Welcome to the New England Farmers Union

News

First Annual Meeting of NEFU Membership and Friends
NEFU invites you to our first annual meeting!

When: Wednesday, December 15, 2-9:00PM
Where: Doyle Conservation Center, Leominster, Massachusetts

Afternoon Program (2-6PM): Come join us for small group sessions to discuss various aspects of NEFU policy. Topics and times to be announced. If you are interested in more information about New England policies and the process we are using to develop our policy book, feel free to be in touch with Winton Pitcoff at winton@NewEnglandFarmersUnion.org or Bob Wagner at bwagner954@yahoo.com.

Evening Program (6-9PM): The evening will include locally grown food; keynote address from Roger Johnson, President NFU; other distinguished guests; an update on NEFU accomplishments and plans for the future; election of Board of Directors; and a vote on the first New England Farmers Union Policy Book.

RSVP: Kindly RSVP by email to NewEnglandFarmersUnion@gmail.com or by phone to 413-625-3051 by December 10. Please indicate which programs (afternoon, evening, or both) you plan to attend. We encourage you to bring a friend and introduce them to the important work of New England Farmers Union!

Looking for overnight accommodations?
Click the following links for more information about these area hotels:
Sheraton Four Points
Super 8
Wachusett Inn

Going beyond the Farmers Market: Taking the Next Step Toward a Secure New England Food System October 20-22, 2010, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut

From October 20-22, 2010, Brittany Jablonsky, National Farmers Union (NFU) Government Relations Representative, will be touring southern New England to meet with farmers, fishermen, nurserymen, consumers, and other stakeholders to discuss how New England can strengthen its voice for agriculture and food system policy in Washington, DC. With 35 members of Congress, New England represents a sizeable block of votes for agricultural and fisheries issues. Though many of our members from southern New England are from urban centers, consumers in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts are passionate about local food and farmers. Ms. Jablonsky will discuss how we can reach out to those policy makers to build momentum for New England farmers and fishermen.

In her current role, Brittany advocates for family farmers and rural communities in Congress and with the administration. Her areas of focus include specialty crops and organics, agricultural research, hunger and nutrition, beginning farmers, co-ops, and credit. She has also worked on food safety legislation. Before joining the Government Relations staff at NFU, Ms. Jablonsky served as the Education Director, coordinating outreach to young members and educating individuals of all ages about rural and agricultural issues. While in that position, she directed a summer leadership camp for nearly 100 Farmers Union youth from across the nation. Brittany grew up on a family farm in North Dakota, where her family continues to raise wheat and cattle.

NEFU invites you to help shape the agenda for these meetings. A draft itinerary is being developed: October 20 (2-3 events) in Providence, RI and eastern Massachusetts; October 21 (3 events) in the Boston area, western Massachusetts and Connecticut; October 22 (2 events) in Connecticut. Locations are being arranged. If you are interested in more information or letting us know what topics matter most to you, contact NewEnglandFarmersUnion@gmail.com or call 413-625-3051.

National Farmers Union Reps Tour Region
August 18, 2010—WCAX News
By Adam Sullivan

Representatives from the National Farmers Union are touring New England this week, reaching out to small and middle-sized farms.

Union officials are traveling to co-ops throughout the region spreading their message. They say farmers in New England are not being adequately represented in legislation coming out of Washington, D.C. The tour is focused on the New England Farmers Union which was created four years ago in an attempt to help give smaller farms a larger voice.

"There is definitely a gap from hearing from producers. And when I say producers, I mean of all types of fruits, vegetables, livestock and dairy here in New England," said Chandler Goule of the National Farmers' Union. "And so, we have now reached out to New England farmers Union, which would be a sub division of National and we are meeting with producers in the area to hear what their concerns are, and how they can be better represented in D.C. As the 2012 farm bill comes to fruition."

The group is also visiting Montpelier, St. Albans, Brattleboro and Littleton, NH.

NEFU Receives $202,799 Conservation Innovation Grant
August 17, 2010

The New England Farmers Union (NEFU) is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to develop greenhouse gas offsets derived from regional growers and landowners and then make the offsets available to colleges, utilities, and other New England companies.

We will begin the project with a market analysis to gauge interest among:

New England based corporations to incorporate locally sourced carbon offsets into their social responsibility goals;
institutions of higher education to uphold their commitments to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from specified campus operations, including those that have signed on to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment;
and fossil fuel based local utilities, which are likely to be capped under a future federal cap and trade system.

The public relations benefits are significant--not only with offsetting greenhouse gas emissions but also taking advantage of the substantial "buy local" sentiment in the region by using high quality offsets that support local farmers. NEFU will also explore opportunities to collaborate with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Because farmers/landowners generally do not gain enough financial benefits from carbon credits to motivate them to pursue eligible practices for the credit income alone, we will structure New England's regional program on practices that producers are willing to undertake for other reasons, such as increasing their operation's competitiveness.

We will convene focus groups from seven major agricultural sectors in New England with the goal of identifying practices that enhance the competitive position of producers and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Based on a nine-criteria analysis, we will identify the most viable practices and protocols.

