The Farm Post eNews

Friday eNews from the Pike and Scott County Farm Bureaus

MAY 15, 2015

House supports WOTUS bill--time for Senate to act

"Members of the House sent a strong, bipartisan message that the flawed Waters of the U.S. Rule is unacceptable and should be scrapped," AFBF President Bob Stallman said in a statement issued Wednesday. Stallman called it refreshing that members of Congress ordered regulators back to the drawing board, with an admonition to listen to the very real concerns of people who would have their farm fields and ditches regulated in the same manner as navigable streams.

Now it is time for the Senate to act: Please contact our U.S. Senators today and urge them to cosponsor S. 1140 -- the Federal Water Quality Protection Act

Senator Durbin -- 202-224-2152

Senator Kirk -- 202-224-2854

S. 1140 is a bill that would force EPA and the Corps of Engineers to withdraw their proposed "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule and restart the process. The bill would ensure protection of traditional navigable waters of the United States. It also protects farmers and private landowners by directing the EPA and Corps to issue a revised WOTUS rule that does not include such things as isolated ponds, ditches, storm water, groundwater, floodwater, and streams without enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters.

June 1 Compliance Date Looms

The Agriculture Department is reminding farmers that the 2014 farm bill requires filing a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form (AD-1026) with their local USDA service center by June 1 to become or remain eligible for crop insurance premium support. Many farmers already have a certification form on file since it's required for participation in most USDA programs such as marketing assistance loans, farm storage facility loans and disaster assistance. However farmers, such as specialty crop growers who receive federal crop insurance premium support, but may not participate in other USDA programs, also must now file a certification form to maintain their crop insurance premium support.

USDA news release

Irrigator Webinar on Monday

The state of Illinois is now requiring Illinois irrigators to report their water usage to the Illinois State Water Survey's Water Inventory Program. Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) will host a webinar to discuss the new requirement. Lauren Lurkins, Director of Natural and Environmental Resources for Illinois Farm Bureau, will host the webinar this Monday, May 18 at 1p.m.

AFBF Tells Senate "pass TPA"

The growth of U.S. agriculture depends on our ability to break down trade barriers and complete ambitious new trade agreements, according to the AFBF.

Farm Bureau thanks the Senate for moving the debate forward and proceeding to consider the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. This legislation is critical to making progress on pending negotiations and promises to expand opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports.

It urges the Senate to approve this TPA legislation to secure the future of agricultural trade.

On This Day

MAY 15, 1862

USDA Born

On May 15, 1862, Congress passed a bill establishing the USDA.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby established at the seat of government of the United States a Department of Agriculture, the general designs and duties of which shall be to acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture in the most general and comprehensive sense of that word, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants.

Not sure what we have now is what A. Lincoln and Congress had in mind.

See the legislation.

Learn more about Farm Bureau