May 7, 2021
Newsletter For May 7, 2021
This Issue:
  • Research Project Seeks Input On Responding To Farm/Ranch Stress
  • Farm Bureau Joins Combined Voice Of Nevada Agriculture In Opposition To Department of Agriculture’s SB 54
  • May 18th Workshop Scheduled For Brand Regulation Changes
  • 30 x 30 Details Starting To Emerge
  • New Farm Bureau Foundation Curriculum Worth Checking Out
Research Project Seeks Input On Responding To Farm/Ranch Stress
May is “Mental Health Month” and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is continuing in the organization’s priority of emphasis.

Nevada Farm Bureau has been contacted by a research team from Cooperative Extension at the University of Nevada, Reno, to seek Farm Bureau member input on a research study about work related stress in the agricultural community.

This project is being conducted in collaboration with 13 other states. You're eligible to be in this study because you work in farming or ranching. 

If you decide to participate in this study, please click on this link which will take you to the English version of the survey. The survey will require 15 to 20 minutes of your time. Those conducting the survey are offering to provide ten gift cards worth $50 each to randomly selected survey participants from Nevada as a way of thanking people for participating. 

The survey is also available in Spanish. Participating in the survey is completely voluntary and you may skip questions or choose to stop taking the survey at any point. All information that is provided by you will be anonymous even to the researchers. If you have any questions, please contact one of us at the email address below. 

We are using the results of the survey to create programs and materials to help farmers and ranchers lead happier, healthier, less stressful, and more productive and fulfilling lives. We hope that you will participate to help provide us insights on how to create these programs to accomplish such life-improving goals. More information on stress and agriculture can be found on the WRASAP website.
Farm Bureau Joins Combined Voice Of Nevada Agriculture In Opposition To Department of Agriculture’s SB 54
Throughout the legislative process for the bill from the Nevada Department of Agriculture to change the membership of the Nevada Board of Agriculture the organizations representing Nevada agriculture have unanimously opposed the bill.  The same scenario played out when the Assembly Natural Resources Committee held their hearing Monday, May 3rd on SB 54, as amended.

Nevada Farm Bureau opposed the bill, drawing attention to the manner which the Director for the Department of Agriculture had acted contrary to the formal motion adopted by the Board of Agriculture when they met on January 19th. 

The Board had voted to support an amendment to the original bill by keeping the existing Board seat qualifications and adding two additional seats that the Department was seeking (a member who is working in the field of supplemental nutrition distribution and a representative who is actively engaged in food manufacturing or animal processing).  In spite of the direction provided by the Board, the Director worked out the amended language to reduce the number of cattle producers to one from the current three seats and add a new position for a veterinary.  The amended language did return the seat to the member who is actively engaged in range or semi-range sheep production.  

Farm Bureau’s expressed concern over the way activities related to SB 54, 1st Reprint is demonstrating how the authority of the Nevada Board of Agriculture is being flaunted in the fashion that the pre-filed bill was not heard by the Board prior to introduction and then the amendment the Board proposed was not supported by the Director in the legislative process.

We strongly encourage you to communicate your views regarding SB 54 with members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee… 


Along with sharing your opinion to the members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, who encourage you to include Nevada Farm Bureau as a cc: to your email, sending that copy to doug@nvfb.org. 
May 18th Workshop Scheduled For Brand Regulation Changes
Tuesday, May 18th starting at 9 a.m. the Nevada Department of Agriculture will be hosting a regulation workshop as part of the process the agency will be using to change a couple of Nevada Administrative Codes (NAC) for brands. This meeting notice provides the link you need to use (and also the codes) to be able to get connected and participate with the virtual workshop.

One of the sections to be dealt with in the hearing NAC 564 –Brands and Marks – covers application fees, re-recording fees and other forms of payments.  One notable change that is being considered deletes the 4-year registration period in the regulations and would establish the timeframe under state law (NRS 564.120).  Long-term plans are to reduce the 4-year period to a 3-year period for the $120 recording fee.

The other section for regulatory changes are in NAC 565 – Inspection of Brands – and also tweak charges for brand inspections.  Most noteworthy here includes the $35 travel fee that will be assessed against every site where brand inspections takes place.  If the livestock are brought to the brand inspector, there wouldn’t be a travel fee charged.

Changes being proposed in the regulations as well as other components which might be considered in the legislative process are geared to implementing the Business Plan that the Department of Agriculture submitted to the financial committee this past summer.  

The brand program is currently facing significant financial issues and will need not only more revenue, but also include major proposed restructuring.  As something of a major point of concern, the legislative financial subcommittee in charge of working through the biennium budget for the livestock brands budgets voted to not-close the budget for the coming budget period and instead will have the interim Legislative Commission deal with spending authority as the Animal Industry Division works forward with implementing the Business Plan and increases revenue income to strengthen fund balances.
30 x 30 Details Starting To Emerge
As this issue of the weekly Grassroots Newsletter was coming together an interesting article from the agricultural news service that Nevada Farm Bureau is fortunate to have access, Agri-Plus.com, shared a developing article on the details coming from the Biden Administration on their 30 x 30 proposal.  The article entitled “Working ag lands included in Biden administration 30x30 initiative” by Steve Davies covered the report “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” report that was submitted to the National Climate Task force by the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and the chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Partially because of the prime farm-belt agricultural audience that the news service targets and partially because of the significant concerns coming from private-land agricultural interests, the article concentrated on the emphasis in the report over how the President’s intentions for implementing 30 x 30 won’t be oriented to government take-over of private agricultural lands.  “Efforts to conserve and restore America’s lands and waters must respect the rights of private property owners.” the news article noted.

Along with providing a link to download the 24-page report the article shared information from the U.S. Geological Survey data that about 12 percent of U.S. lands are permanently protected and a comment that “studies show that roughly 23 percent of America’s ocean is currently strongly protected.”

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall shared these comments ”) as his initial reaction to the report.

As more in-depth analysis is given to the fine details of the new report, we’ll expect to see additional news and background pieces being prepared for what is said – and what is left to the imaginations for those doing the analysis.  A day earlier, we also received a draft legislative proposal attributed to Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado entitled “30 x 30 Termination Act”. (A special “Thank you” to one of our Farm Bureau members, who shared the article on this bill as well as the link to receive the proposed language.)

Because of the membership of Congresswoman Boebert in the minority party and also because of the obsession for the majority party’s agenda to have 30 x 30 on their priority list – the bill will likely be more symbolic than seriously considered.  In spite of that reality it is somewhat encouraging that there will be push-back taking form to challenge government’s pursuit of taking productive lands from productive use. 

On an interesting side note, this American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Market Intel report ”) offers a look at the numbers for what agricultural land owners are selecting to do with their lands – versus government’s vision on how productive lands should be removed from production.

…stay tuned for more insights and information on the Biden 30 x 30 “conservation” plans…
New Farm Bureau Foundation Curriculum Worth Checking Out
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has just released a six-lesson, middle-school curriculum that covers Agriculture and the Environment.

We would strongly encourage Farm Bureau leaders and volunteers throughout the state to pass along this information to middle-school educators that you interact with.  This important subject area could greatly enhance the overall Ag In The Classroom outreach.
Wishing All Mothers – A Happy Mother’s Day!
Have a great weekend!