Ag News for America
The president of Iowa Farm Bureau, Craig Hill, says criticism of the federal crop insurance program is “unwarranted”.
“I don’t think it’s overly-subsidized. I think it’s properly managed,” says Hill. “In the case of Iowa farmers, we think it’s done about right.”
Hill shared his thoughts on crop insurance in an interview recorded earlier this week with Brownfield’s Ken Anderson.
A training exercise to prepare emergency responders on how best to deal with farm animals in the case of an accident was held on Tuesday, May 14, at the Ohio State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Station near Caldwell. Dr. Steve Boyles, Extension beef cattle specialist at The Ohio State University says it’s important for emergency personnel to at least understand the basics.
Audio: Dr. Steve Boyles, Extension beef specialist, The Ohio State University (2:50 mp3)
In Wednesday’s House Ag Committee Farm Bill markup session, Iowa Representative Steve King was successful in attaching his “Protect Interstate Commerce Act”, which would bar states from imposing their own animal-welfare standards on eggs, meat and other ag products brought in from other states.
The amendment is aimed at preventing farmers in other states from having to comply with measures such as California’s Prop 2 initiative that requires farms to provide more space to hens, hogs and other livestock.
Here are some excerpts from the debate that took place Wednesday evening. Speakers include King, Rep. Jeff Denham of California, Rep. Jim Costa of California, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, as well as committee chair Frank Lucas.
AUDIO: Excerpts from House Ag Comm debate on King amendment (14:38 MP3)
Brazilian rancher Antonio Ferreira was one of the speakers at the recent Water for Food Conference in Nebraska. The main focus of this year’s conference was climate change and the environment. In an interview with Brownfield, Ferreira gave us his perspective on these timely issues.
The latest Food Dialogues event, sponsored by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), took place in Chicago in late April. The focus of the discussion was the impact media has on consumers’ knowledge of biotechnology (GMOs).
Brownfield talked to Nebraska farmer and USFRA board member Lisa Lunz, who attended that event.
Reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued to release personal information about livestock operations—even after livestock groups and members of Congress complained about the situation—have raised the ire of Nebraska U.S. Senator Mike Johanns.
In a written statement, Johanns called EPA’s action “at best, woeful negligence and at worst, a flagrant effort to aid organizations seeking to radically transform American agriculture.”
According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, EPA released more records for livestock producers in Nebraska and Montana less than a month after the initial release of records to three environmental activist groups. The initial release of data was in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, but EPA has acknowledged that some of the more private information, including producer names and farm locations, should have been scrubbed before it was released.
Johanns made these comments Wednesday during his weekly conference call with reporters.
AUDIO: Mike Johanns (4:17 MP3)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is holding a series of five meetings across the U.S. to discuss proposed restrictions on antimicrobial use in food-producing animals.
The purpose of the meetings is to allow public feedback on the challenges veterinarians and producers will face under the proposed rules, which would place new restrictions of the use of antimicrobials for “growth promotion” purposes and require more veterinary oversight of antimicrobial use.
At the FDA public meeting held this week in Fort Collins, Colorado, Brownfield discussed the agency’s strategy with Bill Flynn, deputy director for science policy in the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.
One of the speakers at the recent Water for Food Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska was climate change expert Rosina Bierbaum, a professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan.
Bierbaum has spent a good part of her career working on issues related to climate change adaptation and mitigation at the national and international levels. She is currently a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and leads the Adaptation Chapter for the congressionally mandated U.S. National Climate Assessment.
In this interview with Brownfield, Bierbaum talks about the impact that climate change is having on agriculture today and implications for the future.
Location, location, location, important when it comes to real estate and national sheep sales. Greg Deakin, with Banner Sale Management says Ohio’s location, midway between the East Coast and Western Corn belt breeders, makes it ideal for the two National sheep sales coming to the Buckeye State in May.
Audio: Greg Deakin, Banner Sale Management (6:30 mp3)
Senate Ag Committee chair Debbie Stabenow has apparently backed off on plans to incorporate the so-called “egg bill” into the Senate farm bill markup.
But Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, tells Brownfield that the battle is far from over.
“Late word is the language has been removed,” Woodall says. “But now we are worried about an amendment situation where an amendment could be offered either during the committee markup of the farm bill, or possibly on the floor of the Senate, that would also try to get that agreement put back in.
“So even though we’ve had kind of a short-term victory, it looks like, we’re still prepared to fight this as we move forward with the Senate Farm Bill process.”
The Senate Farm Bill markup is expected to take place this week.
