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National Farmers Market Week a time to celebrate abundant, healthy food

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

I’m one of those people who thinks every week should be Farmers Market Week, and one of the miracles of California agriculture is that it’s actually possible in our state. Fresh fruits and vegetables are growing year-round someplace in California, and that provides farmers with the opportunity to bring them to market – direct to consumers.

As we recognize National Farmers Market Week (August 5-11), it’s a great time to celebrate the high-quality, nutritious food brought to us by farmers and ranchers at California’s 827   farmers’ markets, a number that leads the nation.

California was the first state to introduce this concept when Governor Brown, then in his first term in office, signed legislation in 1977 creating certified farmers markets . Prior to that, regulations required farmers to properly pack, size and label their fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables in standard containers to transport and sell anywhere other than the farm site. The action by Governor Brown recognized the importance of direct farmer-to-consumer sales, and these markets are now part of the fabric of many communities throughout the state.  People are more interested than ever in local food and in having relationships with the people who produce it. Farmers markets are perfectly positioned for this.

Certified farmers’ markets are an important source of fresh produce to many seniors and low-income families who can purchase fruits and vegetables through the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program; the Women, Infants and Children’s (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program; and the CalFresh program.   Over the years, farmers’ markets have evolved to offer a diverse array of farm products to include meat and fish products, cheeses, olive oil, wine, flowers and more!

So it’s true – every week is Farmers Market Week. Please try to visit one soon and see its splendors for yourself.

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Climate change is another reason to protect farmland – From the Sacramento Bee’s “Viewpoints” section

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

One of the co-authors of this story, Richard Rominger, is a former CDFA director (now secretary) and USDA deputy secretary. The other co-author, Renata Brillinger, is executive director of the Climate and Agriculture Network.  

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/02/4684014/climate-change-is-another-reason.html

By Rich Rominger and Renata Brillinger
Special to The Bee

Food and farming are a big part of California’s identity. After all, the state produces 400 different crops and livestock products; provides more than half of the U.S. supply of fruits, vegetables and nuts; and is the country’s leading dairy supplier.

Many agricultural landscapes pervade California culture – cattle grazing among oak woodlands; vineyards splashing fall colors; almond orchards blooming pink in spring; vast rows of tomatoes, strawberries and lettuce, and more.

Most Californians take the existence of farming and ranching for granted, but this is a mistake. There are mounting pressures to convert farmland to other types of land uses. More than 1.3 million acres of important farmland and grazing land has been converted to other uses since 1984, including more than 1 million acres lost to urbanization. Most aging farmers want to see their land stay in agriculture, but it’s challenging for new farmers to get into the business because of the high cost of land and equipment, so farm families sometimes have little choice but to sell to developers.

Protecting the state’s working lands is important not just for reasons of culture and identity. Agriculture is a $37 billion industry and the backbone of many rural Californian communities and related industries. California’s Central Valley is one of the last great Mediterranean climate agricultural production areas on the globe, and the food produced here for California and the nation is an issue of national security. There are also recreational benefits to be considered since hunting, hiking and tourism can be compatible on agricultural lands.

Ranches and farms also offer numerous environmental benefits. They provide wildlife habitat for birds, pollinators and many other animals. Importantly in our arid climate – especially because water scarcity will become more acute with climate change – agricultural lands serve as groundwater reservoirs where rainfall penetrates soils, in contrast to paved urban areas. And when farmland is properly managed, it can filter water for nearby communities.

New reports released Tuesday (August 1) by the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Energy Commission provide valuable data on climate change adaptation. One of the studies, funded by the Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program, adds a new and compelling reason to protect California’s working lands. Led by Louise Jackson, a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis, in cooperation with county agencies, conducted an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions on Yolo County farmland and studied how agriculture can adapt to climate change. This study, which can be found at http://agadapt.ucdavis.edu, provides a tool for assessing agriculture’s responses to climate change at the regional level.

Importantly, the study found that urban land accounts for 70 times more greenhouse gas emissions per acre than cropland. According to the authors, this finding “suggests that land-use policies which protect existing farmland from urban development are likely to help stabilize or reduce future emissions, particularly if they are coupled with ‘smart growth’ policies that prioritize urban infill over expansion.”

