Alabama’s 2022 state legislative season was a success for agriculture with the passage of key bills. “I would say overall we were very happy with how it went. We had some priorities that we called the farm package here at the Alabama Farmers Federation, and all of that was successful,” said Blake Thaxton, a director with the Alabama Farmers Federation. …
House Ag Advances Key Bills
While key bills ranging from boosting EQIP funding and domestic fertilizer production to increasing meat processing competition moved through House Ag Committee this week, one that moved through is highly controversial. Passed by only a near party-line vote, the “Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act” is sponsored by Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger. “We have already seen that for two-years now, …
Vilsack: ‘Don’t Lose Sight of Farm Families’
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made a plea to the Senate Ag Appropriations Committee in an effort to get help for the nation’s farmers and ranchers who are struggling. The committee met this week to review President Biden’s budget proposal for the Department of Agriculture. “I represented farmers during the 1980s as a small-town lawyer. I can tell you the pain. I can …
Senate Committee Passes WRDA 2022
Last week, the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed its Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022). WRDA provides improvements for the nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure. It’s good news for farmers who transport their crops through the infrastructure system and will allow them to remain competitive …
Rep. Scott Visits Georgia Rodale Institute Farm
Congressman David Scott of Georgia’s 13th district is joining the Rodale Institute, local farmers, researchers, and business owners in an event May 4 that highlights the role of regenerative organic agriculture. Chairman Scott and stakeholders will discuss the research being conducted in Georgia and its prospective uses for farmers, the supply chain, and the climate. Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated …
EPA Sending Biofuel Blending Mandates to White House This Week
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to send the long-awaited 2020-2022 biofuel blending mandates to the White House early this week. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the White House would then be working through a final review of the numbers. The EPA released a proposed rule in December, but it’s not known whether the mandates sent …
Senate Ag Committee Split on Cattle Market Reform Bill
A Senate Ag Committee cattle market reform hearing Tuesday proved again just how divided the industry is over how to deal with packer concentration, and in some cases, how afraid some producers are to say. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley claimed momentum for his Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act ahead of the Senate Ag hearing. “It does not include the …
Federal Wildlife Officials to Weigh Protections for Gopher Tortoises
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE/April 26, 2022) — Federal wildlife officials will decide in the coming months whether increased protections are needed for gopher tortoises, as Florida looks for ways to move the animals out of the path of development. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Center for Biological Diversity reached a settlement Tuesday that will require the federal agency to determine …
‘Clean and Healthy Waters’ Initiative Proposed?
(NSF/Tallahassee/April 25, 2022) — A political committee has filed a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a “fundamental right to clean and healthy waters” and allow lawsuits against state agencies for harm or threatened harm to lakes, rivers, wetlands and other types of water bodies. The committee FloridaRighttoCleanWater.org has proposed the initiative for the 2024 ballot, according to newly posted information …
Phase 1 NEPA Revisions Met with Criticism from Farm Groups
Last week, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced their final adjustments to portions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Several ag groups have raised concern about the Phase 1 NEPA revisions and the negative impact it will have on agriculture. The latest revisions would effectively reverse the amendments made in 2020, which was the first comprehensive update in …