We expect the resulting crediting practices, which will align emissions reductions with the concurrent goal of improving competitiveness, to generate greater producer participation and to enhance program benefits, which include the following:

reductions in greenhouse gas emissions;
additional revenue streams for New England agricultural producers;
increased competitiveness of New England agricultural producers;
and an additional revenue source to complement existing federal and state programs that help overcome the high initial costs of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

NEFU was able to develop this project thanks to early funding from Farm Aid. We are also grateful for support from Senator Lieberman, Representatives Olver and Michaud, and National Farmers Union.

To view our press release, click here.

NEFU seeks partnerships with departments of agriculture, conservation commissions, agricultural commissions, other carbon market projects, and concerned citizens throughout the region.

For more information about this exciting opportunity, contact John Ferris at john@NewEnglandFarmersUnion.org.

NFU President Speaks at Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association Annual Meeting
August 17, 2010—WASHINGTON

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson addressed the 123rd Annual Meeting of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association (CCCGA) today. CCCGA is an affiliate member of the New England Farmers Union (NEFU).

“The New England Farmers Union and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association have worked hand-in-hand since 2006 to help cranberry growers achieve successes in Washington,” said NEFU President Annie Cheatham. “The National Farmers Union Board of Directors made a commitment to build a strong New England membership and we are pleased to welcome Roger to New England to convey NFU’s commitment to cranberry growers and New England farmers and fishermen.”

Johnson spoke briefly to the group about the importance of New England cranberry growers and all farmers and fishermen having a voice not only in their region, but also in Washington, D.C., in order to influence policy directly impacting their operations.

“The relationship between CCCGA and New England Farmers Union is one of great importance,” said Johnson. “As we talk about and take action on the 2012 Farm Bill, it will be vital for all U.S. farmers, ranchers and fishermen to come together in order to make the most of the limited resources available.”

Johnson also addressed the need for reasonable pesticide laws and regulations that will allow cranberry growers to continue to produce a quality, safe product while being conscious of the environment.

“NFU seeks regulatory certainty for producers who properly use pesticides to manage their crops,” said Johnson. “We are encouraged by legislation brought forward by Senators Lincoln and Chambliss and Congressman Lucas that would provide certainty for producers who comply with label instructions under FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act).”

National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.

For more information about this exciting opportunity, contact John Ferris at john@NewEnglandFarmersUnion.org.

Bill Passes to Create Massachusetts Food Policy Council
August 12, 2010—Valley Advocate

Near the end of a recent session in Massachusetts, legislators passed a bill to create a Massachusetts Food Policy Council. The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Steven Kulik—a Franklin County Democrat and champion of local agriculture. "By building ties between agencies and stakeholders, the Council will strengthen relationships between Massachusetts farmers and communities to address inadequate access to healthy, affordable food," Kulik said in a statement announcing the bill's passage. According to Agriculture Commissioner Scott J. Soares, Governor Patrick signed the bill earlier this week. [read more]

Thanks to every one who contacted their state representatives in support of this important bill.

NUSDA Forecasts Annual Cranberry Production
June, 2010

Concord, NH—In August of each year, USDA publishes the official cranberry production forecast for the five majorcranberry-producing States. In Massachusetts, the survey is conducted by the New England Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The other four States in USDA’s cranberry estimation program are New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

“The Cranberry Growers Survey is the only chance to officially forecast production of the 2010 crop,” explained Gary Keough, Director of the NASS New England Field Office. Approximately 350 Massachusetts growers will be surveyed in this effort. The questionnaire will be mailed near the end of July with phone follow-up in early August. As with all NASS surveys, individual information provided by respondents is held confidential by law. “NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses and publishes only aggregate totals, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” stated Keough.

Representatives from the NASS New England Field Office will contact Massachusetts cranberry growers and ask them to provide information on their acreage and expected production. Forecasted production estimates for the 2010 crop will be published on August 17, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in the Cranberries release. You can get a copy of the report by going to the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov or by calling the NASS New England Field Office at 1-800-642-9571.

The Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates Applauds the House of Representatives
for Approving $1.15 Billion Settlement in 2010 Jobs Bill—Senate Action Still Needed
May 28, 2010

ATLANTA—Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that will fund the second phase of the Black Farmer (Pigford) lawsuit against the US Department of Agriculture. Importantly, funding for both the Black Farmer lawsuit and the Native American (Cobell) lawsuit were covered under today’s House approved H.R. 4213 “The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010”.

This is a significant step toward finally offering relief to thousands of Black farmers across the country who have for decades suffered because of discrimination from their own government. This passage in the House of Representatives represents years of advocacy from farmers and farm groups who have together worked to ensure that funding for plaintiffs in the lawsuit will be available. The passage also represents the important leadership of the Obama Administration and those in Congress who have prioritized to finally offer a resolution to redress this past discrimination.

Those working diligently to offer relief to farmers includes the “Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates” that together represent the vast majority of Black farmers in the country. The groups in the Network are the: Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation, Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, Land Loss Prevention Project, Mississippi Family Farmers Association, Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project, Rural Advancement Fund, United Farmers – USA, and the Texas Landowners Association.

It has been more than 10 years that thousands of farmers filed petitions in the lawsuit. Some of these farmers have now died, some are retired or disabled, some have lost their land and some are still farming. The fact is that justice delayed is justice denied. That the House of Representatives and the Obama Administration have chosen to take a proactive stand and finally end this long delay of justice demonstrates a significant step forward.

