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Posts Tagged ‘farm bureau’
Monday, February 13th, 2012
Testifying in front of the House Agriculture Committee, the California Farm Bureau President addressed proposed federal immigration reform and pushed for major reforms to the guest worker program.
Immigration has been a particularly divisive issue over the past two years, with several states passing tough new immigration laws that criminalize being without documentation, empower the police to question the immigration status of individuals they detain, and require employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the immigration status of potential employees. In the process, these laws have caused significant damage to various state agricultural sectors, with major shortages in available farm labor leading to millions of dollars in lost revenue.
On a federal level, the House of Representatives is considering legislation that would require all American employers to use the E-Verify system in an attempt to crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants.
In his testimony before the House, California Farm Bureau President Paul Wegner questioned the efficacy of mandated E-Verify usage, particularly without a way to protect legal agricultural workers. In his testimony, Wegner said, “E-Verify without a workable, economical way to ensure a legal agricultural work force will be a disaster for American agriculture.”
In addition, Wegner reported a desperate need for reforms to the guest worker program, allowing more workers to legally work and reside in the United States with fewer hassle and less red tape. The domestic workforce will not be enough to fill current agricultural needs, despite high unemployment, Wegner said, creating a need for foreign labor. Without changes to current immigrant labor regulations, the only alternative that many farmers have is to turn to illegal immigrants.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: farm bureau, guest workers program, immigration
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
The Iowa Farm Bureau is stepping up with technology. On June 15 at 7 p.m. they will be holding a state wide web cast to discuss the requirements for ACRE and Program eligibility.
The webcast is endorsed by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa State University and USDA Farm Service Agency.
This educational broadcast will put experts and organization leaders at disposal for anyone who would like current information to help producers make educated decisions.
Guest speakers include: Kevin McClure of the USDA Farm Service Agency, Chart Hart of Iowa State University and Sterling Liddell of the Iowa Farm Bureau. Topics to be covered are Program Eligibility and Payment Limitations, ACRE, ACRE Examples with Crop Risk Model.
The entire webcast will last 1 ½ hours. Participants are encouraged to text questions through ISU Extension technology to the speakers.
For Registration:
Participation is free! Two ways to get the information live:
1. To view the webcast from your home/office computer register here.
Or
2. No need to pre-register if you are without high-speed internet and would like to participate in person at any of the meeting locations listed below free of charge. At location, you will view the webcast over a high speed Internet connection. A local Farm Service Agency staff member will be present at on-site locations to answer questions after the webcast.
Sites will be open at 6:30 p.m.
You can download a PDF here.
Are you looking for farm loan assistance? Farm Plus has low-interest farm loans available today. Call 866-929-5585 or visit online for more information.
Tags: A.C.R.E., farm bureau, podcast
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Earlier this week, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the Department of Agriculture planned to close nearly 250 offices across the country, most of them dealing with aid for farmers.
Currently the USDA operates thousands of offices across the country, ensuring that each rural county has at least one Farm Service Agency office.
USDA office closures have been debated before. In the past several years, the USDA has attempted to shut down unnecessary and inefficient offices around the country. Each time, however, the organization has run into opposition from Congress. Prompted by resistance from farm advocacy organizations, Congress has refused to shutter offices without adequate notification and proof that the local office is not needed.
Vilsack has stated that the closures will not hinder the USDA’s larger mission, saying, “Even with these changes, USDA will still have a strong presence in virtually all counties in the country as well as around the world. Over the long haul, we believe farmers and ranchers across the country will be better served by the choice we made.”
Vilsack claims that the closures will help streamline USDA operations. Replacing physical offices with an increased electronic presence, the USDA claims, will make it easier for farmers to receive federal services. In addition, the closures will help save up to $150 million a year.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: farm bureau, tom vilsack, usda
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Monday, December 12th, 2011
According to surveys conducted by the Illinois Farm Bureau, farmers consider government regulations to be the biggest threat to agricultural profits. The survey, which was filled out by nearly 400 farmers, was an attempt by the Illinois Farm Bureau to “know where our members stand on important issues and their future plans.”