The authors go on to state that even greater climate benefits can be gained by using farming practices that reduce emissions, sequester carbon and buffer crop production from uncertainties in future climate and fluctuating energy prices.

Until three years ago, the state funded a popular program called the Williamson Act, which offered property tax reductions for farmers who agreed to keep their land in production for 10-year periods. Budget cuts have axed the funds, and there are now virtually no public funds to encourage farmers to hold onto their land.

There are other well-documented policy tools available for protecting farmland. Three ingredients are needed to make them work.

First, we must balance competing uses and develop criteria and guidelines for prioritizing the most high-value agricultural lands. Accommodating a growing population, preparing for a secure renewable energy future and building a 21st-century transportation system must not be accomplished at the cost of paving or “solar paneling” over vast acreages of prime land that we need to feed ourselves.

Second, we must find sources of funding to ensure that maximal community benefit can be obtained from working lands while ensuring that farmers and ranchers can afford to get in and stay in business. One potential source of new funds is California’s cap-and-trade program, which is expected to raise more than a half billion dollars this year, increasing in following years. The Legislature is currently debating an investment plan for the funds; it should include farmland protection.

Third, because land use decisions are difficult, development pressures intense and issues of property rights sometimes contentious, we need political leadership, public awareness and support. Thanks to the team of UC Davis researchers and government funding for their study, we can add climate protection to the compelling list of reasons to invest in the long-term protection of California’s farms and ranches.

Posted in AG Vision, Climate Change | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What happens to school gardens in summer?

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://grist.org/food/no-more-trowels-no-more-roots-what-happens-to-school-gardens-in-summer/

The biggest irony of the school garden is that it often goes untended during summer, the peak season. This is no coincidence; what we now call “summer vacation” used to be the time when most parents needed their children at home in the fields, planting and harvesting.

Now that the majority of Americans are no longer farmers, however, schools have become many children’s sole exposure to agriculture. But the good news is that they’re far from scarce; schools across the country are scrambling to set up food-producing gardens and take advantage of the hands-on lessons they provide.

Alice Waters’ “edible schoolyard,” while no longer considered revolutionary, is still a model for many teachers. FoodCorps, a branch of the AmeriCorps Service Network dedicated to food education, is wrapping up its first year of garden programming in selected schools, and many school districts and nonprofits are embracing school gardens at the local level. But what happens to all these gardens when school’s out for summer?

“There are kinks that haven’t been worked out in a lot of these newer school gardens, summer maintenance being one of them,” said Dana Stevens, a Food Corps member stationed in rural Washington County, Maine. When she arrived, the crop of brand-new school gardens in the area was mostly either left untended June through August or maintained by faculty or community volunteers.

This year, Stevens tried to organize the process. At one of the schools where she’d worked during the year, she created a garden work party schedule for the summer, turning a volunteer chore into an opportunity for a community get-together every couple of weeks. At another school, Stevens ran a weekly summer garden program for second through sixth graders. Every Wednesday, her group of 13 did garden upkeep, played garden-related games, and finished the day by harvesting and cooking a meal together.

Katy Brantley, serving FoodCorps in Monticello, Ark., took a similar approach with the garden at the middle school where she taught. At the end of the school year she put out applications for summer garden interns, and ended up with about 10 kids who would come a couple times a week to help maintain the garden and, like Stevens’ students, cook with fresh ingredients. She said many of these kids hadn’t actually taken garden classes during the school year, so the summer program served as a way to open the curriculum to everyone.

“I [found] some kids who are very dedicated and excited about coming to garden,” Brantley said. “It’s been much easier to keep it alive. It’s not beneficial for just me to be out there.”

Rachel Pringle, director of programs for the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance, said that while the mild California climate means summer can serve as the dormant season for some gardens, “it’s also really wonderful to come back in the fall and have things ready to harvest.” To that end, many of the 80-plus gardens in the alliance have developed summer programming like cooking camps or internships. Schools with heavy parent involvement can rely on families to volunteer for a summer garden maintenance schedule, and in a city with epically long waiting lists for plots at community gardens, such volunteer work has the added benefit of offering would-be gardeners an area of their own to grow things, if only for a limited amount of time. “There are parents actually interested in growing food for themselves over the summer,” Pringle said. “In an urban environment they didn’t have that [space] at home.”

