The Farm Post eNews

Friday eNews from the Pike and Scott County Farm Bureaus

JANUARY 8, 2016

Year-long tax push yields results

Congress' recent passage of legislation making permanent or extending several tax provisions important to agriculture is a great example of how the groundwork farmers and ranchers have laid all year can pay off. Over the past 12-plus months they have been explaining to their lawmakers how tax provisions like section 179 small business expensing and bonus depreciation make the difficult business of running a farm more manageable.

In the past, Congress had approved one- or two-year extensions-sometimes retroactively-of these critical provisions. Though that was helpful, not knowing from one year to next whether key small business tax provisions would be available made it extremely challenging for farmers and ranchers to make the best decisions about equipment purchases and other farm and ranch improvements and investments.

Focus on Ag column

Pesticide Training/Testing

Private pesticide applicator TESTING will be held on January 28 at the Pike County Farm Bureau beginning at 10 a.m. TESTING will also be the Morgan County Extension office on February 10. Register on-line.

You can study for these on your own via two methods. The manual and study guide are available from any Extension office for $13. You can also go online for training. The cost is $15 for this online training. Register on-line.

Or you can attend a TRAINING AND TESTING session on January 11 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield and again on February 4 at the Quincy Holiday Inn. For all sessions, training will be held between 8am-11:30am and testing is from 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. You must register here. Select the Private Training icon.There is a $40.00 registration fee per person per clinic.

An Honor Serving Agriculture

This month I'll be passing the gavel to the new president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. It's the final item on my agenda. As I look back on the last 16 years, I am proud of the hard work we've done to strengthen agriculture and make the voice of America's farmers and ranchers heard.

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TODAY IN HISTORY

BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS
January 8, 1815

The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the Louisiana Purchase. The Treaty of Ghent had been signed on December 24, 1814, but news of the peace would not reach the combatants until February. The battle is widely regarded as the greatest American land victory of the war.

The victory at New Orleans on January 8 cost Jackson around 13 killed, 58 wounded, and 30 captured for a total of 101. The British reported their losses as 291 killed, 1,262 wounded, and 484 captured/missing for a total of 2,037. A stunningly one-sided victory, the Battle of New Orleans was the signature American land victory of the war. In the wake of the defeat, Lambert and Cochrane withdrew after bombarding Fort St. Philip. Sailing to Mobile Bay, they captured Fort Bowyer in February and made preparations for attacking Mobile.

Before the attack could go forward, the British commanders learned that a peace treaty had been signed at Ghent, Belgium. In fact, the treaty had been signed on December 24, 1814, prior to the majority of the fighting at New Orleans. Though the United States Senate had yet to ratify the treaty, its terms stipulated that fighting should cease. While the victory at New Orleans did not influence the content of the treaty, it did aid in forcing the British to abide by its terms. In addition, the battle made Jackson a national hero and aided in propelling him to the presidency.