The end of 2011 is bringing news from the USDA for constitutional and schematic Farmer alike , while the recent failure of the congressional supercommittee means that there will be passel of Farm Bill - relate news in early 2012 . As you wrap up the last of your gifts and put them under the tree , we ’re rounding up the news report from Washington that may be impact your farm in the unexampled year and beyond .
define “ Organic”With legion live - button exit on the agenda , the evenfall meeting of the National Organic Standards Board ( hold from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 , 2011 , in Savannah , Ga. ) was a site of contentious debate within the organic - husbandry and -processing sector .
The NOSB is a USDA advisory committee appoint by the agriculture secretary and comprised of organic farmers , conservationist , consumer- and public - interest counsel , organic handler and processors , an organic retailer , a scientist , and an accredited organic certifying agent . In plus to make recommendations on a wide compass of topics , include organic preferred - food standards and organic - examiner qualifications , the NOSB has the sole power to commend accession to or deletion from theNational Organic Program ’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances .
Among the topics of greatest concern to consumer - interest radical , like the Cornucopia Institute , was the petition to take into account synthetical preservative ( i.e. , sulfites ) in constitutional wine . The NOSB disapprove this request .
Much to the alarm of the Cornucopia Institute , the NOSB approved the use of DHA algal oil color and ARA fungal oil , additives that appear in organic infant formulas , Milk River and sister food , with the caution that these pith ca n’t be extracted using the petrochemical solvent hexane .
The NOSB also voted on several animal - welfare good word . Among these , the display board redefined “ out-of-door access ” at poultry operations to turn out covered porch ; the dining table also urge minimum indoor- and outdoor - living - outer space square footage for constitutive laying hens and broilers .
The next public NOSB encounter will take stead from May 21 to 24 , 2012 , in Albuquerque , N.M. , with a public gossip period opening approximately six weeks in advance .
Cash for ConservationOn Nov. 30 , 2011 , Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the ranking dates for the On - Farm Energy , Organic , Seasonal High Tunnel and Air Quality conservation initiatives . All four opening are funded by the USDA ’s National Resources Conservation Service ’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program .
The NRCS accepts applications for financial assistance on a continual groundwork throughout the twelvemonth . There will be three ranking periods for the Organic , On - Farm Energy and SeasonalHigh Tunnelinitiatives ( all of which are usable to granger in all 50 land , the Caribbean arena and the Pacific Basin ) ; period for all three initiatives will terminate on Feb. 3 , March 30 , and June 1 , 2012 . There will be two order flow for the Air Quality Initiative ( open to farmers in Arizona , California , Colorado , Illinois , Montana , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Texas counties with serious air - quality imagination concern ) ; these periods will terminate on Feb. 3 , and March 3 , 2012 . At the close of each full stop , the NRCS will grade all take proposals for consideration , notify all applicant of the results and begin developing contract bridge with selected applicant .
For more information on applying for EQIP funding , or to find an NRCS spot near you , visit theNRCS website .
Top Bill - ing for Ag LegislationFor a few months this dusk , there was much discourse about the possibility of a “ hugger-mugger Farm Bill”—a legislation package that would be hammer out by a new formed congressional “ supercommittee ” and that would replace the 2008 visor that ’s set to expire in September 2012 . With the collapse of the supercommittee , however , it appear that the Farm Bill will be talk terms as common beginning as ahead of time as mid - January .
Three of late introduced acts will be of particular interest to little - scale farmers as they begin to move through committee next month .
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 was introduce in Congress by Reps . Tim Walz and Jeff Fortenberry on Oct. 14 , 2011 ; an identical comrade bill in the Senate was introduced the following month by Tom Harkin . The nib , which is the result of efforts by several Fannie Farmer - advocacy organizations , admit the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the National Young Farmers ’ Coalition , is an effort to respond to vernal and first - time farmers ’ needs for capital and education . In addition to make provisions for mention access , conservation computer programme , and research and annex body process , among other point , the neb provides for a political program to support military veterans concerned in husbandry as a vocational and/or rehabilitative option .
Introduced on Nov. 1 , 2011 , the Local Farms , Food , and Jobs Act promotes rural development , job maturation and public health at the level of local and regional intellectual nourishment systems . If passed , the bill will grant authority to the USDA ’s Risk Management Agency to develop farm insurance that better meets the needs of diversified surgical procedure of all scales . The throwaway also provides for local - marketing promotion ( supervene upon the existing Farmers Market Promotion Program ) , changes to school - lunch procural that will encourage school to purchase from local farmers , and renewed financing to the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program .
On Nov. 17 , 2011 , a bill focused explicitly on the needs of little - scale farmer was introduced in the Senate . The raise Opportunities for Agriculture and Responding to Markets ( GO FARM ) Act gives the USDA self-assurance to establish a loan program that egress grants to rural - development organizations . These organizations , in turn , will supply loan to marketplace Farmer raise crops for direct - sale venues and local shoal and grocer . According to the flier , loan priority would be given to small- and medium - scale producers , socially disadvantaged farmers / ranchers , specialty crop cultivator , and farmers who are best able-bodied to adjoin the nutritionary need of underserved communities .