As might be expected, immediate concerns for many farmers were a drop in commodity prices, increased operational costs, and drops in land prices. These fears reflect many current agricultural trends. The current increase in land prices, in part driven by higher commodity prices, has many farmers worried about an agricultural bubble (one they fear may burst, causing a collapse reminiscent of the 1980s).
Long-term concerns, however, tended to focus on the role of the government. Over 40 percent of respondents said that they feared increased government regulation could threaten long-term agricultural profits.
Fear of excessive regulation also has some roots in current agricultural policy. Over the past several months and years, government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency have tightened restrictions on pollution, most notably being the tougher rules regarding sediment deposits in Chesapeake Bay waterways. In addition, the Labor Department recently released new child labor regulations that threaten to alter vastly farm labor practices across the country. Fear of government regulation has even reached a point where politicians are passing laws to ban non-existent federal regulations (see the debate over farm dust).
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: farm bureau, land prices, regulation
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011
The North Dakota Farm Bureau is currently pushing to amend the state constitution to include a right to farm. The amendment is part of an effort to limit the power of local animal rights activists.
Last year, the Humane Society of the United States spearheaded a ballot proposal to ban fenced hunting preserves. Over the last several months, the Human Society, working with other animal rights groups, has attempted to pass animal welfare laws that would significantly alter livestock practices across the country.
This activism has irked farmers across the state, many who see animal rights organizations as outside interlopers. Central North Dakota farmer Doyle Johannes stated, “[the amendment] doesn’t allow someone from the East Coast, the West Coast, to come in here and tell you what you can and can’t do because of their idealistic notions. We want to be able to farm in North Dakota, the way we think we should be able to.”
The amendment would add language to the state constitution, stating “The right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state. No law shall be enacted which abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production and ranching practices.”
While many farmers are supportive of the measure, some worry that its overly broad language could hinder efforts to protect against a neighbor’s livestock odor or prevent the spread of genetically engineered crops. The Farm Bureau needs to collect roughly 27,000 signatures in order to place the amendment on the November ballot.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, farm bureau, Humane Society, north dakota
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Friday, November 4th, 2011
 Photo by Gage Skidmore Former Farm Bureau president Dean Kleckner has recently endorsed Herman Cain for president, stating that he believesthe former pizza CEO would stand up for the rights of farmers. Kleckner’s endorsement could prove to be a major boost to the Cain campaign, which is currently struggling against allegations of sexual harassment.
Kleckner, as the former head of the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Farm Bureau, carries a great deal of influence within the agricultural community. In addition to his ties to the farm community, his ties to the state of Iowa could very well boost Cain’s campaign for the Republican nomination. The Iowa caucus, the first 2012 Republican primary contest in the nation, is a must win for Cain.
Kleckner stated that he believed Cain’s business experience would be beneficial for the agricultural industry. Stating that government overregulation has hurt the farm sector, Kleckner endorsed Cain’s laissez faire style of government.
Cain was equally supportive of Kleckner and the farm industry, stating, “I spent much of my life in the food industry and we could not have succeeded without great American agriculture. I want to thank Mr. Kleckner for his endorsement and let all farmers know that we will stand with them as they try to feed the world.”
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: farm bureau, Herman Cain, iowa
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Sunday, October 9th, 2011
The Missouri Farm Bureau recently donated $25,000 to the Joplin School District’s agriculture program. The money will go in part towards rebuilding from last year’s devastating tornado as well as funding the Future Farmers of America.
Members of the Future Farmers of America praised the donation, hoping that it will help rebuild Joplin’s agricultural technology building and will help stabilize the agricultural program all while reiterating that “farming is not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.”
The donation demonstrates some of the major challenges facing the agricultural sector today, the first being increasingly fickle weather patterns. The string of tornadoes that devastated the Midwest and the South last year were just one part of a larger struggle against unpredictable weather patterns. Over the last several months, floods, droughts, heavy rain, and tornadoes all did significant damage to the the agricultural sector across the country.