We now look forward to the U.S. Senate continuing with this momentum by also passing the “The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010” when they return from the recess on June 7, 2010. Resolution of the Pigford lawsuit will help many Black farmers to retain their land and continue to farm.

Members of the Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation
Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund
Mississippi Family Farmers Association
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project
Rural Advancement Fund
Operation Springplant
Texas Landowners Association
United Farmers USA

Tax extenders bill update
May 20, 2010

Today the House and Senate unveiled a compromise on the tax extenders bill, H.R. 4213, that includes several provisions important to agriculture.

More information about the bill and timing can be found in the CQ article (read pdf). The new compromise (download full summary) would provide the following:

Assistance for 2009 agricultural losses for crops, including specialty crops, livestock, sugar, aquaculture, cottonseed, and poultry. In addition to approximately $1 billion in supplemental direct payments to producers with a minimum 5-percent loss in production, the bill would provide $42 million in cottonseed assistance, $25 million in aquaculture assistance, $21 million to a Hawaiian sugar cane cooperative, $75 million to poultry producers, and $150 million for specialty crop producers. The program is designed for payments to be issued quickly through USDA and State block grants. This provision is estimated to cost $1.479 billion over ten years.

Extension of tax incentives for biodiesel and renewable diesel. The bill would extend for one year (through 2010) the $1.00 per gallon production tax credit for biodiesel and the small agri-biodiesel producer credit of 10 cents per gallon. The bill would also extend for one year (through 2010) the $1.00 per gallon production tax credit for diesel fuel created from biomass. This proposal is estimated to cost $868 million over 10 years.

Credit for electricity produced at certain open-loop biomass facilities. The bill would extend the credit period under the production tax credit for electricity produced at open-loop biomass facilities that were placed in service prior to January 1, 2005 from five years to six years. In the sixth year, the credit provided to these facilities is reduced by twenty-percent (20%). This proposal is estimated to cost $84 million over 10 years.

Extension of tax incentive for liquid fuels derived from biomass, biogas, natural gas and propane used as a fuel in transportation vehicles. The bill would extend for one year (through 2010) the $0.50 per gallon alternative fuel tax credit for liquid fuels derived from biomass, compressed or liquefied biogas, natural gas and propane. The bill would not extend this credit any liquid fuel derived from a pulp or paper manufacturing process (i.e., black liquor). This proposal is estimated to cost $96 million over 10 years. [read the full summary]

R.I. gets first home-grown bread in years
By Ted Nesi and Alissa Foley, PBN staff writers
Published by Providence Business News online April 20, 2010

PROVIDENCE—Seven Stars Bakery has begun selling the first loaves of bread in decades made from start to finish in Rhode Island. [read more]

Photo: FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND
THE NEW RYE made in Rhode Island by Seven Stars Baker, Schartner Farms and Kenyon’s Grist Mill is based on Vollkornbrot, a dense German bread.

Food Safety Bill Could Take Bite Out of Small Producers
April 14, 2010—Billings Gazette
By Tom Lutey

America’s food safety laws need tightening, but not if small producers and farmers’ markets are harmed, said U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who worries that new reforms could clobber the local-food movement.

Wednesday, the Montana Democrat rolled out two amendments exempting small food producers from a broad overhaul of food-borne illness regulations.

The Food Safety Modernization Act is headed to the Senate floor next week. Proponents say the act is good medicine for a food industry stricken by high-profile outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella in recent years. Among other things, the bill requires better record keeping, testing and tracking from food producers of all sizes.

Small producers, who contend they’re not the source of the nation’s food problems, say the costs of meeting the new regulations will put them out of business.

“What they’re really after is having everybody who makes or sells a product have a tracking system,” said Perry McNeese of Good Earth Market. “That’s one piece of it. That kind of record keeping for a small producer can become astronomical.”

Good Earth Market relies upon 81 small vendors producing everything from baked goods to jam, McNeese said. Most of those businesses are one-person operations. Collectively, they might do less than $400,000 in business a year with the Billings food cooperative. The tight relationship Good Earth has with its vendors would make it easy to respond to any food problem, he said. The small vendors are responsive in ways larger ones aren’t.

Tester echoed those sentiments while announcing his amendments during a press conference between Senate votes.

“We’re really taking a punch at people who don’t need to have a punch taken at them,” Tester said.

State and local regulations apply to small producers, which should be enough, the senator said. His two amendments would assure that producers with adjusted gross incomes of less than $500,000 a year would only answer to state and local laws for processed food. Producers selling food directly through farmers’ markets would also be exempt.

Not everyone believes local food is so wholesome that it should be exempted from food safety reforms. Howard Reid, who oversees food and consumer safety for Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services, said the food-borne illnesses handled by his office stem from various sources, including small producers. For that reason, he supports regulating small producers under the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Sandra Eskin, who oversees food safety issues for the Pew Charitable Trusts, said Montana has food-borne illness outbreaks in its fairly recent past. In 1995, E. coli contaminated lettuce sickened nearly 100 people in the Missoula area. Health officials traced the outbreak back to a half-dozen lettuce farms selling produce under the same brand, but that’s where they lost the trail. Without traceability, inspectors weren’t able to positively identify which of the farms caused the contamination. They did note that one Montana farm was using a manure-contaminated stock pond to water its lettuce.

