Policy

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Happy 2013, especially to the Hudson Family!

The highlight of 2012 for many in the Ag industry came on Thursday, December 20. You’ve probably already heard the good news. U.S. District Judge Nickerson ruled in favor of the Hudson family, as well as Eastern shore farmers and Perdue. Actually, the verdict sets a precedent for farmers across the nation, especially poultry farmers, because the same situation is occurring to all who live and operate near major waterways. I recently read about farmers in the southwest, who live near tributaries leading into the Mississippi River, and are just beginning to learn what the word “nutrient management” really means.

As a follow-up to “The Impact of One Decision on Ag“, here’s a list of links reporting the good news:

There are many more articles out there, reporting the outcome of this three-year long case. As I said before, MANY were watching this case closely. I trust 2013 brings a sigh of a relief and healing to this family and all involved. I also hope it gives the poultry industry a boost, as it enters 2013 with unpredictable feed costs and potential antibiotic regulations. Regardless, I’m so thankful that the judge released his 50 page ruling before the Christmas holiday. Thanks also to all the groups and farmers who supported the family through this lawsuit. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the Hudson’s, Delmarva Poultry Growers, and Perdue!

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New Year, New Session, & New Ag Committee Assignments

Another election year has come and gone. It was a big one for our state legislature, as every seat was up for grabs due to the 10 year census and the redrawing of district lines. In addition, many long-time incumbents retired, including former Senator George Bunting (D) who was the long-time chair of the Senate Ag Committee. These changes have definitely altered the face of our legislature and I’m not referring to party affiliation but more so age. New leadership has been chosen in each chamber and committees assigned. Here’s a rundown, relative to Agriculture, of course.

The Senate: 13 Democrats, 8 Republicans

New Leadership:

  • President Pro Temp: Patricia Blevins (D)
  • Majority Leader: David McBride (D)
  • Majority Whip: Margaret Rode Henry (D)
  • Minority Leader: Gary Simpson (R)
  • Minority Whip: Gregory Lavelle (R)

Senate Ag Committee Members:

  • Bruce Ennis, Chair (D)
  • Bethany Hall-Long (D) (new to committee)
  • Robert Venables (R)
  • Gary Simpson (R)
  • Gerald Hocker (R) (newly elected; previously served in House) (new to committee)

The House: 27 Democrats, 14 Republicans

New Leadership:

  • Speaker of the House: Pete Schwartzkopf (D)
  • Majority Leader: Val Longhurst (D)
  • Majority Whip: John Viola
  • Minority Leader: Dan Short
  • Minority Whip: Deborah Hudson

House Ag Committee members:

  • John Atkins, Chair (D)
  • Quinn Johnson, Vice-Chair (D)
  • William Carson (D)
  • W. Charles “Trey” Paradee (D) (newly elected) (new to committee)
  • Rebecca Walker (D)
  • Micheal Mulrooney (D)
  • Dave Wilson (D)
  • Harvey Kenton (R)
  • William “Bobby” Outten (R)
  • Harold Peterman (R)
  • Jeffrey Spiegelman (R) (newly elected) (new to committee)

Important to note: The 147th General Session begins on January 8, 2013. The House Ag Committee plans to meet every Wednesday from 4-5:30 pm when in session. Other committees to watch, relative to ag, would be the Natural Resources committee. See a list of all House committees here. See a list of all Senate committees here.

Granted, I know Ag isn’t the most popular committee and in past years it hasn’t seen much legislation introduced but you never know what 2013 and this new session will bring. Plus there are many things going on federally that may impact state budgets and regs. I will say that I was hoping newly elected Sen. Ernie Lopez would be on the Senate Ag Committee; however, I’m happy he landed on the Education and Natural Resources committees. Better luck next time, I guess.

Here’s to 2013 and what this new session will bring………Happy New Session & New Year!

