Unicameral Votes for Meatpackers Over Family Farmers and Ranchers

January 23, 2016 Leave a comment


Center for Rural Affairs calls advancement of LB176 “unconscionable.”

The Nebraska legislature voted to advance LB 176 from Select File to the bill’s final reading and vote on final passage, which could occur as early as next week. LB 176, introduced by Senator Ken Schilz last session, would rescind Nebraska’s statute prohibiting meatpacking companies from owning and feeding hogs prior to slaughter.

 

Debate over the bill was halted when 33 Senators voted in favor of invoking cloture and ending debate. The bill was advanced from Select File by a vote of 32 to 12.

 

“In a world where packers own all the livestock, what place is there for farmers and ranchers?”

Traci Bruckner. Center for Rural Affairs

 

“There is no other way to see this vote, other than corporate money talked, and too many Senators listened,” said Traci Bruckner, Senior Policy Advocate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “Meatpackers want to own hogs because that’s where the profit it. They’d rather someone else did all the work of raising the pigs, stood all the risk, and debt-financed the buildings.”

 

Make no mistake, this was about the bottom-line of meatpacking corporations. This bill offers nothing to family farmers and ranchers, creates no opportunities. In fact, it does the opposite, it slams the door in the face of farmers and ranchers, especially young farmers trying to get started in livestock production, and instead offers them the chance to become virtual serfs to meatpacking companies, Bruckner added.

 

According to Bruckner, arguments by proponents that the bill was needed for reasons of constitutionality, and to address declines in hog production in Nebraska were both completely unfounded. Hog inventories have been on the increase, according to USDA’s quarterly Hogs and Pigs report, and an Attorney General’s formal opinion on LB 176 and the state’s ban on packer ownership stated that the bill does not resolve any constitutional questions, nor does current law regarding packer ownership of livestock “…discriminate against nor unduly burden interstate commerce.”

 

Bruckner went on to applaud the efforts of a core group of Senators that stood in opposition to the meatpacking corporations.

 

“Senator Davis, Senator Bloomfield, Senator Schnoor, Senator Sullivan, Senator Groene, Senator Chambers… these Senators had the courage to stand up for farmer, ranchers and small town Nebraska. And they were heroic in their efforts. Senator Davis, in particular, was a true champion for rural Nebraska and the family farms and ranches that are the backbone of our rural economy,” Bruckner continued.

 

“This legislation is not about helping family farmers, it is not about jobs, nor rebuilding communities. If consolidation and vertical integration created jobs and healthy communities, rural Nebraska would be a paradise today. But in truth, this bill will result in fewer farmers, declining rural population and shrinking small town economic opportunities,” said Traci Bruckner, Senior Policy Advocate for the Center for Rural Affairs. “We believe in a bright future for rural Nebraska, with vibrant small towns surrounded by thriving family farms and ranches. But advancing the cynical vision of LB 176 will only serve to make achieving that future that much more difficult.”
“In a world where packers own all the livestock, what place is there for farmers and ranchers?” Traci Bruckner concluded.

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October is Farm to School Month in Nebraska

October 16, 2015 Leave a comment


The Center for Rural Affairs is celebrating Farm to School Month by hosting three webinars filled with useful information for school staff and farmers and ranchers interested in starting or expanding Farm to School programs in their communities.

 

The hour long webinars taking place during October and November will cover a wide range of topics such as how food service staff have participated in local food procurement, key points farmers and ranchers should consider when working with schools as a market opportunity, and how Nebraska farmers, ranchers and food producers have made the school connection.

 

“These webinars are a free resource we are facilitating to bring together educators, food service directors, farmers, ranchers, parents, students, and others interested in Farm to School programs across Nebraska,” said Sarah Smith with the Center for Rural Affairs. “They will allow Nebraskans from across the Farm to School table to hear success stories, learn best practices, and most importantly connect with each other. This effort will grow market opportunities for Nebraska food producers, and healthy, delicious food options for our Nebraska students. Bringing the farm to school is a win-win for all of us.”

 

The first webinar, “Farm to School Case Studies for Nebraska Food Service Staff” will take place Thursday, October 22, 2015 from 2-3pm and targets Nebraska Food Service Staff.  Rural food service directors will share how and why they have participated in local procurement and farm to school activities. Their stories will address a range of topics like scratch cooking techniques, working with local farmers and ranchers, using produce from a school greenhouse (and planning for it),  incorporating local foods into salad bars; and bringing local beef onto the school lunch tray.