Eskin said there should be regulation of scale, which she thinks the pending legislation allows and the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture will accommodate.

“I’m sympathetic to their concerns,” Eskin said of the small producers, “but get in there and give us solutions. Tell the FDA and USDA what you can do, not what you can’t.” [click here to find out what you can do]

NFU Commends House on Historic Health Care Vote
March 21, 2010

National Farmers Union President (NFU) Roger Johnson today commended the U.S. House of Representatives on the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590). [read more]

Memo to Roger Johnson
March 16, 2010

Roger Johnson, president of National Farmers Union from Annie Cheatham, president of New England Farmers Union regarding New England dairy concerns. [click here to read the memo]

NFU Delegates Outline Food Safety Legislation
March 16, 2010

National Farmers Union (NFU) delegates today adopted a special order of business calling on policy makers to consider the unique challenges facing rural America while debating policy solutions regarding food safety legislation. [read more]

Click on the links below to read more about the decisions from the 2010 National Farmers Union Convention

2010 National Farmers Union Convention Overview

NFU Delegates Outline Federal Farm Program Priorities

NFU Delegates Address the Importance of Dairy Legislation

NFU Delegates Outline Agriculture in a Renewable Energy Economy

NFU Delegates Outline Estate Tax

NFU Delegates Outline Priorities in Trade Regulation

NFU Vice President tours New England
November 2, 2009, Annie Cheatham reporting

Flying in a helicopter above Massachusetts cranberry bogs in October was a new experience for National Farmers Union Vice President Claudia Svarstad, Stan Brown from Midwest Insurance Agency, and Annie Cheatham, President of New England Farmers Union. Farmers were busy collecting the tangy harvest on the Harju Farm in Plympton, Massachusetts when these three and a dozen other guests were treated to the walking and helicopter tour organized by the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. They watched as thousands of pounds of cranberries were corralled, then pumped into three tractor trailer trucks before being hauled to the Ocean Spray processing facility in Middleboro, Massachusetts. Jeff LaFleur was our host, explaining all of the many steps involved in growing cranberries. [read more]

NFU: Climate Change Benefits Outweigh Costs
October 29, 2009

WASHINGTON—National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today said the organization is committed to see climate change legislation address the unique role America's family farmers and ranchers can play when it comes to combating global climate change.

"We are committed to constructively working with members of the Senate to ensure the interests of agricultural producers are met as the debate moves forward," Johnson said.

In testimony submitted to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today, Johnson said while he is pleased to see the Senate begin to consider climate change legislation, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act currently lacks the robust and flexible agriculture offset program necessary for America's farmers and ranchers to be able to mitigate increased costs that will occur as a result of a cap and trade program.

"According to USDA, producers will economically benefit from an agriculture offset program. In the short term all cost increases are offset and in the long term agriculture will see returns of $4-5 dollars for every dollar of new costs incurred," Johnson said.

Johnson urged committee members to take into account the costs of inaction. "Models of climate change scenarios demonstrate increased frequency of heat stress, droughts and flooding events that will reduce crop yields and livestock productivity," Johnson said. "Estimates provide that for every one degree increase in temperature, Celsius, we will see up to a ten percent reduction in agriculture production worldwide."

NFU has long had policy expressing concerns about the negative effects of climate change on domestic food, fuel and fiber production, and supports a national mandatory cap and trade system to reduce non-farm greenhouse gas emissions if the following conditions are met: USDA is granted control and administration of the agriculture offset program; early actors are recognized; no artificial cap is placed on domestic offsets; carbon sequestration rates are based upon science; and producers are permitted to stack environmental benefit credits.

Johnson also expressed concern that, failing congressional action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. "A purely regulatory approach will bring all of the downsides of increased energy inputs without the upsides of carbon offset opportunities. For these reasons, NFU supports a comprehensive legislative approach to addressing climate change," Johnson said. [read testimony]

Boxer, Kerry set to introduce cap-and-trade bill
September 28, 2009
E&E Daily

Darren Samuelsohn, E&E senior reporter
Ending some nine months of closed-door deliberations, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) will release global warming legislation Wednesday that they hope will be the vehicle for broader Senate negotiations and an eventual conference with the House.

The bill's authors said last week that they expect to start hearings early next month on the bill, with a markup in Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee to follow soon thereafter. They also acknowledged that their legislation is just a "starting point" in a bid to win over moderate and conservative Democrats, as well as Republicans.

"I hope what we've done is constructive and well-received," Kerry, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Thursday. "I have no pretensions, and neither does Barbara, that this will be the final product. It is a starting point, a commitment, full-fledged, across party lines to do what we need to do to protect the planet for the next century."

The Boxer-Kerry bill will build in large part off H.R. 2454, legislation approved in June by the House following several marathon months of negotiations that involved lawmakers representing coastal and industry-heavy districts. Exactly what is the same in the two bills remains to be seen. As for differences, Senate Democratic aides say they expect the legislation to divert from the House bill's 17 percent emissions target for 2020 and go with an even more aggressive 20 percent limit. The bill also will stay silent on exactly how the Senate should divide up emission allowances.

At least five other Senate committees are also expected to contribute to the climate debate. The Foreign Relations and Agriculture committees are preparing language without convening a markup.

Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said he will hold votes on his pieces of the global warming bill. And the same goes for Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who last week told reporters that provisions on international trade and the allocation of emission allowances would be marked up provided Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says the bill is "clearly moving."

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) has already approved legislation (S. 1462) out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee that includes a nationwide renewable electricity standard and a raft of other energy incentives, including a provision that could bring oil and gas rigs closer to Florida's Gulf Coast. Bingaman is also planning a hearing Thursday on several competing cost estimates associated with the House-passed climate bill. The session, which was postponed once earlier this month, now gives senators an early public forum to sound off on the Boxer-Kerry bill.

Already last week, several Democratic senators working outside of the Boxer-Kerry camp said their ideas would be melded into the legislation at a later date. "It's going to need a lot of work," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Brown said he did not expect the Boxer-Kerry bill to include language adopted in the House that tries to assist energy-intensive manufacturing industries, including steel, pulp and paper and cement.

"My understanding is they did not include the House language on manufacturing," Brown added. "But I've been talking to them about it. They are very open to it. They are in no way dismissive."

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said she also does not think her concerns will be addressed in the initial draft from Boxer and Kerry. That means further efforts on issues related to agriculture, offsets and energy intensive industries.

"We will have to take a look at the language and then determine it from there," Stabenow said.

Kerry last week sought to change the vernacular surrounding the climate bill and sell its concepts more broadly, insisting it is not a "cap and trade" proposal but a "pollution reduction" bill. "I don't know what 'cap and trade' means. I don't think the average American does," Kerry said. "This is not a cap-and-trade bill, it's a pollution reduction bill" (E&E Daily, Sept. 25).

But a leading GOP opponent to the Senate climate effort quickly pushed back on the Democrat's strategy.

"No matter the semantic games employed, or the extent to which Democrats wish to hide the truth from the American people, cap and trade will mean more job losses, more pain at the pump, and higher food and electricity prices for consumers," said EPW Committee ranking member James Inhofe (R-Okla.)."

Both Brown and Stabenow said they would welcome the release of the Senate bill even though it will give critics something tangible to target.

"It always does," Brown said. "There is always something to shoot at. But I think it is the right step, and then we start working to improve it."

Senate Democratic leaders, including Reid and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), have said that they do not know if there will be enough time to get to the climate bill on the floor this year. But Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), one of the lead authors of the House bill, said that he is not giving up yet.

"At this stage in the House no one was predicting we could be successful," Markey told reporters. The lawmaker said he expected the Senate to closely follow the House bill's outlines, especially "once people sit down and begin to understand we have dealt with the major interests in the country.

Schedule: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing is Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9:45 a.m. in 366 Dirksen.
Witnesses: Douglas Elmendorf, director, CBO; Richard Newell, administrator, EIA; Larry Parker, specialist in energy and environmental policy, Congressional Research Service; and Reid Harvey, chief, climate economics branch, climate change division, U.S. EPA.

Reporters Allison Winter and Katherine Ling contributed.

NFU Makes Nominations for USDA Dairy Industry Advisory Committee
September 28, 2009

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson submitted the names of three dairy producers and three processors to serve on the USDA's Dairy Advisory Committee. [read more]

Aubertine Gets USDA Decision Reversed
September 25, 2009

WATERTOWN, NY—After a strong push from state Senate Agriculture Chair Darrel J. Aubertine and U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Member Kirsten Gillibrand, the United States Department of Agriculture has committed to changing its interpretation of a local foods provision of the 2008 U.S. Farm Bill to allow local farmers to slice and bag fruits and vegetables for school children to snack on.

“This is great news for New York State agriculture,” Sen. Aubertine said. “The Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program is intended to give schools the ability to buy local fruits and vegetables. This reversal now means that simply slicing and bagging these fruits and vegetables for convenience will not prevent local farmers from providing the freshest, most nutritious foods for our school children.”

The 2008 Farm Bill through the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program authorizes schools to buy local produce that has not been processed for students to eat outside of school cafeteria programs. For convenience, the program operates best when this local produce has been washed, sliced and bagged, since it is eaten outside of the lunchroom.

However, a previous USDA interpretation of what it means for local produce to be considered “processed” has closed up this market for local farms. Sen. Aubertine and Sen. Gillibrand co-authored a letter asking USDA Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack to reverse this interpretation to help the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program succeed in helping local agriculture and making our children healthier. Sen. Gillibrand’s office was notified last week that the USDA will change its interpretation to allow sliced and bagged produce.

“We have to let our farmers do what they do best, and that’s deliver fresh fruits and vegetable to local communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “New York farmers produce some of the highest quality, fresh produce in the country. The Farm Bill was supposed to make it easier for farmers to sell produce directly to New York schools, and this USDA ruling will finally ensure that our students will have healthy New York produce and our farmers can earn the extra income that comes from providing value-added products such as pre-cut apples. During difficult economic times, we need this new market to create jobs.”

"When we make local food available in our schools, our children get the freshest and finest produce available. We asked Secretary Villsack and the USDA to review this because the enforcement of de minimis handling had been contrary to what the bill's authors and all of us in the farm community were looking for,” Sen. Aubertine said. “I'm pleased to see that they are reviewing this and that New York farmers will have the opportunity to provide fresh snacks for our school children."