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From the Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit Blog- A New School Lunch

A blog featured by Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: http://www.mafc.com/blog/a-new-school-lunch/

Have you heard about any changes to your child’s school lunch? I have and I don’t even have kids. My niece’s have filled me in and they aren’t happy. One says she’s still starving after eating her lunch. The other one says she would rather pack her lunch now. I’ve even heard teachers in Lake Forest School District comment about how terrible the lunches are this year.

The changes are a result of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010. For the first time in over 20 years, the USDA is implementing significant changes to the nutrition standards of National School Lunches and the School Breakfast Programs. Like it or not, this is mandatory for public schools across the country. What are some of the new requirements for 2012? Here are a few:

  • Offer fruit daily (lunch)
  • Offer vegetable subgroups weekly (lunch)
  • Half of grains must be whole grain-rich (lunch and breakfast)
  • Offer only fat-free and low-fat unflavored milk (lunch and breakfast)
  • Calorie counting (see a recent article from the News Journal here)

There are more to be phased in over a 3 year timeline such as sodium servings; however, most changes for school lunch happened this year.

But wait, there’s more! There are MANY optional movements targeting a new and improved school lunch and October was a popular month for their celebration. For example, October was National Farm to School Month. Delaware has been a part of this movement, and recently unveiled a new website for the program. School districts such as Colonial, Seaford, Smyrna, and Woodbridge embraced the idea of Farm to School early on and are dedicated to the movement. Recently WBOC and the Cape Gazette featured Smyrna School District for their revamping of school lunch by incorporating Farm to School. Farm to School allows cafeterias to offer fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers, while still implementing the new nutrition standards. It’s a win, win situation for schools and local farmers!

The National School Lunch Week (NSLW) is another celebration which was held October 15-19. Did your school district plan something special to celebrate? Seaford School District is a good example. With a “School Lunch: What’s Cooking” theme, students toured the kitchen facilities during the week-long celebration. I read this in a recent Sussex County Post article and just last year, I blogged about Seaford achieving silver level status from the Healthier U.S. School Challenge Award.

So, what do I say to my nieces? Well, I know their district has not embraced the Farm to School movement. I think this would help make some of the fruits and veggies they serve more appealing to students. One way to entice students to eat healthy food is to use creative marketing when it comes to menu writing and educational curriculum. Perhaps a way to approach the issue is to start asking questions of the cafeteria manager, nutrition supervisor, or superintendent of the district. Questions to ask could be:

  • What resources or equipment do our cafeterias need to serve a better tasting school lunch, especially with the new nutrition standards?
  • What did our district do to promote National School Lunch Week?
  • Does our district participate in Farm to School? If not, why?

Perhaps you could even send your superintendent or PTA leaders the articles or videos featured in this blog. Show them that a healthy school lunch doesn’t have to taste bad!

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The Impact of One Decision on Delmarva Ag

I haven’t slept the best lately. It happens to me whenever something weighs heavily on my mind. Ever since I read the article of how the pollution lawsuit has stressed the Hudson family of Maryland a couple days ago and knowing the verdict could come soon, the case has been on my mind. I can’t imagine living a paranoid life and I certainly can’t imagine how I would even begin to protect my kids from the negative impact this lawsuit brought their family. As soon as their kids were mentioned, my heart ached for them. This could be my sister’s family, my cousin or uncle’s family, or any of our neighbor’s who are poultry growers facing this lawsuit. Yesterday I was on standby, checking social media sites for updates, waiting to hear if a verdict had been made. This was the last post made by the MD Farm Bureau on Facebook:

Today’s update from the Hudson Case:
 The defense will finish their case this afternoon. The Waterkeepers get to call any rebuttal witnesses in the morning and the case will end. Apparently there will not be closing arguments now. They will be scheduled in several weeks after post-trial summaries are submitted by each side. It may take months for Judge Nickerson to reach a decision in the case. But based on the testimony of all the witnesses, including the defense expert, Dr. Charles Hagedorn from Virginia Tech, it doesn’t appear that the Waterkeepers have proven their case. The Hudsons, Perdue and their attorneys put up a very good defense. We will keep you updated.