Of course, some volunteers inevitably neglect their garden-work duties. But, Pringle said, “the wonderful thing is that school gardening is an experiment. It’s fun, it’s wild — they’re not perfectly manicured gardens.” And a slightly overgrown plot offers a great opportunity for kids to jump right in and get their hands dirty cleaning it up at the beginning of the school year.

Beyond the practical benefit, summer programs can also be an ideal setting for garden education. Stevens said having students for a full day gave her much more freedom to let lessons follow their natural course. “[It’s] not just a 40-minute classroom session where they’re in and out and may or may not remember what they did that day,” she said. “We can explore what’s actually happening in the garden and what people are interested in.”

Both Stevens and Brantley said having more time to cook in the summer also made a key difference. “It’s really important to have both pieces — working in the garden and learning to use what’s coming out of it,” Stevens said. “When I go into schools to do classes we have to choose one or the other.”

Students can forget a lot of what they learn over summer break — including food and garden lessons. That’s why, Pringle said, “creating an outdoor classroom culture at your school” is a critical part of turning kids into gardeners. “If you have a summer program, that is just reinforcement of all those skills and the culture they’ve been learning throughout the year.”

Though Stevens and Brantley are now wrapping up their yearlong FoodCorps commitments, they’re leaving their schools’ gardens in good shape for the next crop of service members to expand their efforts. After all, as Pringle put it, “school gardens should never be finished.”

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Food Access, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Measuring the Olympics

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Kristin Macey, Director, CDFA Division of Measurement Standards

An Olympics monument in LondonThe Olympic Games are one of the greatest international stages in the world, with the best athletes coming together for feats of skill, strength and endurance. But medal winners rely on more than just ability.  A precise system of measurements, distances and timing is required to maintain the integrity of the competition. Before the games even begin, meticulous care is given to the accuracy of measurements to ensure that athletes compete on a level playing field.

Since times and distances achieved in Olympic events are compared to those of past Olympians, measurement is crucial. For example, every four years a different city and country host the games; thus, a different swimming pool and track and more must be provided each time.  The ability to consistently reproduce a pool length exactly 50 meters (not 50.01 or 49.99) or a track 400 meters long (not 400.01 or 399.99) may not appear to be significant.  However, when you consider that additional length equals extra time and that some races are won by one- thousandth of a second, it becomes clear that precise distances are a big deal.

Accurate timing is essential. Modern timing devices are much more precise than earlier models, allowing for more accurate measurements. When something goes wrong, the results can be permanent. For example, in this year’s games, a faulty clock may have cost a South Korean fencer an opportunity for a medal.

The Modern Olympic Games started in 1896 in Athens.  Officials at these games relied on analog stopwatches.  At the 1912 Stockholm games, electronic stopwatches were used for the first time, but finishes were still hand-timed.  The margin of error was 0.2 seconds.  An athlete could travel a distance of two meters in this time.  In 1932, at the Los Angeles games, thirty precision chronograph stopwatches were used for each event.  The degree of accuracy was then at one-tenth of a second.  In London, in 1948, the first photo-finish camera was used and revolutionized timekeeping, and the degree of accuracy was improved to a hundredth of a second.

As exciting as the Olympic Games are, and how important accurate measurement is to their success, on a more ordinary level, precise measurement also impacts our everyday lives. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Measurement Standards is responsible for the accuracy of measurement in many routine transactions, such as shopping at the grocery store, buying gasoline at a service station, or riding in a taxi. We consider every day to be the Olympics for our system of weights and measures and the protections it provides in commerce.

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News Release – CDFA to establish climate change consortium to help specialty crop growers plan for future impacts

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

California’s specialty crops account for more than half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts as well as nearly $7 billion dollars of exports worldwide. California’s production of diverse specialty crops is threatened by potential climate-related phenomena, including reduced water supplies, increased plant heat stress, decreased chill hours, shifts in pollinator lifecycles and increased influx of invasive species. Addressing these risks to ensure agricultural adaptation to climate change will require a concerted effort and is an objective of California Agricultural Vision: Strategies for Sustainability.