Jim Allen, President, New York Apple Association, Inc., said: “Apple growers from across the state appreciate Senator Aubertine's support to allow more New York State apples in local schools. His efforts to help remove confusing restrictions that kept New York State apples out of local schools came to fruition recently when the USDA announced a policy change, providing easier access of locally grown apple slices into our schools. We thank both Senator Aubertine and Senator Gillibrand for their leadership that will benefit New York Apple growers.” [read the letter Sen. Aubertine and Sen. Gillibrand sent to USDA Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack]

Dems Plan New Vote on Food Safety Bill—Bill Fails to Pass Under Suspension Calendar Vote
September 16, 2009—Burlington Free Press

Sanders, Leahy lead call for farm assistance
By Nicole Gaudiano, Free Press Washington Writer, and Dan McLean, Free Press Staff Writer

WASHINGTON—Senators from Vermont and other dairy states are pressing for additional federal price supports for the dairy industry, saying a temporary boost in the floor price for milk and cheese would provide short-term emergency relief for struggling farmers.

Meanwhile, Jericho dairy farmer Gary Davis waits and watches. Well, waits.

“I have honestly tried to close my eyes to what we’re getting,” said Davis, a third-generation farmer whose 95-cow dairy farm has been losing money since March. “It’s been pretty pathetic.”

At a Tuesday news conference in the nation’s capital—complete with a live cow named Maggie—seven senators and the president of the National Farmers Union urged passage of a measure by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to provide $350 million more to increase the price the government pays for surplus dairy products.

Sanders’ provision passed the Senate 60-37 in August but was not included in the House version of next year’s agriculture spending bill. The senators, including Sen. Patrick Leahy, along with Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., are gathering signatures from lawmakers for letters urging congressional negotiators to include the measure in the final bill.

“The federal government can play a major role in the midst of this crisis, helping family farmers stay afoot ... until we see prices rise,” Sanders said. “We need to do some bold thinking so that we don’t continue to have the kind of volatility that we have seen for so many years, which has resulted in the demise of thousands of dairy farms all over this country.”

Increased production costs and declining milk prices are forcing dairy farmers into bankruptcy and debt after generations in the business. Vermont has lost more than 200 dairy farms in the past five years, leaving a little more than 1,000 still in business.

Leahy said the Department of Agriculture’s July 31 decision to boost the dairy floor price for three months—a move estimated to increase dairy farmers’ revenue nationwide by $243 million—will help, but not enough.

“It may have helped stop some of the downward slide,” Leahy said. “Dairy farmers are still hurting.”

Davis can attest to that. Since it’s a grazing farm, the cost of production at Davis Farm is slightly lower than other Vermont dairy farms, but the price of milk remains well-below his break-even point of about $1.38 a gallon. After hauling charges and promotion costs are deducted from his milk check, he says he has been receiving about $1.03 a gallon.

“When you open the milk check and actually see that price, it’s real,” he said. To make ends meet, he is borrowing money on the equity of the 225-acre farm. “We get behind on our grain bills... and other bills,” Davis said.

Daniel LaCoss, of LaCoss Farm in Barton, said he has contacted Sanders “to see how we could, as dairy farmers, be active in the process to find some kind of reform.

“What we really need is an overhaul of the entire milk pricing system,” he said. “It’s an outdated system.”

LaCoss is also pushing for a supply management system that would prevent the over-production of milk, which undercuts the price dairy farmers receive. “We need to keep our supply in balance with demand,” he said.

His sense is the majority of dairy farmers in New England would sign on to such a plan, but farmers in other regions of the country are hesitant.

More than 200 National Farmers Union members are in Washington this week to lobby Congress for greater support.

“We have an industry that is in very dire need of some money right now,” said Roger Johnson, the union’s president. “Prices have collapsed. They are dramatically below cost of production and have been now for some time. And we have dairy farmers around the country that are going out of business at a very rapid rate of speed.”

Additional Facts
SENATE HEARING IN ST. ALBANS

Sen. Patrick Leahy will convene a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Saturday in St. Albans to examine the state of competition in the region’s dairy industry.

Sen. Bernie Sanders will join Leahy at the hearing titled, “Crisis On The Farm: The State Of Competition And Prospects For Sustainability In The Northeast Dairy Industry,” at 10 a.m. at St. Albans City Hall.

Witnesses will include the new head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Christine Varney.

“Vermont dairy farmers are hurting and there may be anti-competitive forces that have contributed to this crisis,” Leahy said in a news release. He said the hearing will focus on “anti-competitive issues in the Northeast dairy market. Examining this in the context of the current crisis may illuminate any structural problems that are contributing factors, making them easier to see and diagnose.

“Bringing this hearing to St. Albans will ensure that Vermont’s voice and Vermont’s experience will help inform Congress about these issues.”

Sanders blasted dairy giant Dean Foods for making “record-breaking profits” and paying its CEOs more than $100 million in the last five years at the same time smaller farms are suffering. A Dean Foods representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Three Vermont farmers will also testify, as well as an economist with Agri-Mark dairy cooperative, and the chief economist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Others are encouraged to attend and to submit written testimony for the record. This can be done at the hearing, or digitally before or for one week after the hearing by sending comments to Dairy_Hearing@Judiciary-dem.senate.gov.