In addition to severe weather, farmers today are facing an increasingly graying profession. The average age of farmers has steadily risen over the past decade, climbing as high as 57. Groups like the Farm Bureau and the Future Farmers of America hope that donations and scholarships can go to interesting more young people in an agricultural career and can help stabilize and shrink the age gap in American agriculture today.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: farm bureau, Future Farmers of America, missouri
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Sunday, October 9th, 2011
According to the Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan science curricula may be tilting too far to the left. The controversy arose when the Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center, an outreach program for advanced K-12 students in the Battle Creek, Michigan area, included a self-published book on global warming as a part of their curriculum.
The book, “A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids,” was included as a part of the BCAMSC’s seventh grade science kit, which has been purchased by about 35 schools across the state. This marks the first year that the book has been included in BCAMSC science kits and, since the climate change section in Michigan schools does not appear until midway through the school year, students have not yet seen the book.
The problem, according to the Michigan Farm Bureau, is that the book has an inaccurate and ideologically guided understanding of farm practices. For example, the author claims that vegetarianism can reduce “energy consumption, methane gas, and the potential for disease outbreak.” The book also describes conditions on animal farms as unnatural and horrible.
These indictments of the farm industry are unfair, spokesmen for the Michigan Farm Bureau claim, and ignore many of the efforts made by farmers to mitigate animal suffering on farms and limit the emission of greenhouse gasses. In addition, some of the claims the book makes, such as the idea that farm chemicals will cause cancer, have no supporting evidence.
The book, the Farm Bureau claims, is concerned more with ideology than with science. The Farm Bureau also went to great lengths to praise the overall curriculum of the BCAMSC, saying that it supports teaching the science of climate change. This one book, however, frequently strays from the group’s overall sound curriculum.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: climate change, farm bureau, Michigan
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Monday, October 3rd, 2011
A report funded by agricultural advocacy groups which was critical of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Model was found to be flawed by a scientific panel. This announcement is the latest in a series of battles over the EPA’s increased regulation of the Chesapeake Bay.
Last year, the EPA increased regulatory restrictions on the amount of sediment and pollution that could be discharged into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The new regulations set off a firestorm across the Atlantic seaboard. Farm organizations petitioned Congress to intervene and have sued in federal court to block the implementation of these new regulations.
Some farm groups even sponsored their own scientific investigations. Last December, the Agricultural Nutrient Management Council, which is in part funded by the Farm Bureau, and LimnoTech released a report critical of the EPA’s Bay Model, a model which tracks and monitors pollution in the Chesapeake.
This report was circulated as evidence of the EPA’s poor management and unfair regulatory behavior.
However, the Bay Program’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee recently released a report that blasted the LimnoTech findings, claiming that they misinterpreted model results. Overall, they claimed that the report demonstrated “poor scientific merit.” The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which hired on outside consultant to review the LimnoTech report, came to the same conclusions.
The Agricultural Nutrient Management Council said that the STAC wording was harsh and hoped to review their initial findings. However, they and other farm organizations are adamant that they will continue to fight the EPA’s regulations in order to protect bay area farmers.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: Chespeake Bay, EPA, farm bureau
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Monday, October 3rd, 2011
For the second consecutive year, membership in the Michigan farm Bureau has increased. Regular farmer membership is up to 48,178, an increase from last year of over 1,000 and non-regular associate membership is up to 145, 636, an increase of about 600.
The benefits for individuals and businesses that join the Farm Bureau are many. In addition to access to networking and leadership opportunities, members of the Farm Bureau can participate in grassroots advocacy movements which help develop farm policy, and receive access to discounts from a wide variety of stores and shops.
Michigan, like the rest of the United States, is suffering from the effects of the economic recession. Most industries in the state are currently struggling and many are shrinking or collapsing outright. In the light of these hard economic times, many Michigan politicians have hoped that agricultural production could strengthen the state economy and help blunt the edge of the recession. Cities such as Detroit have embraced urban farming, for example, hoping to revitalize unused city property and create desperately needed urban jobs.
The hopes that many Michiganders have pinned on the agriculture sector appear to be paying off. The steady growth in Farm Bureau membership in the midst of such economic turmoil indicates the strength of the agricultural industry as a whole. Hopefully with increased membership, the Michigan Farm Bureau can add much needed clout to the struggle for a far and equitable Farm Bill for 2012.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: farm bureau, Michigan, usda
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