A bill sponsored by the California State Floral Association that would prohibit advertisers in the retail florist business from misrepresenting their company's locations passed the Senate Business and Professions Committee last week. AB 1581 (Wieckowski) passed the committee 6-1 and is headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The opposition from some floral retailers and the Internet Marketing Association was removed with amendments that clarified the intent of the measure and violations.

On June 21 the full Senate approved 64-35 its version of the 2012 Farm Bill, with most southern Senators voting against the bill based on commodity title provisions. It took two weeks of procedural jockeying and slogging through 73 amendments to get the bill to final passage. The 1,000-plus-page bill carries a 10-year price tag of $969 billion, but shaves $23.6 billion off discretionary spending programs through reinvention, refinements and program substitutions.

The five-year bill kills off direct payments to farmers saving $5-6 billion a year, replacing them with a crop insurance-based Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program, a "shallow loss" program that pays producers 15-21% of losses not covered by conventional crop insurance. This program has been attacked by southern rice and peanut producers as favoring large midwestern corn and soybean growers over smaller farmers and crops grown in the South. Those southern interests have turned their attention to the House Farm Bill process in hopes of securing what they consider equity in income support. The Senate bill would consolidate 23 federal conservation programs into just four "fundamental" working programs, and would cut the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage cap from 32 million acres to 25 million, allowing only highly erodible lands to be recontracted. All in all, these changes save about $6 billion.

The package carries an $800-million energy title that seeks to find alternative feedstocks to corn and other feed crops for the production of biofuels, while also promoting on-farm alternative energy generation. The bill also includes a conventional federally funded research title, but also features for the first time the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), a new program facilitating public/private partnership investment in ag research. Also included is a permanent livestock and supplemental disaster assistance program which maintains a producer cash assistance payment system. This program keeps commercial feed companies in the transaction loop when delivering government disaster feed assistance to producers. No anti-farming animal rights measures were included in the bill.

Amendments accepted during floor debate include the following:

• An amendment by Sens. Tom Coburn (R, OK) and Richard Durbin (D, IL) that raises crop insurance premiums 15% for farmers with adjusted gross income of $750,000 or more, and requires USDA to certify no net increase in the cost of the insurance program
• An amendment by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R, GA) tying federal crop insurance participation to conservation program participation
• An amendment by Sens. Max Baucus (D, MT) and John Tester (D, MT) allowing livestock producers to participate in the non-insured protection program
• An amendment by Sen. Bob Casey (D, PA) requiring USDA to conduct a technical evaluation of the milk marketing program, and a related amendment by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R, ME) that reforms milk marketing orders
• An amendment by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R, IA) to cap marketing loan payments.

Amendments which failed include the following:

• An amendment by Sen. Patrick Toomey (R, PA) to cut USDA programs from the energy title
• An amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I, VT) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D, CA) to give states the right to mandate labeling on genetically engineered foods, feeds and ingredients
• An amendment by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D, NY) to restore cuts in food stamps
• An amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint (R, SC) to convert all mandatory checkoff programs to voluntary programs
• An amendment by Sen. Mike Lee (R, UT) to kill off the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Conservation Security Program (CSP)
• An amendment by Sen. Ron Johnson (R, WI) to send the bill back to committee, and split it into separate nutrition and ag program bills
• An amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R, OK) to cut the Market Access Program (MAP) by $40 million and kill pet food/ingredient export promotion
• An amendment by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R, GA) to fully repeal the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandating how much alternative fuels must be blended with gasoline did not make the final 73 amendments accepted for debate on the bill.  