Free Press staff report

Dairy Crisis = NFU Priority for Washington, DC Fly-In
September 14–16, 2009

A brief summary of the National Farmers Union Fly-In, Washington, DC. [read more]

NFU Calls on Congress to Maintain Dairy Aid
September 10, 2009

WASHINGTON—National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today called on House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders to provide much needed assistance to America's dairy farmers.

In a letter sent yesterday, Johnson urged appropriators to maintain the $350 million Sanders dairy amendment, as included in the Senate-passed fiscal year (FY) 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill, throughout conference negotiations.

"While there is no single option to solve the dairy crisis, the Sanders amendment is a lifeline," Johnson said.

Dairy producers are currently facing the dairy industry's most severe economic crisis in 30 years. "Since dairy prices peaked last year, the market has precipitously collapsed to historic low levels and is now well below the cost of production. Many producers continue to lose $100–$200 per dairy cow per month," Johnson said.

Farmers Union members from across the country will be in Washington, D.C. next week urging Congress to address the dairy crisis, among other issues. [read the whole letter]

Members Corner: Kurt Martin
August 12, 2009
[read the NFU blog]

Roger Johnson Op Ed on Climate Change
August 11, 2009
National Farmers Union President, Roger Johnson, continues to show how farmers can be a driving force behind greenhouse gas reduction. New England Farmers Union will be bringing the Farmers Union carbon sequestration credit program to New England. [stay informed]

Growers find a market in community support
August 6, 2009
CSAs find success in eastern Massachusetts [Boston Globe article]


	Roger Johnson and Sebastian Belle, executive director of Maine Aquaculture Association, at University of Maine/Orono.


	Roger Johnson talking with leaders in southeastern New Hampshire including Seacoast Growers Association, Great Bay Grain, Senator Amanda Merrill from the NH legislature, and others. Inset: Roger Johnson meeting with leaders in Maine including Commissioner Seth Bradstreet, UMaine Extension, Wild Blueberries Association, Beef Producers Association, Congressman Mike Michaud's office, Maine Dairy Industry Association, and others.


	Roger Johnson and Matt Barron at the Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Maine. Inset: Roger Johnson with Steve Taylor, former Commissioner of Agriculture from New Hampshire.

Roger Johnson’s Trip to New England
July 31–August 3, 2009

After weeks of rain and cold temperatures, northern New England’s weather turned sweet when Roger Johnson toured Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont on a four-day swing last week. Traveling with him, and enjoying the change of weather, were New England Farmers Union President Annie Cheatham and Vice President Matt Barron.

Over 60 leaders in northern New England agriculture talked with Roger and NEFU leaders about ways to strengthen the regional voice for the National Farmers Union. The Maine Potato Board director, the livestock specialist at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the director of New Hampshire’s Farmers Market Association, and state legislators at the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference discussed policies relating to health care for rural Americans, the dairy crisis in New England, climate change, and ways to bring the National Farmers Union Carbon Credit program to farmers, forest owners and fishermen in New England.

We ate fresh Maine blueberries and talked with the Wild Blueberry Association director about his need for strong research support from the University of Maine. We ate bread baked with Maine grain at Borealis Bakery in Portland, and discussed with the owner about how to increase funding for speciality crops and Extension support for farmers in New England. We celebrated the successes of the Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance/Community Supported Fisheries initiative and discussed how NFU/NEFU could extend carbon sequestration credits to the region’s shellfishmen.

Throughout our trip, we encouraged people with whom we were meeting to get involved in New England Farmers Union, to attend the National Farmers Union “fly in” in September, and to become engaged in setting national policy for our region’s farmers and fishermen. “You have to get involved,” Roger told each gathering. “The National Farmers Union is a progressive voice for agriculture in Washington. Become members and make your voices heard.”

Click here to become a member of the New England Farmers Union.

Dems Plan New Vote on Food Safety Bill - Bill Fails to Pass Under Suspension Calendar Vote
July 29, 2009 - DTN News

By Jerry Hagstrom
WASHINGTON (DTN) -- Democratic House leaders are making plans to bring up a food safety bill on the floor under regular order Thursday after an attempt to pass it on a two-thirds vote with little debate failed Wednesday.

The bill, which is formally known as the Food Safety Enhancement Act, would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more regulatory power over food safety and agricultural production, particularly of fruits and vegetables. The bill is likely to pass because 280 House members voted for it Wednesday, while only 150 voted against it. But the bill needed 288 votes to pass by two-thirds majority under the so-called suspension calendar rules.

The situation was embarrassing for Democrats because the leadership puts a bill on suspension calendar only when the bill is considered to be popular enough to pass easily. Twenty-three Democrats voted against the bill. Fifty Republicans voted for the bill and 127 voted against it.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Agriculture Committee ranking member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., criticized the bill before Wednesday's vote.

Lucas said the House Agriculture Committee should have had a bigger role in the bill although the FDA is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. That department falls under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which wrote the bill. Lucas said that House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., should have claimed some jurisdiction of the bill even though FDA does not come under his committee.

The FDA is responsibile for ensuring the safety of almost all foods except meat, poultry and eggs. The bill would give the FDA the authority to require fruit and vegetable producers to develop stronger food safety plans and was written in reaction to the outbreaks of foodborne illness from spinach, Mexican peppers and peanut butter.

The fruit and vegetable industry largely supports the bill, seeing it as a way to restore consumer confidence.

