences. Michigan’s farmers and ranchers deserve better and I hope they get it.
I would encourage you to let the Michigan Governor know your thoughts. Michigan Farm Bureau and the Michigan Agri-Business Association already have done so publicly. You can leave comments on her Facebook page.
Workshops on competition in agriculture, like the one held last week in Iowa, can allow farmer-owned co-ops to tell their story.
According to the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), Friday’s joint workshop between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) set the stage for farmer-owned co-ops to show how they promote a more competitive agricultural sector.
“Family farmers across America have built farmer cooperatives that promote competition, bolster farm income and the rural economy, and help to bring transparency to the marketplace,” said NCFC President Chuck Conner. “While farmer cooperatives were touched on only briefly in this workshop, I hope that DOJ and USDA will use the future workshops to look more closely at how producers can use co-ops as a tool to level the playing field.
“In addition, we continue to be concerned about rhetoric from some that equates being large in size with stifling competition. A large farmer co-op simply has more member-owners—many of whom have medium to small-sized operations—than a smaller cooperative,” Conner continued. “At the same time, the statement made by Christine Varney, the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, that ‘with [being] big comes a lot of responsibility’ is true and a standard that, we believe, large farmer co-ops in this country meet.”
Friday’s workshop in Ames focused on competition issues for crop farmers, especially the issues of seed technology and livestock marketing. As the kick off event for the first of several workshops to be held this year, it featured opening comments from Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Future workshops around the countrywill focus on the poultry, dairy and livestock industry.
Organizations representing both biofuels and agriculture are pretty happy overall with EPA’s release of final rules for the implementation of the second phase of the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS2.
“We’re pleased the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that corn ethanol provides a distinct advantage over conventional gasoline when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, with a reduction of more than 21 percent in some cases,” said National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Darrin Ihnen. “This means that all corn ethanol including existing grandfathered capacity and new production will qualify to meet the conventional biofuels targets in the RFS.”
American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman says that they are encouraged by the rule because it “will help keep the nation’s renewable fuel standards on a path toward greater energy independence. By raising the volume of biofuels available for our nation’s transportation fuel supply, the administration is building on the strong bipartisan efforts that began years ago to provide a home-grown solution to the energy challenges facing our nation.”
Ethanol and biodiesel organizations were also pleased with the rule, which was changed from the initial proposal to be more favorable to first generation biofuels. See all their reactions on our sister site Domestic Fuel.com including a podcast with details from administration officials and comments from major biofuels groups.
However, while overall reaction has been favorable, all organizations are expressing concern about EPA’s continued reliance on the unproven theory of indirect land use change, which penalizes domestic biofuels production on the basis that it results in more land put into production globally in areas like the Amazon rain forest. “Removing the impacts from the international indirect land use theory means that corn ethanol actually provides a 52 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to gasoline,” said NCGA’s Ihnen. “The EPA is not considering similar indirect impacts of petroleum-based fuels, so why are they so stringent when it comes to green, renewable corn ethanol?”
Read the EPA announcement here.
It looks like AgWired sponsor, Fluidigm Corporation, is making some new inroads into the agricultural sector with their announcement that “USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has purchased a Fluidigm microfluidic-based EP1™ System to help develop and validate focused 96- and 384-SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) panels for testing America’s dairy and beef cattle. To ensure healthy cows and top quality product.”
ARS scientists are collaborating with leading members of the U.S. biotechnology industry to develop low-cost, high-throughput SNP panels that can genetically indicate cattle growth rates, disease resistance, milk productivity, health and longevity. To date ARS has studied over 100 of the more than 50,000 previously discovered genetic markers for cattle. The project’s goal is to turn out healthier cows that produce higher-quality milk and meat for consumers while also preserving the viability of the country’s thousands of cattle ranchers and dairy farmers. Validated SNP panels are expected to be utilized routinely in livestock breeding management. There are approximately nine million dairy cows and 35 million beef cattle in the United States
(more…)
Leaders in Congress are questioning the Secretary Vilsack’s assertion that the USDA analysis of the climate change report if flawed, and they have written the department to tell them just that.
In their letters, U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) discussed Vilsack’s past remarks on the big issue of climate change. In a recent press release, their letters to USDA were shared.
Senator Chambliss and Representative Lucas, both ranking members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees respectively, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack last Friday regarding his recent remarks on the Department’s climate change legislation analysis. Chambliss and Lucas said the statement made by Sec. Vilsack implies a lack of confidence in the modeling used by both USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, they ask that both the USDA and EPA report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees on the problems with the economic model in order to reflect realistic scenarios while examining the impact of cap and trade on the agriculture and forestry sectors.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today spoke at the key note event, Clean Energy Investments: Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies, at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to a recent release by USDA. In an effort to improve the environment, Vilsack hopes to provide opportunities for food producers to do just that.