Climate change and its impacts are frequently discussed in the agricultural community, but there is a need for a strategic evaluation of these risks as well as a compilation of potential solutions. To address this need, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is announcing the establishment of a consortium of growers, educators, and technical experts in California to study and make recommendations on strategies for climate change adaptation.

The consortium will consist of:
• Four members from different agricultural associations and commodity groups in California
• One grower of each of the following specialty food crops; grapes, strawberries, almonds, tomatoes, walnuts, lettuce, citrus, pistachios, broccoli, and tree fruits.
• One scientist from the University of California system
• One extension specialist from the University of California Cooperative Agriculture
• One scientist from the California State University system
• One member that is a licensed Pest Control Adviser/Crop Control Adviser
• One member that is an Agricultural Commissioner
• One member from the California Resource Conservation Districts

Four two-day workshops are planned: Modesto (November, 2012), Tulare (January, 2013), Napa (March, 2013), and San Diego (May, 2013). At each session, the consortium members will hear about recent scientific findings, consider information shared by stakeholders, and compile specific practical solutions for the adaptation of California’s specialty crops to climate change. Recommendations made by the consortium will be made available to the secretary of CDFA and distributed to stakeholders with the goal of helping growers adapt to climate change impacts.

Attendance at these workshops by consortium members is mandatory. Travel expenses for the consortium members to attend the two-day sessions will be reimbursed.

Individuals interested in being considered for the consortium are encouraged to send a brief resume by September 5, 2012 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N Street, Room 315, Sacramento, CA 95814, Attn: Carolyn Cook or via email carolyn.cook@cdfa.ca.gov.

The intended outcome of this consortium’s work is to help growers prepare for future impacts from climate change through practical, strategic solutions.

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Climate Change, Environment, Specialty Crops, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

West Nile virus in horses – first case of 2012

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Dr. Annette Jones, California State Veterinarian

Golden horseAn unfortunate annual event occurred last week – for the first time in 2012, a horse in California was found to have west Nile virus. The two-year old filly from Stanislaus County wasn’t vaccinated and had to be euthanized.

Each year, we find ourselves using this sad occasion to remind horse owners to have their animals vaccinated. It offers them maximum protection against the disease. And once vaccinations occur, horse owners should be checking regularly with their veterinarians to make sure they stay current.

Californians can also do their part to prevent the disease by managing mosquitoes, which carry west Nile virus. Please eliminate standing water and work to limit mosquito access to horses by stabling during active mosquito feeding times such as dusk to dawn, and by utilizing fly sheets, masks or permethrin-based mosquito repellents.

It’s important to remember that mosquitoes become infected with the virus when they feed on infected birds.  Horses are a dead-end host and do not spread the virus to other horses or humans. For more information on west Nile virus, please visit CDFA’s web site.

Posted in Animal health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Farmers help save rare tricolored blackbirds by delaying harvests- Fresno Bee

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

Flock of birdshttp://www.fresnobee.com/2012/07/28/2927254/valley-farmers-help-save-tricolored.html

Shortly before harvest this spring, thousands of rare birds suddenly flocked to a Tulare County wheat field and nested — setting the stage for a vast killing field with baby birds.

But the dairy farmer who was growing the wheat as feed for his cows delayed long enough to save thousands of tricolored blackbirds, averting a wildlife disaster.

He was one of four dairy farmers in the San Joaquin Valley who held off harvests this year to protect more than 20% of the tricolored blackbird’s global population. The federal government spent $100,000 helping the farmers replace the feed.

It’s a success story that seems as rare as the tricolored blackbird. In an era when regulation and lawsuits drive environmental reform, this voluntary collaboration saves birds, keeps dairy farms in business and leaves out lawyers.

“Dairy farmers see this as a win-win,” said Michael Marsh, chief executive officer of Western United Dairymen, a Modesto-based industry group representing 900 dairies.

Western United works with Audubon California and government agencies to save the remaining blackbirds, which once numbered in the millions. There are 260,000 left in the world, and more than 95% of them are in California.

For dairy owners, the partnership makes sense because it is a major influence in keeping the bird off the protection list for the federal Endangered Species Act, which can be stifling to business and industry.

But nature also plays a part. The tricolored birds gather in huge breeding colonies — they are the most colonial birds in North America. It’s not unusual to see 30,000 in a single farm field.