And this was the lastest reporting from WBOC:     Hudson Farm Trial Update

In case you don’t have knowledge or background here, “this could be a landmark case which could change common, accepted farming practices” as Bill Satterfield, Director of the Delmarva Poultry Industry, made clear when the trial began on October 9. I’m guessing environmentalists, poultry industry experts, farmers, and elected officials are watching the case closely. I’ve even seen a recent campaign ad to re-elect Andy Harris, a MD Republican Senator running for U.S. Congress, which depicts the negative impact of groups like the EPA on small businesses and farmers.

Just think about the potential impact here. There are over 1,600 farmers growing for 5 poultry companies in the Mid-Atlantic. Can you imagine the impact on our state economy? I wonder if our leaders have thought through a “Plan B”. I try not to worry about it. Instead, I’ll do my best to focus on the positive and thank God for the tremendous support from groups such as DPI and Save Farm Families, who have stood behind the Hudson Family tremendously since the onslaught of the lawsuit. It’s been drug out over 3 years. It’s time to let this farm family and their kids move on.

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Who Spoke Up for DE Ag?

On Monday, August 13, I attended the public hearing at DE Dept. of Ag (DDA) regarding Executive Order 36. In my previous post, “Speak up on DE Ag Regulations“, I explained this order and announced the 3 hearing dates regarding agriculture in each county. At the Kent County meeting there were 3 public guests. According to Ed Kee, 5 public guests attended the Sussex hearing. The New Castle meeting was last week but I have not heard how it went.

There are several reasons I wanted to attend. The first is because I wanted to see how many others were interested in DE regulations related to agriculture. The second is because I’ve had the opportunity to study public policy and work in state government and I’ve learned that once regulations are put in place, they are very hard to remove. Sure, they can be amended but they are not always evaluated once put in place. So, I’m interested to see how this process works. And the third reason is, I was interested to see if any of the hot topics related to agriculture came up. What are the hot topics? In my opinion, they are Nutrient Management, Animal Welfare, and Food Safety/Food Supply.

Ed Kee, the DE Secretary of Ag, moderated the hearing and had several of his section heads present to address current regs. He opened by reading specifics of the order and stating the Governor’s wishes. He asked that we be specific when addressing regulations; not just to say all regulations are bad. Each agency within the executive branch must conduct a public comment period up until October 1. At the conclusion, agencies will evaluate comments and conduct their own review. In June 2013, the Governor’s office will submit changes made to the General Assembly.

The Secretary then introduced each of his staff members present. Who were the 3 attendees? Pam Bakerian-Executive Director of the DE Farm Bureau, Al Paoli-Director of the Small Business Development Center at DSU, and myself. He asked each of us to introduce ourselves and when doing so we had to sit in a specific chair so our voice could be recorded. Pam went first and complimented DDA for their long-standing committment to farmers. Al was up next and spoke to his small business experience and how we can work to gether to help farmers. He also stated how surprised he was that there weren’t more people in attendance. Ed commented that if it was for topics specifically, such as nutrient management, there probably would be. He said he also expects more attendance at DNREC and DOT’s hearings.

