USDA

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A Right to Farm & Ag Certainty

Most of Wednesday’s House Ag Committee meeting was devoted to housekeeping of harness racing regulations. But at the end, two preliminary-but very optimistic-ideas surfaced. Here are the highlights:

  • Rep. John Atkins, Chair, called the meeting to order at 12:05pm and immediately turned the floor over to Secretary Ed Kee. Representative’s in attendance were Peterman, Outten, Kenton, Wilson, Spiegelman, Q. Johnson. Other guests were lobbyists-Scott & Rebecca Kidner and Debbie Hamilton, Hettie Brown-HSUS State Director, Mark Davis-DDA, Austin Short-DDA.
  • The Secretary went straight into draft legislation related to harness racing such as jockey welfare, harness racing fines, and investigations related to illegal substances.
  • Related to Ag Lands Preservation, the Secretary said he is requesting $2 million for the program in the Governor’s budget, which will be presented this week on Jan. 24. See updated info on Ag Lands here.
  • The Secretary announced that DDA, the Nutrient Management Commission, DNREC, USDA, and the Conservation Districts are exploring the use of an “Ag Certainty” program related to those with a nutrient management plan.  Here is the draft review circulated in committee:
DE's Ag Certainty Program Review Draft circulated in House Committee meeting on Jan. 16, 2013

DE’s Ag Certainty Program Review Draft circulated in House Committee meeting on Jan. 16, 2013

It looks to be an incentive program for farmers to implement best management practices (BMP’s), which other states have adopted (Florida, Louisiana, and Michigan). I also found a blog post by Lara Moody, a promoter of nutrient stewardship in D.C., which cites the discussion of Ag Certainty related to the Chesapeake Bay back in Nov. 2011.

“The right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state. No law shall be enacted which abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production and ranching practices”.

Legislative counsel in DE may also suggest this be a Constitutional amendment, which could be a lengthy process because it must pass both chambers (House & Senate), not once, but two years in a row. As soon as I heard this, my mind went straight to Rich Barczewski’s “Pig Tales” column in the Jan.15th Delmarva Farmer. He mentions right-to-farm laws in his column titled “Agriculture Under Fire”. The article is impossible to find on the web so I’m posting it below. Awesome article.

Pig Tales, "Agriculture Under Fire", by Rich Barczewski, columnist for Jan. 15, 2013 Delmarva Farmer

Pig Tales, “Agriculture Under Fire”, by Rich Barczewski, columnist for Jan. 15, 2013 Delmarva Farmer

It’s your turn! Which do you think should be implemented to help Delaware farmers in 2013? Answer the poll below!

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Meat Monday’s

Back in July of 2012, the USDA caused quite a stir when it circulated a newsletter promoting the concept of “Meatless Monday“, which encouraged people to skip eating meat one day a week. Don’t believe me? It’s true and thanks to Ag Wired, the newsletter was uploaded to their server and can still be found here. Of course, the USDA pulled it soon after the backlash started; the Secretary supposedly did not give the article clearance. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association wasted no time questioning the USDA’s commitment to agriculture, particularly the livestock industry. In addition, two US Senators came up with the idea of “Meat Monday” while eating barbecue beef brisket, ribs and sausage in response to the USDA gaffe. The name went viral on social media sites; there’s even a Facebook page in honor of “Meaty Monday“.

Besides the fact that the USDA lost major trust and credibility amongst its own audience, there are plenty of reasons to actually eat meat and promote it, for that matter. Of course, there’s the scientific and the biblical view, which support the eating of meat. But I’ll stick to these 6 reasons, which include making you feel sexy! 🙂

With cooler weather, football playoffs, and the upcoming Superbowl, winter seems like the perfect time to tear into some new “MEATY” recipes. I’ll be testing out and posting a few meat recipes over the following winter Monday’s.  Here’s to “Meat Monday’s” and the hard-working, dedicated livestock producers out there-including my hubby and Farmer Dan!

OODLES of NOODLES CHILI BAKE

  • 1 (12 ounce) package wide egg noodles, uncooked
  • 1 lb lean GROUND BEEF
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
  • 1 cup (or more) shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch casserole or two 8 inch baking pans (you could eat one today and freeze the other!). Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; draining off any fat if necessary. Combine cooked and drained noodles, browned beef, tomatoes and their juices, drained corn, chili and 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese and stir to mix. Top with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes until heated through. Serves 8.

Goes great with a small side salad or even some fresh fruit. I picked this one because my hubby loves chili but I don’t really like kidney beans so I’m always looking for a compromise. You could even add some chili powder, onions, or fresh green/red peppers for added taste.

Here it is-precooked!

Here it is-precooked!