“Rural economies will benefit from incentives in comprehensive energy legislation that reward production of renewable energy and sequestration of greenhouse gases,” said Vilsack.
Climate change is one of the great challenges facing the United States and the world. But for our farmers, ranchers, and those who make a living off the land, the challenge presents unprecedented opportunities. Secretary Vilsack shared how the Administration is actively partnering with rural communities to create solutions for curbing greenhouse gases and preventing the worst impacts of climate change.
Secretary Vilsack shared how the Administration is actively partnering with rural communities to create solutions for curbing greenhouse gases and preventing the worst impacts of climate change.
To read the entire article and learn more about the program, link here.
The USDA Ag Specialist on the ground in Jordan is Mohamed N. Khraishy. He took time to meet with our Corn Mission team after we arrived this afternoon. He says that he acts mainly as a facilitator on our behalf or as he puts it, “See me as the grease between the wheels.”
I recorded part of our discussion with Mohamed for you to listen to. He says that quality doesn’t seem to be much of an issue for feed grain imports but that price does matter. The global economic recession has had an impact even here. He’s afraid that we might see a short term decline in American grain imports. To avoid fluctuations in the market he sees a real need for more storage facilities. He fields lots of questions about finding an American company that may want to invest in storage here in Jordan.
You can listen to part of our discussion with Mohamed below:
USGC Corn Mission In Jordan Photo Album
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Will Agriculture Benefit From Climate Change Legislation? That’s the question that Hoosier Ag Today asked recently after the USDA released its final analysis of the Climate Change legislation that is currently making its way through Congress. As we looks at the pros and cons of this legislation, I think it’s safe to say that things are changing in the agriculture industry today, and we are going to have to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to taking care of the environment.
Gary Truitt writes, According to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, “The report sees extraordinarily small increase in food prices. Somewhere between point one percent and point two percent in the short run and between one percent and two percent by the year 2050.”
He told reporters during a national teleconference on Wednesday that increases in fertilizer and energy costs will be minimal and that farmers will be able to more than offset those higher costs by trading in the carbon market. The Secretary says the conservative study, which assumed no technological progress, found that over the medium- and long-term, carbon offsets will “overwhelm” any increased production costs. Vilsack had tough words for those who advocate more study and a slower approach to dealing with climate change, ”The climate is changing and we have to deal with this change now.”
As the “original environmentalists,” farmers and ranchers should keep a close eye on this legislation. What are your thoughts on Climate Change legislation? How will it affect your segment of the agriculture industry?
In Egypt, the Agricultural Minister Counselor for the United States is Jonathan Gressel (pictured center). He met with the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission team today at a late lunch and we really appreciate him taking time for the visit.
John says his primary mission is market access and development for U.S. products. He says that currently Egypt is an excellent, growing market and not just for corn but for ddgs and corn gluten. He says that when more corn moves into the market it helps American corn growers while also helping build new industry in Egypt. One of the challenges in the market is poultry industry which was hit hard by avian influenza but is coming back.
When it comes to the work of the USGC he says that Dr. Hussein Soliman, USGC Country Director, is one of his “go-to” people and that companies and the government respect him as well. He points to the successful Egyptian Cattlemen’s Bank as one of the projects that was founded with support of USGC. He says that the USGC “has a good team working here and is one of your best programs.”
You can listen to my interview with Jonathan below:
USGC Corn Mission In Egypt Photo Album
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As a livestock producer, I like to follow the trends as pastures are converted to cropland. In many places, pastures will always be there, as the land is too steep, hilly or rocky for modernizing or farming. However, the low profit margins in the livestock industry are pushing many farmers and ranchers to expand their crop enterprise and decrease their cowherds. On another note, it seems that water is in short supplies these days, and an increasing number of acres are being irrigated. Since we have had such a wet, cold year here in South Dakota, I can only imagine the troubles those are experiencing in places of drought. Check out the statistics from the USDA as printed by the Delta Farm Press.
In 2008, farmers and ranchers spent $2.1 billion on expenses related to irrigation equipment, facilities, land improvements and computer technology. USDA’s 2008 Farm and Ranch Survey has found that farmers and ranchers are now irrigating 54.9 million acres farmland across the United States, an increase of nearly 5 percent since 2003. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) collected the data for the Irrigation Survey earlier this year.