But some farm groups objected to provisions. Peterson, other members of the Agriculture Committee and California Democrats Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa negotiated with the Energy and Commerce Committee to make changes.

Peterson said he negotiated complete exemptions for livestock and grain operations from FDA jurisdiction. Also exempt are producers selling at farmers markets and producers who grow a large vegetable crop that's shipped by truck to a distant market.

He also said a few hours before the vote that all agriculture groups were in favor of it or were neutral, except for the California Farm Bureau, which was still opposed.

But Ferd Hoefner of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition said his group was opposed to the bill because it would force small farmers and processors to file reports electronically with the FDA and pay the same $500 per registration fee as big processors, such as Cargill.

Peterson said he believes the FDA will be able to exempt small producers -- such as home jam makers who sell at farmers markets -- from having to pay a registration fee. However, Hoefner said he had not found such a provision in the legislation.

Hoefner said many of the Democrats who voted against the bill considered it unfair to small farmers. He said it was a mistake for House leaders to try to push the bill through, but has no doubt it will pass Thursday.

No cure in sight for milk crisis
A House agriculture subcommittee held its third hearing of the month on the crisis facing the nation's dairy farmers, but didn't come any closer to consensus on what — if anything — to do to protect farmers from a long, deep slide in milk prices.
[read the whole article]

Welch seeks more subsidies for milk producers
July 14, 2009 - Burlington Free Press
By NICOLE GAUDIANO, Free Press Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Painting a dire picture of the dairy industry's finances, Rep. Peter Welch urged a panel of lawmakers on Tuesday to consider increasing subsidies for dairy farmers to help them survive the economic crisis.

The Vermont Democrat suggested increasing Milk Income Loss Contract payments, a Department of Agriculture program that provides monthly payments to milk producers when prices drop below a certain level.

Boosting the payments would help farmers who are spending about $7 more than they earn for every hundredweight, or 100 pounds of milk they produce, Welch testified before the House Agriculture Committee subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry.

"The depth of this crisis cannot be understated," Welch said. "Our state's dairy industry is literally on the brink of collapse."

Rep. Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat, described similarly urgent concerns in his home state and called it a "national crisis."

"We're at a point today, July 14, where dairy farmers are out there borrowing money for operating costs, and that's a death spiral," he said.

The hearing was held to review economic conditions in the dairy industry and discuss ways to return the industry to profitability.

The committee chairman, Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., said he was "moved" by the testimony and particularly interested in Welch's proposal to increase MILC payments.

"We are going to do something to help," he said.

Milk producers, representatives of their organizations and James Miller, undersecretary of Agriculture, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, also were asked to testify.

Outside the hearing, a few members of the National Family Farm Coalition - two dressed as cows - protested the lack of representation from small and medium-sized farms. They are urging an emergency floor price of $18 per hundredweight of milk.

Scott said there would be other hearings on the subject. He said there has been no issue in Congress that "members felt so strongly about or were as willing to bend my ear about" as dairy.

As prices have fallen and production costs increased, Vermont has lost more than 250 dairy farms in the past five years, leaving just 1,046 still in business, according to Welch.

Dairy represents 70 percent of Vermont's agricultural economy, and its problems could result in a potential "wholesale failure" of the state's agriculture infrastructure, including feed dealers, equipment suppliers, processing plants and farm creditors, Welch said.

He said he has been advocating an increase in MILC payments since the crisis began. The Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture also wrote to Congress in April, requesting an increase, he said.

Welch said a long-term solution to price volatility is also necessary. Dramatic price swings over the last three years have made dairy farming "a challenging and sometimes impossible enterprise," he said.

"Most of the producers I have spoken with have candidly told me that they would rather make less during the boom years in exchange for price stability," he said.

Derivatives Bill Will Pass Congress, Peterson Says
July 14, 2009 - Bloomberg
By Alan Bjerga
(Bloomberg) -- House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said he and House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank are “90 to 95 percent” agreed on new derivatives legislation and that a bill will pass Congress this year.

“We’ll get a bill off the floor and out of conference and passed this year,” the Minnesota Democrat said today after a congressional hearing in Washington. Peterson and Massachusetts Democrat Frank are crafting new rules for the $592 trillion derivatives market. Last week, the two held a hearing on the topic in which Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified.

Opaque financial products contributed to writedowns and credit losses of almost $1.5 trillion at the world’s biggest banks, brokers and insurers since the start of the financial crisis in July 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Geithner and President Barack Obama are pushing for a regulatory structure in which standard derivatives like interest-rate swaps would be cleared through an electronic exchange or trading platform. Customized contracts would be exempt.

The administration’s derivatives-market plan is part of a wider overhaul of financial industry rules meant to guard against a repeat of last year. The collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in September and American International Group Inc. froze credit markets and worsened the global recession.

Farm-State Concerns

Farm-state lawmakers have questioned whether the administration plan goes far enough. They have voiced concern that speculators may distort crop and energy prices by making bets using over-the-counter derivatives.

Derivatives are used to hedge against changes in stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, interest rates and weather. Credit-default swaps were created primarily to protect lenders and bondholders from debt defaults.

Geithner said last week that investors and corporations have instead been using derivatives to “evade regulation, or to exploit gaps and differences in regulation, and to minimize” taxes.

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