To finally begin floor action, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D, MI) and ranking committee member Sen. Pat Roberts (R, KS) fended off over 330 filed amendments to the bill. Once they negotiated the list down to 73 amendments - many were dumped as irrelevant to the bill or were minor changes accepted as part of the package without a vote - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, NV) and chamber Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, KY) blessed the list, and limited debate on each amendment to one minute on each side of the issue and held voting time to 10 minutes. A handful of unrelated amendments were allowed, but needed 60 votes to pass. House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R, OK) said of the Senate action "I commend Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts on passage of S. 3240...it was a challenge to move this legislation and their efforts made it possible. Although there will be differences between the Senate approach and our own...(the House committee) will consider a balanced proposal that saves taxpayers billions of dollars, recognizes the diversity of American agriculture, respects the risks producers face and preserves the tools necessary for food production."  

Committee ranking member Rep. Collin Peterson (D, MN) said, in praising Stabenow and Roberts, "It is crucial we finish the farm bill before the current bill expires in September. Waiting until the mess that will be the lame duck session will only make it more difficult, but could also result in several unintended consequences." "I am grateful for the Senate's progress toward providing a reformed safety net for producers in times of need, supporting agricultural research and trade promotion, honoring World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments, furthering the bio-based economy, conserving our natural resources, strengthening local and regional food systems, and promoting job growth in rural America," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

While the House Agriculture Committee had hoped to markup its version of the 2012 Farm Bill beginning next week, committee Chair Frank Lucas (R, OK) said this week he'll hold off on committee action until July 11 when the House returns from its July 4 recess. Lucas said the delay was not because his committee wasn't ready to take up the legislation, but because the FY2013 ag/FDA appropriations bill will be on the House floor next week, and committee members will be working to stave off "onerous amendments" which may be offered and which could complicate his committee's Farm Bill efforts. The delayed markup has some concerned the House will not be able to complete floor action on the Farm Bill before it expires September 30, particularly given House Speaker John Boehner (R, OH) has given no indication he will allot floor time for the debate. The Senate Agriculture Committee, fresh off its passage of its Farm Bill, called on the House leadership to show the same commitment to Farm Bill passage that Senate leaders did in getting the bill to the floor. House members have criticized the Senate bill as lacking "regional balance" and "loaded with negligent food stamp expenditures."

President Obama's executive order last week to exclude up to 800,000 children and young adults brought into the U.S. from federal deportation proceedings is drawing expected criticism, even though he tried to build off legislative proposals floated by both parties in Congress. The order is similar to the DREAM Act which has failed to pass Congress over the last decade, and the GOP says the order is nothing more than a political end run around Congress to appeal to Hispanic voters in advance of the November election. The President said he took the action because Congress has refused to act on immigration reform, but critics reminded the White House the President has previously told immigrant groups he lacked the power to issue such an executive order. The so-called "deferred action" order is a two-year temporary action, the White House said, but could be renewed, and Obama said it does not convey legal status, amnesty or immunity to any illegal immigrant.  

The order will affect immigrants brought into the country as children when they were under the age of 16 and are not yet 30 years old. They must have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and remain in the country, have not committed a felony or "serious crime," and are currently students, high school graduates, GED recipients or honorably discharged veterans. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said the government may also defer action on deporting immigrants under the age of 30 if they don't pose a national security risk, meaning they have not been convicted of a felony, a "significant" misdemeanor or multiple misdemeanors. Multiple agencies will process deferral applications, and a granted deferral will allow the immigrant to apply for a work permit with those cases judged individually with no guarantee of approval, the White House said. Napolitano said her department would use its prosecutorial discretion in enforcing the executive order.

A single bill carrying six other pieces of legislation all dealing with energy production was approved by the full House this week. The Republicans praised the bill as the first significant energy legislation of this Congress, while Democrats called it a "massive giveaway" to oil and gas industries. The bill mandates an increase in oil and gas production that equals any release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and would require the Department of the Interior to ensure that 25% of federal land is eligible for energy leasing each year. Also included in the package is language prohibiting EPA from finalizing new regulations on refinery air emissions, along with language requiring the Interior secretary to develop an energy plan for public lands; stopping the federal government from rescinding leases on federal lands for energy development; streamlining the permitting process; establishing a live Internet auction of Bureau of Land Management leases, and speeding up programs designed to allow drilling in the Alaskan National Petroleum Reserve.

