Almond growers in California may soon be allowed to sell raw, unpasteurized almonds following a ruling by the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington D.C.
In 2007 the Department of Agriculture said almonds grown in the United States must be chemically treated or pasteurized before sale following a salmonella outbreak. Farmers felt this ruling made it impossible to sell raw almonds in the United States although the sales of the item was not illegal. A number of California producers files a complaint against the United States Department of Agriculture over the ruling. Producers felt the United States Department of Agriculture was overstepping their authoritative boundaries by putting this rule into effect.
The courts found that California almond growers had less of an advantage in the market towards foreign growers due to this decision and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1937 did not stop almond producers from “obtaining judicial review of the 2007 rule.”
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First Farm-to-table, then farm-to-school, but now- farm-to-spa?
Spas across the country are offering visitors treatments stemming from fruits, vegetables and products grown at local farms.
The Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai (CA) integrates fruits and herbs into skin and massage therapies for their guests.
Guest Julia Pizzinat told the Associated Press, “When they put this stuff on, I can smell fresh juice. It’s not like something that’s been made in Milwaukee and sent out in crates.” These treatments don’t come cheap- a 50-minute Pixie Tangerine and Pomegranate Scrub will cost you $145 at the Ojai Valley Inn.
In the past few years the demand has changed from exotic treatments to those produce with local items. Fingers point at the local food movement that started at restaurants and is branching off to other industries.
The only problem with these treatments is they may not be available year-round, it all depends on what commodities are available.
Mark Wuttke, a spa owner in Atlanta, point out, “Thre are seasonal variations. I can offer it today, but if you come back in six months’ time, you might not be able to have it because it’s not longer available.”
Federal Reserve stated interest rates likely to rise. Refinance your farm loan before rates go up. Call a representative by dialing 866-929-5585 or visit us online.
Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln reported earlier this week that she had secured assurances from the Obama administration that the USDA would fund a $1.5 billion aid package for farmers who lost crops in 2009. Qualifying farmers would receive payments equal to 90 percent of their direct payments in 2009, thus meaning that many farmers could see their subsidies double. Ratio Farms in Arkansas, one of the largest recipients of aid, could receive over $700,000 in aid, on top of over $800,000 in subsidies last year.
Criticism for this plan are quickly mounting and many have argued that Lincoln’s plan disproportionately benefits large-scale farms while ignoring equally hard hit smaller farms. Ken Cook, the head of The Environmental Working Group, stated that, “There’s the general question of whether we should be subsidizing these big operations year in and year out.†In addition, the same organization argued that, “Small farmers who lost their entire crop are likely to get less help than big farmers who still brought in 95 percent of their crops.â€
Lincoln’s plan has also been criticized for disproportionately sending aid to Arkansas. The EWP has estimated that over $200 million could go to Arkansas farmers, with 270 farms receiving over $100,000. Lincoln’s plan has also received criticism from black lawmakers, who have been seeking $1.2 billion in funding to pay for a promised aid package to black farmers from the USDA. Lincoln defended her plan, stating, “Payment follows production, and if we’re going to feed the 6.6 billion people on the face of this earth, I think we need everybody that farms out there. … We’re feeding and clothing the world and it’s important that we make sure we keep our domestic producers competitive.â€
Federal Reserve stated interest rates likely to rise. Refinance your farm loan before rates go up. Call a representative by dialing 866-929-5585 or visit us online
Congressman Bill Owens recently spoke out in favor of a guest-worker program for agricultural workers. Citing difficulties in finding agricultural labor, Owens suggested that as a uniquely agricultural problem, a new guest-worker program should be passed as a part of an agricultural jobs bill rather than as an attempt to reform American immigration policies.
Congressman Dennis Cardoza, who appeared alongside Owens at a farming forum, agreed that a guest-program was necessary for agricultural development. Cardoza’s Congressional District, in California’s Central Valley, has 20% unemployment and is unable to acquire sufficient farm labor.
In addition to the difficulty in finding new farm labor, many famers complained that it was difficult to retain current farm employees. The current H-2A visa program, which allows foreign nationals to temporarily work within the United States, has been criticized for being heavily bureaucratized. “If you don’t dot all the ‘I’s and cross all the ‘T’s, they bump you back to square one,” said one New York farmer.
Cardoza and Owens are hoping to have a new farm bill, with the guest-worker provision, passed by December 2011. “We’re starting early, and we’re really going to make sure we have the input of areas like this,” Cardoza said, referring to farm roundtables and forums.
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United States trade representatives are pushing emerging markets like China, Brazil, and India to open their agricultural markets to US trade. According to Ron Kirk, US trade representative, [The US was] “taking the lead in pursuing new trade opportunities, with a special focus on the world’s fastest-growing markets.†In an audience with the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Kirk emphasized that the US is committed to establishing trade partnerships with Asia in the form of “a new, high- standard, 21st century Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement that will ensure American farmers and ranchers access to the region’s dynamic and growing markets for decades to come.â€
As the US seeks to expand agricultural trade, the Obama administration remains committed to guaranteeing that US farmers and ranchers benefit from future trade agreements. By resolving trade disputes, American agricultural producers have benefited from increased access to foreign markets. Kirk’s immediate goals are to remove barriers to US beef, dairy, pork, and poultry products in China, Japan, and other major Asian trading partners.
Agricultural trade is vital to the health and wellbeing of the US economy given that 95% of world consumers live outside of the United States. US agricultural exports are estimated to reach $105 billion in the fiscal year 2010. Kirk estimated that every $1 billion of agricultural exports supports about 8,000 jobs in the United States, and that Obama hopes to double American exports over the next five years adding up to two million jobs to the US economy.