 

The second webinar, “Farmers and Ranchers: Reach a New Market with Sales to Schools” will be held on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 from 2-3pm. This webinar, designed for Nebraska farmers, ranchers and food producers, will discuss key points for farmers and ranchers to consider when working with schools as a market opportunity. Participants will walk in a food service director’s shoes with Donna Handley, School Lunch Program Specialist with the Nebraska Department of Ed. She will answer what requirements and needs school food service staff face when serving school meals. Sarah Browning of University of Nebraska Extension will discuss the farm food safety procedures farmers and ranchers should consider, as well as helpful training resources that are available to address farm food safety topics. Finally, experienced farmer Ryan Pekarek, will discuss how and when to approach schools, and how to go about planning the growing season. This webinar will introduce food producers to the opportunities available when selling to schools, as well as considerations to take when planning for success.

 

The third and final webinar, “Farm to School: Farmers, Learn an Easier Way to Make the School Connection” takes place Wednesday, November 11, 2015, 2-3 pm. Participants will hear three unique stories on farm to school and how Nebraska farmers have made the school connection. Justin Jones, President of Lone Tree Foods, will share how Lone Tree connects food producers to eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa schools. Food Service Director Tini Van-Oehlertz of Pius X schools in Lincoln will explain her experiences purchasing local foods through the Nebraska Food Cooperative. And Dawne Price of Price Farms will describe how and why she directly connected with Lyons-Decatur Schools and the on-farm activities she organized for Lyons-Decatur elementary students. There are multiple ways to connect with schools, and this webinar will provide insight on Nebraska farm to school opportunities for the food producer.

 

For detailed registration details, interested participants should visit: http://www.cfra.org/farm-school-your-fingertips-join-our-fall-webinars.

 

The Center for Rural Affairs has many resources for helping bring the farm to the school. One such tool is the Farm to School Producers Map (found here: http://www.cfra.org/findfarmer), inspired by our online Nebraska Find-A-Farmer Tool designed to link a school or program with a farmer to work with directly.
Other Farm to School resources can be found at the main Farm to School page here: http://www.cfra.org/f2s

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Compassion and Prosperity

October 5, 2015 Leave a comment


By Senator Deb Fischer

“I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of dreams.”

 

These words were spoken by Pope Francis during his recent address to a joint meeting of Congress. I was humbled and honored to join the American people in welcoming Pope Francis to our country. The touching events of his visit have been truly remarkable.

 

I was pleased to have Dr. Maryanne Stevens, president of the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, as my guest for the pope’s historic address. In the spirit of Pope Francis, Dr. Stevens is passionate about educating others to serve those in need. She possesses an unwavering commitment to service. Also, nearly 100 Nebraskans received tickets through my office to view a telecast of the pope’s address on the West Lawn of the Capitol. There, they received a blessing and prayer as Pope Francis addressed the crowd from the speaker’s balcony. Many of them traveled well over a thousand miles to Washington for this special moment. I am so glad they were able to share this profound experience.

 

The message Pope Francis delivered was moving, and I believe it connects with all Americans. We all understand the need to care for one another. We are all entrusted with the responsibility to care for the least among us. We need to care for our world. We must respect life, religious freedom, and liberty. This universal message of compassion is powerful and should be taken to heart.

 

I am inspired as I reflect on our many blessings, both as Nebraskans and as Americans. In Nebraska, we are blessed with wonderful people, spacious skies, and productive land. This is especially evident during this time of year – the harvest. Across our state, Nebraskans are reaping the bounty of their work.

 

September 20 through September 26 marked National Farm Safety and Health Week. Nebraska feeds the world, and agriculture is central to the viability of our state. As our farmers and ranchers dutifully tend land and livestock each and every day, they also face many dangers when carrying out their responsibilities. To secure the prosperity of their land, our producers must have the right knowledge, tools, and resources to remain safe and successful.

 

At the federal level, we need responsible policies that will allow our producers to do their job, which is to feed the world. This is critical, not only for our state’s economy, but also for a hungry and growing global population. This means putting a halt to burdensome regulations that are harming our farmers, ranchers, and their families.

 

Please know that I will continue working to address these challenges. By working together, we can help ensure that Nebraska will continue to provide America and the world with the safest and most affordable food supply.