Decades ago, they nested in the coastal wetlands and inland marshes of Central California. But their historic breeding grounds have disappeared as development and farming spread during the last century.

The birds still nest wherever they can find freshwater marshes among the cattails in the Valley. But the blackbirds will readily settle for alfalfa, hay and wheat fields where they can easily fill their dietary needs.

It results in a nervous turf conflict with dairy farmers, who need the silage to feed their herds.

The birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as well as being a species of concern for both the state and federal government.

But the powerful Endangered Species Act is not yet involved. An example of its impact: Irrigation water deliveries from Northern California have been slowed or stopped to protect dying fish species.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an Arizona-based nonprofit environmental watchdog, sought the protection of the act several years ago. But federal leaders declined, saying there was not yet enough evidence.

Now nobody is pushing for the act, said Keillor Kyle, an expert with Audubon on the tricolored blackbird. “We are pleased that farmers are willing to help protect this native California bird,” he said. “Everybody is onboard with pushing up the numbers of this bird.”

The challenge is spotting the birds and reacting quickly enough to save them in spring. The birds arrive at farm fields in March and April, just before silage crops are harvested.

Everyone — from Audubon volunteers to staffers on government wildlife refuges — is on the lookout for possible nesting sites throughout the Valley. Everyone involved does a lot of driving and looking in spring.

When farmers spot a breeding colony, they can notify the Natural Resources Conservation Service, part of the Agriculture Department, which has field biologists who help track the birds. The agency also provides financial assistance so farmers can delay the harvest.

The Tulare County dairy farmer who saved thousands of birds this year worked with federal biologist Jesse Bahm. He and other dairy farmers involved chose not to be interviewed.

“We try to sign up as many willing farmers as we can find,” said Alan Forkey, the service’s assistant state conservationist, based in Davis. “We’re reaching out to let people know our program is here.”

But Forkey and others say it’s not enough to simply avert massive losses in silage fields. They want to develop alternatives for blackbirds to nest in natural habitat, rather than in farm fields.

The remaining wetlands in the Valley could be flooded in spring to attract the blackbirds, said Kyle of Audubon. He said private land as well as state and federal wetland refuges could play a role. Kyle is looking for help from any agency or individual who is willing.

“California had one of the biggest wetlands systems in the world at one time,” Kyle said. “Spring flood events were natural. If we could provide the natural habitat, the birds would move away from dairies.”

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California State Fair brings together farming, heritage and communities

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda
Secretary Ross discusses aquaponics with aspiring grower Nataliya Chukhvantseva at the 2012 California State Fair.

Secretary Ross discusses aquaponics with aspiring grower Nataliya Chukhvantseva at the 2012 California State Fair.

I had a chance to visit the California State Fair this week and, as the fair nears the end of another successful run at Cal Expo, I thought I would take a moment to share my thoughts about its meaning and the various ways it and other fairs connect to our everyday lives.

Fairs are about communities, and that’s a concept that runs throughout the State Fair. Communities of young and future farmers showing animals; communities of artists and photographers proudly showing their work; communities of performers; and California’s counties gathering as a community to share exhibits that tell their unique and diverse stories.

The State Fair Board of Directors and staff honor communities in their own way – with annual activities that precede the fair run, including the State Fair Gala – an event that celebrates California agriculture and raises funds for student scholarships awarded by the non-profit “Friends of the California State Fair.”

During this year’s Gala, the State Fair recognized new members of the Agricultural Heritage Club.  Every year, farms, ranches and other agribusinesses are spotlighted for being in California for 100 years or more. It is such an important distinction and a testimony to the resiliency and innovation of agriculture – the financial commitment, environmental stewardship, and community contributions of families who have persevered and thrived for multiple generations. This year, 17 different businesses were honored, from San Diego County to Shasta County, from the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada to Monterey County in the west. Agriculture is everywhere in California. It provides for us in the present, it is our future and, of course, it’s our glorious heritage.

Other awards at the Gala include the Agriculturalist of the Year, who, in 2012, is my good friend and predecessor as secretary at CDFA, A.G. Kawamura.  A.G. has cultivated a lifelong passion for farming and ending hunger. As Secretary, he was commited to expanding agricultural education and improving access to nutrition programs and healthy food. I congratulate A.G. for his many achievements throughout his career. He is a wonderful choice for Agriculturalist of the Year.