The roster of UCNFA programs for the rest of 2012 is coming together quickly. Save the dates below and stay tuned to  http://ucanr.org/sites/UCNFA/ for more information:

Risk Management Workshop for Nursery and Greenhouse Managers (Watsonville)
June 26, 2012 Watsonville (plenty of room, walk-ins welcome)

ABCs of Horticulture (English Session)
 

ABCs of Horticulture (Spanish Session)
July 26, 2012 San Marcos, Center for Applied Horticultural Research

Nursery and Greenhouse Runoff Treatment Workshop
August 21, 2012 UC Davis

Erosion and Pesticide Runoff Management in Nurseries
September 27, 2012 Watsonville

October 25, 2012 Watsonville

Linda Dodge, SRA

Dept. of Plant Sciences, Mailstop 6

University of California

One Shields Ave.

Davis CA 95616

mailto:lldodge@ucdavis.edu 

phone/fax 530-752-8419

cell 916-201-8989

University of California Nursery and Floriculture Alliance

 http://ucanr.org/sites/UCNFA/ 

UCNFA News

 http://ucanr.org/sites/UCNFAnews/ 

Smiles are nice. Cards are nice. Gifts are nice. 

 

All the "standards" are nice--and all, at least in part, are somewhat expected.If you really want to make someone's day, do the unexpected. It's not hard. Little things truly can go the longest way. All it takes is a tiny bit of thought and a little effort:

Be thoughtful, simply because you can. 

 

I pulled into a service bay to get my oil changed. As I got out of the car one of the techs said, "Man, those are nice wheels... too bad they're so dirty." He smiled, just teasing. "I know..." I said. "My next stop is the car wash." Then I went inside to wait.     

When I walked to my car to leave he was just standing up, filthy rags in his hand. "Took some work, but I got 'em all clean," he said. Every rim sparkled. Every speck of brake dust was gone.

"Wow, that's awesome... but you didn't have to do that," I said.

"We're not very busy," he shrugged.  "I had time. Figured I would make 'em look better." Just then a car pulled into another bay so he hustled away, saying over his shoulder, "Have a good day."

That was four years ago. But I still haven't forgotten it. (It made such an impression that I got cupcakes from a nearby shop and dropped them off for all the employees to share.) Instead of turning idle time into "me time," use your free time to do something nice: Not because you might be expected to, but just because you can.

Say something good about something old.

I was waiting to talk to the owner and couldn't help but overhear their conversation.  The man said, "A few years ago my daughter's fianc�e was deployed to Iraq and they decided to move up their wedding. She needed a venue that could put the reception together on two days' notice. I told her not to get her hopes up because there was no way anyone could pull that off.

"But you and your folks did. You can't imagine what having a real wedding meant to her. And I can't tell you how much it meant to me to see her so happy. I just wanted to thank you again." They shook hands, the man walked away, and the owner's eyes stayed on him until he disappeared out the door.

 

It feels great to receive compliments for something you've just done. It feels even better when someone goes out of their way to compliment you for something you did in the past--not only do they still appreciate what you did, they went out of their way to say they remember.

Find a person you can thank or compliment for something they did a long time ago.

Everyone appreciates--no, everyone loves--to be remembered.

Say who referred you.

We all get recommendations from friends or colleagues. Sometimes we act on them.

When you do, say so. Tell the owner John referred you. Tell the manager Mary said the food was awesome and you just had to try it. Say Mark said you won't find better service anywhere else.

The person you tell will feel good because it's a double compliment, one from you and one from the referrer. They'll feel good because they'll know their hard work is appreciated, which is nice, and that their hard work is paying off--which is even nicer.

And John, Mary, and Mark will appreciate it because they'll know you respect their opinion and because you helped make their professional relationship with another business a little more personal.

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