 

As I reflect on the compassion and prosperity that fills our nation, I am reminded how blessed we are to live in, as Pope Francis so aptly pointed out, “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

 

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

 

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Time is Running Out to Sign Up For CSP

February 17, 2015 Leave a comment


By Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs 

Time is running out for farmers and ranchers that want to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year. February 27th is the deadline for the 2015 round. Producers should visit their local NRCS office before that date to initiate the application process.

 

The CSP rewards farmers, ranchers, and foresters for maintaining existing conservation practices and for adopting additional practices on cropland, grassland, non-industrial private forestland and tribal lands. The program pays producers for fostering clean water, better soil management, improved habitat, and other natural resource benefits.

 

As part of the CSP application process, applicants work with NRCS field personnel to complete a resource inventory of their land to determine the conservation performance for existing and new conservation activities. The applicant’s conservation performance will be used to determine eligibility, ranking and payments. Contracts are awarded to those offering the highest level of environmental benefits, with NRCS working down through the list of eligible applicants until acreage allocated to the particular state runs out.

 

In addition, producers who received a CSP contract in 2011 have the opportunity to renew their contract for another five-year period. Renewal applications must be received by March 31, 2015 to ensure a seamless transition into their next contract without a lapse in payments. Renewal contracts do not compete with new applicants.

 

Potential applicants can call the Center for Rural Affairs Farm Bill helpline by calling (402) 687-2100 or emailing Traci Bruckner at tracib@cfra.org for assistance from Center staff with knowledge about program rules.

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$18 Million Available to Train Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

January 23, 2015 Leave a comment


By Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs 

The US Department of Agriculture announced more than $18 million in funding available to support training, mentoring, and development of beginning farmers and ranchers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

 

We helped create and advocate for this program in the 2002 Farm Bill. It was finally funded in the 2008 Farm Bill.

 

The need was clear then and remains so today. A number of beginning farmers and ranchers don’t have direct roots to agriculture. While they yearn for the honest, hard work you find in farming or ranching, they need help learning the ropes.

 

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program awards grants to organizations implementing programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers. Funding includes support for workshops, farmer-to-farmer mentoring, and technical assistance.

 

Since the program was first funded and put on the ground in 2009, 145 awards have been made. That’s more than $71 million dedicated to giving the next generation of farmers and ranchers the know-how to succeed.

 

A focus on projects for veteran beginning farmers and ranchers has been added this time. It joins previous set-asides for socially-disadvantaged, limited-resource, or farmworkers who want a start in agriculture.

 

Organizations experienced in serving beginning farmers and ranchers must submit their applications by March 13, 2015. If you are a beginning farmer or rancher looking to find training and mentoring opportunities, call us at 402.687.2100 or send an email to tracib@cfra.org. We’ll point you in the right direction.

 

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Congress Takes Family Farmers and Ranchers for a Ride

December 18, 2014 Leave a comment


By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

What does Congress have against family farmers and ranchers? The $1.1 trillion spending bill passed last week included the full version of the so-called GIPSA rider passed earlier by the House of Representatives. A rider is a legislative provision attached to a larger spending bill.

 

There are not enough ways to describe how bad this hidden policy package truly is. It limits USDA’s ability to protect farmers’ and ranchers’ basic rights, such as their freedom of speech and freedom of association. The Packers and Stockyards Act, passed in 1921, was written to protect farmers and ranchers from discriminatory, deceptive and abusive practices when they sell livestock and poultry to meatpacking corporations.

 

Congress abandoned those principles when they passed the FY 2015 federal spending bill. They abandoned USDA’s effort to provide smaller volume livestock producers a more competitive livestock market and greater fairness for farmers and ranchers. The 2008 Farm Bill required Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to write regulation, under the Packers and Stockyards Act, to prohibit undue and discriminatory preferences given to large, industrial livestock operations and to provide basic protections to farmers and ranchers who do business with meatpacking corporations. Secretary Vilsack proposed the best and most comprehensive livestock market reforms since the passage of the Packers and Stockyards Act.

 

Unfortunately, Congress has repeatedly undercut his efforts. Family farmers and ranchers, need and deserve access to competitive livestock markets that reward them fairly for their work. That’s something Congress must figure out, soon.

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Improvements to USDA Beginning Farmer Loans

November 4, 2014 Leave a comment


USDA recently announced several changes to Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan programs, changes designed to help more beginning farmers and ranchers. The new “interim final rule” will increase the Microloan limit from $35,000 to $50,000. This program provides a simplified application process and a seven year payback. Microloans can be used for approved operating expenses, such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing, distribution, living expenses, livestock, equipment, hoop houses, tools, irrigation and delivery vehicles.