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After approaching record highs in 2008, farm expenditures have significantly declined, the first major drop since the 1980s. Nationwide, expenditures decreased $20 billion, or 6.2% per farm. The biggest cause of this decline was the drop in petroleum costs in 2009, which led to a decreased cost for fuel, fertilizers, and agricultural chemical production.
Farmers and ranchers spent $12 billion on fuel costs in 2009. This number is down over 20% from 2008 highs. Average farm fuel expenditures have dropped from $7,300 in 2008, to $5,658 in 2009. In addition to fuel costs, feed costs have decreased 4%, farm service costs have decreased 4.2%, and fertilizer costs have decreased 10%.
Despite these overall savings, some farmers are still feeling a major pinch and many claim that news costs are outweighing fuel savings. Taxes in particular are blamed for many farm declines. “Taxes and energy are the one-two punch that are putting them out of business,” said Patrick Manning, a New York farmer. “My feed prices — I’ve seen them stabilize and certainly gas prices have gone down somewhat but that has been offset by all the taxes New York state has placed on us.” Ron Khosla, a New Paltz farmer said, “Prices aren’t down. I think net profits are the same. … I don’t feel like we are doing better or worse.”
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Farming and ranching today is a significant part of the American economy. While only 1 percent of American citizens are actively engaged in agricultural development, these farmers and ranchers provide food and agricultural products for over 300 million Americans. In addition to the obvious need for fruits and vegetables, farming and ranching creates 1 in 12 jobs and over $20 billion in trade.
In addition to these impacts on the national economy, farming and agriculture is linked to the health of local communities. Over the last 20 years, farmers have worked to develop and maintain consumer relations with locals. These efforts have taken the form of farmers markets and community-supported agriculture. Many farmers even directly sell their produce to local school districts.
These expansions of local agricultural production are extremely beneficial to local economies. Not only do they create lasting ties between agricultural producers and consumers, but they also create employment opportunities and increase income within a community, as discovered by the USDA’s Economic Research Service. A Michigan State University similarly concluded that if Michigan residents met their USDA dietary guidelines for fruits and vegetables by eating locally raised Michigan produce, that the state could generate 2,000 new jobs and $200 million in new income.
While the national economy may still be in a recession, farming and agriculture are vitally important to increasing the economic health of the United States. Farm loan rates are at historic lows starting at only 3.03%. Call 866-929-5585 to speak with a Farm Plus representative today or visit us online for more information.
Community-supported agriculture, also known as CSA, has reshaped the face of agricultural development in local farms across the country. Consumers pay in advance for a season’s worth of agricultural products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, which are delivered weekly by local farmers. CSA programs typically run for about 25 weeks and cost about $20 a box.
Most CSA programs are relatively small and rely heavily on support from the local community. Minto Island Growers, located in Salem Oregon, has 100 customers and typically delivers produce for 25 weeks. Minto Island’s produce shipments typically include staple crops like potatoes, while rounding out deliveries with a variety of other vegetables.
This agricultural diversity is what makes CSA difficult. Juggling the various requirements of a diverse agricultural production can be time consuming. According to Chris Jenkins, a partner at Minto Island, “The hardest part is planning out in advance to have a continuous harvest. It’s hard to have the diversity as well as a continuous harvest so that there are no gaps in abundance of harvest.†Jenkins also claims that due to the diversity of his crops, “The management of our 30 acres is almost like running 500 acres of a monoculture farm.”
Despite the difficulties, many farmers find this kind of agricultural production incredibly rewarding. Jason Salvo, a Seattle-based lawyer, left the legal profession to pursue his dream of farming. According to the USDA, by 2007 there were over 12,000 CSA farms operating in the United States.
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The oldest farm in the United States and one of the oldest businesses in North America announced last week that it was going closing its doors and going out of business. Tuttle farm, located in Dover New Hampshire, was founded in 1632, over 140 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Their announcement cited exhaustion of resources, including financial, as the key reason for the farm’s decline, and Lucy Tuttle, co-owner of the farm, stated, “we’re not able to work to our full capacity any longer, unfortunately.” After eleven-generations of family ownership, the Tuttle farm is experiencing an increasingly common experience in American agriculture, family farms being sold to large-scale agribusinesses. Farm Plus offers help to farmers in this current economic climate. Rates are at historic lows starting at only 2.95%. Call 866-929-5585 to speak with a Farm Plus representative today or visit us online for more information.
The United Farm Workers union launched the “Take Our Jobs” campaign to draw attention to the current fight over immigrants rights.
Many Americans feel that immigrants take jobs and benefits away from citizens, but the union argues that immigrants are needed to do the jobs no Americans want. “Farm workers do the work that most Americans are not willing to do,” union president Arturo Rodriguez told CNN News. According to Rodriguez 500,000 applicants are required to fill the jobs of current immigrants in the agriculture industry.
At takeourjobs.org American citizens can apply for guaranteed farm jobs across the country and since June 4,000 applicants have applied. Only a few dozen completed the application process. Those who apply often are no longer interested when they see the hours and physical labor these jobs require.
Across the United States there are one million farm workers, and of this 85 percent are immigrants. Rodriguez point out that if people who oppose immigration “got their wish and all the unauthorized people went home tomorrow, we would have a crisis. We wouldn’t have anyone to pick the crops, milk the cows or take care of the Christmas trees.”
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