“Water is the most critical, limited resource for our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said Molly Jahn, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. “For farmers and ranchers who are looking for more efficient ways to irrigate their land and ways to reduce their expenses, the results of the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey provide a valuable tool to help them make informed decisions about the future of their operations.”
If you’re like me, then you have been watching closely the progress of the Estate Tax Relief Bill. As the average age of the American farmer or rancher nears 60, agriculture businesses will start switching hands, and unfortunately, poor succession planning can result in the end of a long-standing family tradition. Here is a release that was published in Hoosier Ag Today about this estate tax relief bill…
H.R. 4154, the Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009, passed in the House of Representatives Thursday by a vote of 225 – 200. Introduced by North Dakota Representative Earl Pomeroy, the bill would permanently extend the death tax. It would exclude amounts up to 3.5-million single and 7-million married, and permanently set the death tax rate at 45 percent. Under current law the death tax would expire in 2010. According to Palmeroy, “This bill will provide full and permanent estate tax relief for 99.75 percent of families, farmers, and small businesses in this country, who would not have to pay any estate tax.” Pomeroy adds, this bill will, “Provide the stability families need to make long-term decisions and avoid the estate planning roller coaster that will result from current law.”
The Regional Agricultural Attache for the United States in Morocco is Hassan Ahmed. I first met Hassan when he was posted to Cairo and I was traveling on a USDA FAS trip that included stops in Cairo and Alexandria. I haven’t seen him since then until today but we still remember the “camel story” among others. Some of you have heard it. If you’re really interested I’ll share it with you some time.
Hassan spoke to the U.S. Grains Council about the work that his office does on behalf of American agribusiness. He started out by telling us that USDA’s FAS has a new mission statement which says, “Linking U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security.” So he works along with “Cooperators” like the U.S. Grains Council and others to help create and enhance trade opportunities.
Hassan came on board in Morocco during the recent record U.S. grain export years. However, he says 2009 has not been so good but there are a number of factors to explain it and he’s very confident that the market will change. One factor he points to is the Morocco Green Plan for the growth of agriculture.
You can listen to a portion of Hassan’s presentation below.
USGC Corn Mission In Morocco Photo Album
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Wishing a warm, safe and happy Thanksgiving from my family in South Dakota to yours. Where will you be spending the holidays? What are you thankful for this year?
In echoing the sentiments of Cindy’s Thanksgiving post, today is a day to be thankful and count our many blessings. While most of us have a family to share the day with, in a welcoming home with plenty of food to go around, it’s been said that one in eight Americans goes hungry each night. In his Thanksgiving Address, Obama has promised to work to shape of the state of the economy in order to help struggling American families.
According to the AFP, President Barack Obama vowed to put the US economy back on track in his Thanksgiving address to the nation Thursday, but admitted there were still too few jobs being created. Acknowledging that millions of Americans were unemployed and “facing very difficult economic times,” Obama said he would not rest until the economy is rebuilt stronger than before. He listed tax cuts, extending unemployment benefits and help for homeowners facing foreclosure, among the measures taken to help Americans weather the crisis as well as his aim of overhauling the nation’s health care system.
In the meantime, let’s do all we can do to help those struggling to put food on the dinner table. Statistics show that one farmer/rancher can feed up to 144 people each year, but it’s time we start spreading that food around. Donate food to a local food pantry or volunteer at a shelter this year. Give your time, talents and treasures to help others this year. Happy Thanksgiving!
Corn growers heard from Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge at POET’s Project LIBERTY Field Day. She said, “We are seeing for ourselves that cellulosic ethanol is here, that it is viable and that it will transform renewable fuel as we know it today”. It was a cold, breezy day and she talked General Wesley Clark out of his jacket.
She reminded attendees about how they tried to hold meetings like this back in the early 1990’s to promote ethanol and how it was a slow process but she said they knew it would become a viable reality. So as a farmer and Lt. Gov. she says a lot of work has gone in to making a day like this happen. She says this POET project is helping keep Iowa at the forefront of renewable energy production. She says the state has made a total investment in this project of $20 million and that the funds will make the project a reality and help create new jobs. She pledged that she and the Governor would do all they can to increase the demand for ethanol.
POET Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album
You can listen to Judge’s speech below:
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Earlier this week, I wrote about Obama signing HR 2997 into law, another emergency stimulus package that, this time, could assist dairy producers. I was checking the news yesterday, when I came across this blog post about my blog post. Oh, how fun blogger buzz can be! Here is the post that was on KELO by Madville Times (who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks and doodle pictures as he sees fit, by the way!) Thanks for the nod, Madville Times!
