In this Edition
Capitol Corner - State
- Cancer in the Corn Belt Sparks Actions to Fight Farm Chemical Contamination
- Nitrates
- KSTP/Survey USA poll: House Races Could be Referendum on 2023 Session
Capitol Corner - Federal
- 2024 ARA Winter Board Meeting and Legislative Fly-In
Industry Related News
- Diverted Shipping Routes are Changing Trade Flows
- What Impact Will Farm Bill Uncertainties, Global Dynamics Have on 2024 U.S. Ag Economy?
- A Simple Checklist to Evaluate ROI on Your Farm
- OPINION: Things to consider when reviewing your 2024 crop insurance options
- Skor: Biofuels must Play Big Role in Biden Admin's Climate Goals
Partner News / Announcements
- 2024 AgriGrowth Legislative Reception
- Online Request Form Available for the MDA’s Educational Resources
- MDA Announces Increased Funding for Urban Ag Grants
- Federal Register Proposed Revision to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices
- EPA Taking Public Comment on Draft Policy to Strengthen Scientific Integrity
|
|
Cancer in the Corn Belt Sparks Actions to Fight Farm Chemical Contamination
When directors of the public water utility in Des Moines, Iowa, went to court in 2015 to try to stop toxic farm nutrients from contaminating the city’s drinking water, they knew the federal lawsuit they filed would be seen as not just a desperate step to protect public health, but also a brazen act of defiance that would provoke a ferocious response from Iowa’s powerful farm and political leadership.
In Minnesota, state Rep. Rick Hansen, the Democratic chairman of the House Environment Committee, is introducing a bill this year that levies what he calls a “polluter pays” tax on commercial fertilizer to help families and communities develop clean sources of drinking water. Minnesota farms apply roughly 3 million tons of commercial fertilizer annually, according to state figures. A $1 per ton tax on fertilizer that now sells for $720 a ton would raise $3 million.
|
|
NITRATES: From Senator Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) via Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, writing about last fall’s EPA inspections of southeast Minnesota dairy farms. VERBATIM: “The quality of our drinking water is obviously important. You won’t find anyone who disagrees with that. But the heavy-handed approach taken by the EPA, at the urging of anti-agriculture activist groups, sets a precedent that should trouble private citizens everywhere. Demanding access to private farms without warning is provocative, to say the least. A better procedure would have been to first collect substantive data showing a definite problem originating from these farms. However, the EPA instead seems to have skipped straight to enforcement mode without sufficient evidence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SG2Vj5
|
|
KSTP/Survey USA poll: House Races Could be Referendum on 2023 Session
By nearly every measure the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature was history-making, from billions in new spending and taxes to paid family and medical leave to legalizing recreational marijuana.
The decisions that were made with Democrats in charge of all levers of state government impacted every single Minnesotan in some way. We’ll find out in November what Minnesota voters think of what was passed.
“Republicans have in this survey a real advantage on taxing and spending issues, and they will emphasize those in the fall campaign,” Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier said after reviewing our latest KSTP-TV/SurveyUSA results.
When asked about the nearly 40% increase in state spending over the next two years, 40% of respondents said that was too much. Another 26% said it was the right amount and 11% said it wasn’t enough. As for gas tax increases tied to the rate of inflation and a one-cent increase in metro area sales taxes, 55% said it was too much, while 27% said it was the right amount and 6% said the increases weren’t high enough.
|
|
2024 ARA Winter Board Meeting and Legislative Fly-In
Join ARA in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Va. on March 4-6 for the 2024 ARA Winter Board Meeting & Legislative Fly-In. Registration is free for ARA members and all members are invited to share ideas and engage in grassroots advocacy.
March 5: ARA members meet their elected officials in Congress on Capitol Hill. A reception in D.C. will follow.
|
|
Diverted Shipping Routes are Changing Trade Flows
The chief economist for the National Grain and Feed Association says he’s watching how global agricultural trade routes are shifting because of political unrest.
Max Fisher tells Brownfield shipping through the Suez Canal is diverting to safer regions to avoid the Middle East.
“It’s adding time, adding costs and it’s changing flows,” he says. “Like in the case of grain, you now have more grain going out of the Pacific Northwest, which is a straight shot over to Asia rather than out of the Gulf.”
|
|
What Impact Will Farm Bill Uncertainties, Global Dynamics Have on 2024 U.S. Ag Economy?
Despite recession warnings and adverse precursors in 2022, the United States’ economy performed better than predicted in 2023. Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics experts now look to 2024 and provide insights into the national economy, trade, policy and food prices. These findings were recently published in the Purdue Agricultural Economics Report’s annual outlook, including potential outcomes of a delayed farm bill.