So then it was my turn. I introduced myself, explained my background in ag, and my current involvement-which is basically on the weekends, assisting my parents with picking, farmers markets, and marketing. This led into my comments regarding the increase of farmers markets and how well they have complimented my parent’s retail business. I also explained that it takes many people to make a farmers market successful-market managers, vendors, customers, downtown associations and many more. A change in just one of these can alter the success of a market. We recently experienced a change in management of the Downtown Milford Farmers Market as a newly formed committee took over the reigns. A request went out to vendors early in the season that all vendors must have a certain monetary level of liability insurance, which many vendors cannot afford. As a result, vendor participation decreased significantly. From what I heard, blame was put on DDA. However, the committee changed the requirement soon thereafter. I asked Secretary Kee, “Is this a regulation of DDA?” His response was “No, that it’s up to each individual farmer market”. Good to know. Then he had a question for me. He stated that he has received calls about vendors at markets stating or displaying organic produce when they are not actually certified organic. He asked, “Should DDA regulate this?”. My response? “No.” Even though it is a problem, it is something each market can monitor, just as they do with the insurance issue. How can they monitor it? By requesting a copy of vendor’s certification for organic production, making their own list of organic vendors, and making it public. DDA could help by listing certified organic producers on their public website; not necessarily regulating every market in the state. I also strongly believe each individual market knows what is best for their customers and vendors. Anyone else have ideas? Please let me know (cvanderwende@hotmail.com) or contact the Secretary himself!

If you would like to address current regulations, whether for agriculture or any other state agency, you still have until October 1 to submit a form online or printed. Now’s your chance!

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Speak Up on DE Ag Regulations!

Just passing along this information, as it relates to Delaware agriculture. I will be sure to tell my family, especially my dad (Farmer Dan) and grandfather. Smart move by Governor Markell to work on reducing regulatory hurdles for small businesses, as he ramps up his political campaign this fall. I know Rep. Dan Short (R) from Seaford has been a strong advocate for this idea as well. I’ll also be sure to tell my aunt and uncle, who just opened Vanderwende Farm Creamery yesterday, after MANY hurdles and setbacks from state regulations and permits (not related to Dept. of Ag).

Farmers and “ag”vocates, now is your chance to speak up! Here is the link for the info below: http://dda.delaware.gov/ExecutiveOrder36.shtml

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Executive Order 36

Public Notice

On June 14, Governor Jack Markell signed Executive Order 36, launching a statewide program to identify and remove regulatory  hurdles in state government. Executive Order 36 is a  mechanism to review existing regulations and eliminate outdated, inconsistent,  or regulations that no longer serve their purpose. This agency would like  public input on its regulations. After formal comment, the agency will  consider the input received and streamline or change regulations accordingly. A  report on changes goes to the Governor and to the Delaware General Assembly in  June 2012.

As part of the review process, each state agency  will hold public hearings and accept written comments and suggestions on its  regulations.

The Department of Agriculture will hold hearings in each  county:

– Monday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the  University of Delaware’s Carvel Research and Education Center, 16483  County Seat Highway, Georgetown.

– Monday, Aug. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Department of Agriculture headquarters, 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover.

– Monday, Aug. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the James Gilliam Conference Center, 77 Reads Way, New  Castle.

Comments can also be submitted as part of this process  through Oct. 1, either online or through a printed form.

The printed form can  be mailed to Mark Davis, Deputy Principal Assistant, Delaware Department of  Agriculture, 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, Delaware 19901, or submitted via email.

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Today Made Me Smile

Today was just one of those days I had to smile. One of the core reasons I began writing this blog is to share the connection I see between agriculture and health while in my full-time work for Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS).  While promoting children’s health in Kent County, I have utilized many of my previous connections with partners and businesses within the area. I have also been fortunate to embrace new ones along the way.  I smiled today because I witnessed all of these connections come together. Let me explain.

The previous long time connection is with my neighbor and colleague, Dave Marvel. He and his family grow field crops and watermelon near me, just west of Harrington. He is also the President of the Fruit & Vegetables Growers Association of Delaware (FVGAD) but the true passion I share with him is the DE Farm to School program. Dave initiated this program in the Woodbridge School District (with help from others) and is currently serving as co-chair of the DE Farm to School Advisory Board (we just spent all day Tuesday working on by-laws for the board). Furthermore, he was recently asked to serve on the National Farm to School Network Advisory Board .