I learned from Amanda Nolz that President Obama just signed into law more stimulus… for farmers! HR 2997 is actually the appropriations act for agriculture, rural development, the Food and Drug Administration, and other federal programs. It includes some increases that one would think will be good for South Dakota farmers…
$4 billion more for food stamps
$1.9 billion more for school lunches (and breakfasts, I imagine)
$290 million to keep struggling dairy farmers afloat (maybe Rick Millner can pay his bills)
$60 million to buy up dairy products for public food programs
And Senator John Thune, champion of ending federal bailouts, voted aye on this federal bailout of dairy farmers.
David Bennett with the Western Farm Press just posted this news alert about President Barack Obama signing HR 2997, a emergency stimulus package that could benefit farmers. Here is the most recent news on the topic…
President Obama has signed legislation providing fiscal 2010 appropriations — $121 billion — for the USDA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other agencies.
The article says that 80 percent of the funds will go to school nutrition programs and food stamps.
Of the remaining HR 2997 funds, slightly over $23 billion will be spread among programs for agricultural research, conservation, food safety, housing assistance and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some $290 million, aimed at helping undergird the struggling U.S. dairy industry, will fund dairy farmers with direct support. An additional $60 million will be used to purchase dairy products for food pantries and nutrition programs.
Americans Against Food Taxes is ramping up its campaign. See a list of the coalition members here.
Dear Concerned Citizen:
Thank you for joining the fight against beverage and food taxes. Because of you, many in Washington listened and agreed – a tax on beverages is not what concerned citizens like you want. In the coming week, as the health care debate heads to the Senate Floor, the idea of a tax on the sodas and juice drinks you enjoy is being revived yet again. Now more than ever, it’s important that your Senators hear from you. We need your help to send another message to Congress. Please go to our simple web form by clicking below and let your Senator know that a beverage tax is the last thing you need in this economy.
In the past few weeks, proponents of a new national tax on soda and juice drinks have become more driven and vocal than ever before. We thank you for your support and ask that you match their enthusiasm at this critical juncture.
Sincerely,
Americans Against Food Taxes
This week, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) debuted the “Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act,” an 821-page bill designed to “create clean energy jobs, reduce pollution, and protect American security by enhancing domestic energy production and combating global climate change,” as well as creating millions of green energy jobs. Part of that includes reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.
The American Farm Bureau Federation isn’t buying it.
“America’s farmers and ranchers did not fare that well in the House-passed climate change bill and they fare even worse in the Senate bill,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. “There are few benefits and even greater costs to agriculture and the American public.”
Stallman says the 20 percent target, which is higher than the House bill by three percent, is unrealistic and will lead to higher energy bills for all consumers. “The Waxman-Markey bill, passed narrowly by the House this summer, did at least include credits to farmers for carbon-storing or carbon management practices. The Senate bill does not guarantee any benefits to agriculture for carbon sequestration,” Stallman said.
Another major concern for Farm Bureau is that the Boxer-Kerry bill would not prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from continuing to move forward to fully regulate all greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The bill also does nothing to provide alternative sources of energy to fill the energy deficit left by the reduction in fossil fuels, nor does it prevent the EPA from using controversial indirect land use principles that penalize ethanol, according to Stallman.
“Both the Senate and House bills would bring higher fuel and fertilizer costs to American farmers and ranchers, which puts us at a competitive disadvantage in international markets with other countries that do not have similar carbon emission restrictions,” Stallman said. “For the future prosperity of the U.S. economy and American agriculture, climate change legislation must be defeated by Congress.”
The whole USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative keeps growing with new tools. This time it’s a live chat session via USDA/Facebook.
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today launched a new USDA website for the ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative to continue the national conversation about developing local and regional food systems and finding ways to support small and mid-sized farms. Merrigan will also host a Facebook chat about the initiative on Thursday, Oct. 1, to discuss local food systems.
What does NASA think of agricultural production? You can find out in a podcast series they’ve produced that “spotlights scientific advances in monitoring agricultural production and landscape changes that affect the sustainability of the world’s food supply. The videos also examine the partnerships between NASA and other government agencies concerned with the availability of food.”
Beginning September 23, a new episode in the series “Science for a Hungry World” will be posted online each Wednesday through October 28. Podcasts will cover: land use and land cover change; sustainability of food availability and access; the essential interplay of water and agriculture; the future of the world’s food system; and joint agriculture projects between NASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The podcasts are part of a summer-long series of news stories, image features, videos, and other multimedia exploring how NASA’s unique vantage point from space provides benefits to agriculture in the U.S. and abroad.
You can see the first program using this link.
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It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