“As we enter 2024, the complexities surrounding the farm bill debate persist. With federal spending cuts in focus, the projected cost of the farm bill will likely take center stage in agricultural committee deliberations this year,” said Roman Keeney, associate professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University and co-editor of the report.
|
|
A Simple Checklist to Evaluate ROI on Your Farm
The concept and calculation of return on investment (ROI) is pretty simple. It is most commonly measured as net income divided by the original capital cost of the investment. The higher the ratio, the greater the benefit earned.
Yet, ROI is often poorly defined and poorly understood, says Brent Gloy, economist at Agriculture Economic Insights.
“Return on investment is a popular phrase and it can be insightful,” he says. “But it also has its limitations.”
|
|
OPINION: Things to consider when reviewing your 2024 crop insurance options
March 15 is the deadline to purchase crop insurance for the 2024 crop year. Now is the time to make your decisions for the next harvest.
During the next few weeks, farm operators will be finalizing their crop insurance decisions for the 2024 crop year. March 15 is the deadline to purchase crop insurance for the 2024 crop year. The 2024 Spring prices for corn and soybean are likely to be reduced substantially from the base price levels last year; however, there still should be some favorable crop insurance guarantees again this year at reasonable premium costs. Producers have several crop insurance policy options to choose from, including yield-only and revenue protection policies, Supplemental Coverage Options and Enhanced Coverage Options policies, and other private insurance options.
|
|
Skor: Biofuels must Play Big Role in Biden Admin's Climate Goals
The CEO of Growth Energy says the Biden administration’s push for electric vehicles could threaten low-carbon fuel options.
Speaking at the organization’s executive leadership conference Thursday, Emily Skor said EV mandates aren’t the only answer to reducing emissions. “The current proposal reflects a dogmatic fixation on EVs,” she said. “It presents a false choice between two extremes: fossil fuel-only vehicles or mass adoption of EVs. Neither one is reality.”
|
|
|
|
Partner News / Announcements
|
|
2024 AgriGrowth Legislative Reception
February 28, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at 317 on Rice Park, 317 Washington Street, St. Paul, MN 55102
|
|
Online Request Form Available for the MDA’s Educational Resources
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has launched an Online Document Request Form for pesticide Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other outreach documents. These resources were created in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Extension and other stakeholders and aim to protect water quality and non-target organisms such as pollinators. Free print copies can be requested using the new form which is available on the MDA’s pesticide BMPs page under “Forms + Resources.” Requests will be processed in one to four weeks, depending on availability of the documents.
|
|
MDA Announces Increased Funding for Urban Ag Grants
Applications now open for $1.8 million in grant funds
St. Paul, MN: Minnesota businesses, nonprofits, schools, local governments, and tribal communities seeking to promote urban youth agricultural education and urban agricultural community development are encouraged to apply for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Urban Agriculture Grant.
Total funding available for this round of Urban Agriculture Grants is $1.87 million, an increase from $551,000 in 2023. To be eligible, applicants must be located in or serve cities with a population over 5,000 or be located within the boundaries of a federally recognized tribal land and serve tribal community members, regardless of population size.
|
|
Federal Register Proposed Revision to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices
A new Federal Registry Notice was published 02/02/2024. NRCS is giving notice that it intends to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP). NRCS is also giving the public an opportunity to provide comments on specified conservation practice standards in NHCP. The below link will provide you with more information on what the proposed changes are and how to provide comments. Attached is the published version on the federal register. Comments close on 03/04/2024.
NRCS is requesting comments on the following conservation practice standards:
- Field Border (Code 386)
- Filter Strip (Code 393)
- Grazing Management (Code 528)
- Hedgerow Planting (Code 422)
- Mulching (Code 484)
- Seasonal Water Management for Wildlife (Code 646)
- Structure for Water Control (Code 587)
- Wetland Restoration (Code 657)
For more information, please follow the above link or e-mail Ryan Galbreath, MN NRCS State Resource Conservationist, at: ryan.galbreath@usda.gov. You can also contact Ryan if you need assistance signing up for Federal Register Notices.
Thank you,
RYAN GALBREATH
State Resource Conservationist
Minnesota Natural Resources Conservation Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Tel: 651-602-7879
|
|
EPA Taking Public Comment on Draft Policy to Strengthen Scientific Integrity
EPA will accept public comments on the draft policy in docket EPA-HQ-ORD-2023-0240 at www.regulations.gov through February 23, 2024.
|
|
Follow MCPR on Social Media! |
|
Are you following MCPR on social media? Make sure you like and follow us so you don't miss out on events, what's happening with our members and the latest news impacting Minnesota’s agricultural retail sector!
Does your organization or company have news or a press release that you would like to share with the MCPR’s membership? If so, please contact MCPR - lee@mcpr-cca.org.
|
|
Minnesota Crop Production Retailers | P: 763.235.6466
www.mcpr-cca.org
601 Carlson Parkway, Ste 450, Minnetonka, MN 55305
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