 

USDA is also changing the “experience” requirement for FSA Direct Farm Ownership loans. Previously, applicants had to prove they participated in the operations of a farm for at least three years. Beginning farmers across the country identified this restriction as a real barrier. It is not reflective of current realities in which new farmers enter agriculture.

 

The change will allow beginning farmers and ranchers to substitute one year of that three-year requirement with a formal farming apprenticeship, operation or management of a non-farm business, leadership or management experience while serving in any branch of the military, advanced education in an agricultural field, and significant experience in a farm-related agricultural career.
USDA also proposes changing the types of farming entities eligible to apply, potentially opening the door to non-majority investors who are not actively farming or managing the operation. We’ll watch these changes closely. The deadline to submit public comments on these changes to the USDA is December 8, 2014. Contact Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org, for more information.

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Women Farmers and Ranchers

May 6, 2014 Leave a comment


By Virginia Meyer, virginiam@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs
Some of the most inspiring people I’ve met while working at the Center for Rural Affairs are women farmers and ranchers. They are an amazing and supportive group, willing to offer advice and help each other out.

That’s why the Center for Rural Affairs is working with the Women Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) to create learning opportunities for women who want to gain hands on experience or advice from established and successful women farmers and ranchers. Learning opportunities for women who are looking to get their hands dirty and learn the real nitty-gritty of farming and ranching are often limited and we need both established women farmers and those just getting started to make this program work.

We have opportunities for Aspiring Women Farmers who can participate in on-farm mentorships, working closely with successful women farmers to learn the ropes. Beginning Women Farmers can learn from off-farm mentorships while they work at their own farms. Experienced Women Farmers can serve as on and off farm mentors for our aspiring and beginning women farmers.

Several of those opportunities are soon approaching. A Farm Business Financing workshop on May 10 in Nebraska City, NE will help women farmers and ranchers design a business plan and access financing for their agricultural operations.

Later in June, Ashland and Milford will host additional workshops on selling at farmers markets and through a CSA.

Women in agriculture, call us and get involved!

For additional information about all available mentorship opportunities, contact Virginia Meyer virginiam@cfra.org, 402.687-2103 ext. 1014 or visit http://www.cfra.org/women_farmers.

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Getting a Right Start for the Next Generation of Farmers

April 14, 2014 Leave a comment


Lyons, Nebraska – Today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $19 million in funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) – a program that provides competitive grants to community organizations, farm and ranch groups, academic institutions, and extension, to provide education, outreach, training and technical assistance to beginning farmers, ranchers and foresters.

“USDA is committed to the next generation of America’s farmers and ranchers because they represent the future of agriculture and are the backbone of our rural economy. As the average age of farmers continues to rise, we have no time to lose in getting more new farmers and ranchers established,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Reauthorizing and expanding the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is one of the many resources the 2014 Farm Bill gave us to build America’s agricultural future. Through this program, we can build a diverse next generation of farmers and ranchers.”

According to Traci Bruckner of the Center for Rural Affairs, the BFRDP grant program is administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which awards the grants through a competitive review process to organizations and institutions conducting programs to help beginning farmers, ranchers and foresters. Applications for the funding rounds announced today are due June 12, 2014.

“BFRDP has been a highly successful initiative, making the application and award process all the more competitive,” said Bruckner. “And perhaps more importantly the programs funded through this initiative have had a real impact across rural and small town America.”

The presence of the education, outreach, training and technical assistance programs funded by BFRDP is one of the reasons we saw an increase in young, beginning farmers and ranchers in Nebraska in the recent Census of Agriculture, Bruckner added. And this is the only federal program exclusively dedicated to training the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

Bruckner explained further that, in Nebraska, nearly 1,000 more farmers claim farming or ranching as their primary occupation than in the last census. For “years on present farm,” Nebraska grew in every category, from 2 years or less to 10 years or more. In particular, farmer and rancher numbers grew in lower age brackets. The under 25 years category grew by 18%; those aged 25 to 34 grew by 13% (up nationally as well), and farmers aged 35 to 44 grew by 10%.

“There are growing opportunities in farming and ranching across rural and small town America, and we see, first-hand, the increasing desire among a new generation of prospective farmers and ranchers to get their start,” Bruckner concluded. “The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides resources to initiatives on the ground that can help those beginners overcome the unique challenges they face and realize their full potential.”

For more information on eligibility of organizations and institutions, and how to apply, go to:
http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/beginningfarmersandranchers.cfm

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