The new colleague I met this past winter is Charita Olabiyi and the Outreach Manager for the Dover branch of Westside Family Healthcare. I remember calling Charita and asking her if she wanted to go to lunch one day. I asked where she preferred and she said “the sale”. She said, “Do you know what “the sale” means?” and I said, “Of course-it means Spence’s Bizarre and I love to go there”! We hit off and I soon learned that she has invaluable experience as a community health worker, including with the migrant farm laborers in Delaware.  Working with this population has sparked her interest in agriculture and she asked me to share with her ag related events in Delaware. Since it was winter, I invited her to DE Ag Week this past January. And the rest is history, as I connected her with Dave and the networking began.

Since then, a new advisory board for migrant farm workers in DE has formed, which Dave and Charita are serving on together (along with others).  Along with today’s launch of Westside’s new mobile health unit, which is a customized motor home with all the medical equipment needed for primary care. It’s a doctor’s office on wheels and it will travel to the migrant farm workers of Kent & Sussex counties this summer. See this related article from the Delmarva Farmer for more info. Today was the ribbon cutting for the brand new mobile unit and, of course, both Charita and Dave were in audience. It was no surprise to me when both were recognized, since I know the great work these individuals do everyday. I had to smile, just thinking about the endless strides these two can make for both agriculture and healthcare in Delaware.

Westside Mobile Health Unit Ribbon Cutting
July 12, 2012
Fourth from right, Dave Marvel
First from right, Charita Olabiyi

*** See below for more info on Westside’s services and it’s campaign in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program. This video is awesome!

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DE Ag Newsflash

Here’s a quick newsflash from the world of DE agriculture for you:

  • Mark Rieger has accepted UD’s offer to become the next Dean of the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. I’m sure an official announcement will come soon. Until then, you can find out more about him on the “Official Dean Search” website page (I was personally impressed with his letter; however, you cannot access the video). You can also see the members of the search committee on this site (along right hand side).
  • There is a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting at Legislative Hall coming up on June 6 at 3pm. Previously mentioned bills regarding the Nutrient Management Commission (HB 286) and pesticide sales (HB 321) are on the agenda. Check this website for updates (times and meeting rooms change often!). Primary sponsors of these bills are both Republican; Rep. Dave Wilson and Rep. Harvey Kenton respectively, both from the Milford area.
  • In the poultry world, there’s a newly named President & CEO for Mountaire Farms, Inc. His name is Paul Downes and he most recently served as COO (Chief Operations Officer). See more here.
  • The longtime Vlasic pickle factory in Millsboro, DE  announced it’s closing this week. Not only will DE lose close to 300 jobs (150 full-time, 150 seasonal) but approximately 20 Eastern Shore farmers will have to decide whether to continue growing cucumbers. This plant opened in 1972, changed owners several times over the years, and apparently considered closing in 2010. However, a DE economic development grant of $90, 000 kept them open. Two years later, not the case. Michigan’s economic development office and union won the battle, which is where it will consolidate its pickle production. See the DE News Journal article here.
  • Have you visited a local farmer’s market yet? Many are opening statewide, including a new one slated for the Smyrna, DE area. I will blog more about this soon. In the meantime, see this Farmer’s Market Directory, offered by the DE Dept. of Ag. The strawberry season in DE has pretty much come to a close but broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green and yellow squash, and blueberries are soon to come!
  • Speaking of which, have you seen the new DE Dept. of Ag website? It has a new, fresh look and it’s about time!!! Take a peek here: http://dda.delaware.gov/
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Joint Agriculture Committee Update-Part II

A week later, on March 28, the committee came together again. This time the agenda covered two extremely sensitive topics: animal welfare and nutrient management.

Dr. Carolyn Orr from the Council of State Governments (CSG) reported that a university study showed that the EPA overestimated the amount of nutrients from the poultry operations coming into the environment by about four folds.  THIS IS HUGE FOR DELMARVA FARMERS!!! Apparently the EPA was using a model that relies on feeding practices that are 25 years old. Poultry farmers are much more efficient in their feeding practices today.