Food and farming are, of course, essential for all our communities. We are very, very fortunate to be able to celebrate that at the California State Fair and the many terrific fairs throughout the state.

Posted in Agricultural Education, Fairs, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Solar panels and onion power show the way to Ag energy self-sufficiency

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda
Secretary Ross at the Duda Farm Fresh Foods/Gills Onions renewable energy event in Ventura County, with, from left-to-right, Gordon Burns, Undersecretary, Cal-EPA; Sam Duda; David Gill; Rory Bruton, a local fourth grader who spoke of being inspired by local growers; Steve Gill and Danny Duda.

Secretary Ross at the Duda Farm Fresh Foods/Gills Onions renewable energy event in Ventura County, with, from left-to-right, Gordon Burns, Undersecretary, Cal-EPA; Sam Duda; David Gill; Rory Bruton, a local fourth grader who spoke of being inspired by local growers; Steve Gill and Danny Duda.

One of the strategic objectives of Ag Vision: Strategies for Sustainability is to achieve the maximum usage of renewable energy by agriculture, thereby increasing economic productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.  Governor Brown has demonstrated important leadership with policy and legislative initiatives to help the state expand renewable energy opportunities, especially from forest biomass and byproducts from farms and processors.

Innovative farmers and agribusinesses up and down the state are making investments in solar, wind and digester technology to be more energy self-sufficient.  On a recent trip to Ventura County, I saw an impressive new installation of 2,100 square feet of solar panels,  producing 24,000 kilowatt hours of power each month at the Duda Farm Fresh Foods celery packaging facility.

Just across the street, I saw first-hand the creative solutions adopted by Gills’ Onions to achieve the family’s sustainability goals. Gills Onions has developed a system that produces clean energy from the byproducts of processed onions – converting 100% of daily onion waste (up to 300,000 lbs) into renewable energy and cattle feed. And now, the company has partnered with Prudent Energy to install the world’s largest flow battery project of its kind. The battery provides 3.6 megawatts of onsite electricity storage – onion power! The storage will reduce the need for energy purchases during peak demand periods and enable the company to avoid additional greenhouse gas emissions. I was honored to be invited to an event earlier this month introducing these exciting developments and celebrating the commitment of these two leading produce families to smart business decisions that are good for the environment, their community and their bottom line.

Innovative programs like these are reasons why Governor Brown has made renewable energy a cornerstone of his policy platform. Beyond the environmental benefits, which are universally recognized, the governor sees value to California’s economic recovery. Investments in clean energy produce two to three times as many jobs per dollar as gas, oil or coal, and dollars invested in clean energy tend to stay in California. So, the potential is real – we just need to grab it and move forward, or, if you wish, start peeling back the layers of the onion.

Solar panels at the Duda Family Fresh Farms celery facility in Oxnard.

Solar panels at the Duda Family Fresh Farms celery facility in Oxnard.

Posted in AG Vision, Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Environment, Specialty Crops, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

USDA Secretary Vilsack Announces New Drought Assistance Efforts

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/07/0247.xml&contentidonly=true

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new flexibility and assistance in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s major conservation programs to get much-needed help to livestock producers as the most wide-spread drought in seven decades intensifies in the United States. Vilsack also announced plans to encourage crop insurance companies to provide a short grace period for farmers on unpaid insurance premiums, as some farming families can be expected to struggle to make ends meet at the close of the crop year.

“President Obama and I are committed to getting help to producers as soon as possible and sustaining the success of America’s rural communities through these difficult times,” said Vilsack. “Beginning today, USDA will open opportunities for haying and grazing on lands enrolled in conservation programs while providing additional financial and technical assistance to help landowners through this drought. And we will deliver greater peace of mind to farmers dealing with this worsening drought by encouraging crop insurance companies to work with farmers through this challenging period. As severe weather and natural disasters continue to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our farming families, we want you and your communities to know that USDA stands with you.”