Dr. Orr went on to address animal welfare issues and the animal rights movement, which she singled out as the biggest threat to ag in the US today. She stated the movement is emotion backed, not science backed. Several fast food chains have required their pork suppliers and egg suppliers to use gestation free facilities. She also reported that several states have made it illegal to get false employment in a facility for the purpose to video tape. Witnesses are also required to report videotaping within 72 hours.

Several guests were present such as Gary Warren of the DE Farm Bureau  and Cooperative Extension representatives. Important to note, there was also a  representative of the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) in attendance. House members present included Chair Atkins and Chair Bunting, Representatives Quinn Johnson, Harvey Kenton, Bobby Outten, Jack Peterman, and Dave Wilson. Senate members present were Bruce Ennis, Bob Venables and Gary Simpson.

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All committee meetings are held on Wednesday afternoons, when in session, at Legislative Hall in Dover. They are open to the public. You can check the DE General Assembly website for updates on Committee meeting times and rooms (click on meeting schedules on left side tool bar). It’s updated daily and often you will see bills sneak in on committee meeting agendas or time changes at the last minute.  The Ag Committee for each chamber meets sporadically, either when a bill is introduced or when updates are needed. For example, there is a House Ag Committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Wed., May 9 at 4pm. See the agenda here. 

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Joint Agriculture Committee Update-Part I

After my post this week on HB 282, I realized there’s nowhere to find Delaware Ag Committee minutes unless you actually attend the meetings. What farmer or agvocate has time to do that, especially in the spring, when planting is top priority? And none of our media outlets cover these meetings regularly. I don’t always have time to go either, but I’m usually attending some other committee, so occasionally I can slip in. Therefore, I’d like to share the minutes of two previous Ag Committee meetings in March. These convened as “Joint Agriculture Committee” meetings, meaning the individual House and Senate Committee members came together as one. I’ll give you a short summary in a two-part series.

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At the March 21 meeting, Secretary Kee seemed to lead the agenda (not the Chairs) and announced three pieces of legislation his department would like to implement in the near future:

  1. Replace one of the poultry representatives on the nutrient management commission with an equine industry representative (HB 282, which passed the House yesterday).
  2. Increase in the pesticide registration fee that manufacturers pay to the Dept. of Ag. (HB 321, just introduced Tuesday).
  3. Increase the fine for those who misuse pharmaceuticals in the thoroughbred industry. A second component to this would be an increase in license fees.

An update on the Young Farmers Program (YFP) was given. There are currently 10 young farmers with a total of 903 acres of land in the program. The State will loan up to $2.7 million at zero interest for them to buy their first farm. The farm will then remain in the Ag Lands Preservation Program (ALPP). In regards to this topic, the Secretary also mentioned the fact that the State has proposed to provide less funding to the ALPP, from $7 million to $1.5 million and to the YFP, from $3 million to $500,000.

In the poultry field, Secretary Kee gave an update on the Harim group, who bought Allen Family Foods. They have been operating profitably from week to week and may add another shift, which could provide more in state jobs. The Secretary then requested help to support the University of DE’s Lasher Lab in Georgetown, which is crucial to our state’s poultry industry because of its role in testing disease in Delmarva poultry flocks. They need $500,000 to continue their work. Several poultry representatives provided public comment to re-emphasize the needed support.

Legislators present were Chair Bunting (Senate) and Chair Atkins (House); Representatives Quinn Johnson, Harvey Kenton, Rebecca Walker, and Dave Wilson; Senators Bruce Ennis, Bob Venables, and Gary Simpson.

Who wasn’t there, but belongs on the committee? Representatives Bill Carson, Jack Peterman, Bobby Outten, Michael Mulrooney, and Senator Joe Booth.

Always interesting to see who attends and who doesn’t. Stay tuned for Part II soon……