The assistance announced uses the Secretary of Agriculture’s existing authority to help create and encourage flexibility within four USDA programs: the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and the Federal Crop Insurance Program.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

To assist farmers and ranchers affected by drought, Vilsack is using his discretionary authority to allow additional acres under CRP to be used for haying or grazing under emergency conditions. CRP is a voluntary program that provides producers annual rental payments on their land in exchange for planting resource conserving crops on cropland to help prevent erosion, provide wildlife habitat and improve the environment. CRP acres can already be used for emergency haying and grazing during natural disasters to provide much needed feed to livestock. Given the widespread nature of this drought, forage for livestock is already substantially reduced. The action today will allow lands that are not yet classified as “under severe drought” but that are “abnormally dry” to be used for haying and grazing. This will increase available forage for livestock. Haying and grazing will only be allowed following the local primary nesting season, which has already passed in most areas. Especially sensitive lands such as wetlands, stream buffers and rare habitats will not be eligible.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

To assist farmers and ranchers affected by drought, Vilsack is using his discretionary authority to provide assistance to farmers and ranchers by allowing them to modify current EQIP contracts to allow for prescribed grazing, livestock watering facilities, water conservation and other conservation activities to address drought conditions. EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers on their land to address natural resource concerns on agricultural and forest land. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will work closely with producers to modify existing EQIP contracts to ensure successful implementation of planned conservation practices. Where conservation activities have failed because of drought, NRCS will look for opportunities to work with farmers and ranchers to re-apply those activities. In the short term, funding will be targeted towards hardest hit drought areas.

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

To assist farmers and ranchers affected by drought, Vilsack is using his discretionary authority to authorize haying and grazing of WRP easement areas in drought-affected areas where such haying and grazing is consistent with conservation of wildlife habitat and wetlands. WRP is a voluntary conservation easement program that provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers to restore and protect valuable wetland resources on their property. For producers with land currently enrolled in WRP, NRCS has expedited its Compatible Use Authorization (CUA) process to allow for haying and grazing. The compatible use authorization process offers NRCS and affected producers with the management flexibility to address short-term resource conditions in a manner that promotes both the health of the land and the viability of the overall farming operation.

Federal Crop Insurance Program

To help producers who may have cash flow problems due to natural disasters, USDA will encourage crop insurance companies to voluntarily forego charging interest on unpaid crop insurance premiums for an extra 30 days, to November 1, 2012, for spring crops. Policy holders who are unable to pay their premiums in a timely manner accrue an interest penalty of 1.25 percent per month until payment is made. In an attempt to help producers through this difficult time, Vilsack sent a letter to crop insurance companies asking them to voluntarily defer the accrual of any interest on unpaid spring crop premiums by producers until November. In turn, to assist the crop insurance companies, USDA will not require crop insurance companies to pay uncollected producer premiums until one month later.

Thus far in 2012, USDA has designated 1,297 counties across 29 states as disaster areas, making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans. Increasingly hot and dry conditions from California to Delaware have damaged or slowed the maturation of crops such as corn and soybeans, as well as pasture- and range-land. Vilsack has instructed USDA subcabinet leaders to travel to affected areas to augment ongoing assistance from state-level USDA staff and provide guidance on the department’s existing disaster resources. To deliver assistance to those who need it most, the Secretary recently reduced the interest rate for emergency loans from 3.75 percent to 2.25 percent, while lowering the reduction in the annual rental payment to producers on CRP acres used for emergency haying or grazing from 25 percent to 10 percent. Vilsack has also simplified the Secretarial disaster designation process and reduced the time it takes to designate counties affected by disasters by 40 percent.

USDA agencies have been working for weeks with state and local officials, as well as individuals, businesses, farmers and ranchers, as they begin the process of helping to get people back on their feet. USDA offers a variety of resources for states and individuals affected by the recent disasters. For additional information and updates about USDA’s efforts, please visit www.usda.gov/drought.

The Obama Administration, with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, has worked tirelessly to strengthen rural America, maintain a strong farm safety net, and create opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its most productive periods in American history thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of our producers. A strong farm safety net is important to sustain the success of American agriculture. USDA’s crop insurance program currently insures 264 million acres, 1.14 million policies, and $110 billion worth of liability on about 500,000 farms. In response to tighter financial markets, USDA has expanded the availability of farm credit, helping struggling farmers refinance loans. In the past 3 years, USDA provided 103,000 loans to family farmers totaling $14.6 billion. Over 50 percent of the loans went to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

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