Delaware ag secretary: Encourage legal immigrant labor

The U.S. agriculture industry has been a saving grace since the financial tumult of 2008 and the Delmarva Peninsula is in a perfect position to capitalize on that boon, states a column penned by the secretary of the Delaware Agriculture Department.

Despite the successes, there are focal points that call attention to the struggle, according to the November 9 column in the Daily Times authored by Ed Kee. Poultry and livestock require feed that is expensive and is soaring in price.

Yet the industry also is doing its part to contribute to responsible caretaking of the Chesapeake Bay, Kee writes.

"I believe all agriculture asks for is fairness and recognition that we are leaders in the Bay restoration," the editorial states. "Agriculture is not an enemy of clean water; indeed, it has proven to be the most aggressive sector in improving water quality."

Kee also argues for the value of immigrant labor, underscoring the value of legal immigrant labor for harvesting fields, milking cows, processing chickens and assisting with feeding the nation.

If the nation does not encourage legal immigration farm labor, the country's food supply will be disrupted.

Virginia's workshops for advice on farms, forestland to continue next year

Official efforts to safeguard working farms and forest land in Virginia will continue next year, according to a state press release.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will continue the workshops and listening engagements it has been conducting this year. The topics of conversation circle around preserving forest and farmland and the sessions serve as a resource for individuals in need of advice and assistance.

"The land is our farmers' greatest asset, and often they have an emotional as well as an economic tie to the old home place," Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr said. "The tradition of passing down the land from generation to generation is getting harder and harder to maintain."

He also noted the sessions serve as a vehicle for better informing farmers of the options available to gain a clearer understanding on how best to preserve the land in regard to purposes for business, financial and estate planning. Information about farm credit can also be an important aspect of preserving farms.

The one-day workshops cost $5 in advance. For the next one, scheduled for December 13 at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, the registration fee will climb to $10 after December 10.

Dickinson College hosts conference on farming's role in liberal arts colleges

Approximately 240 professors, school officials and students made the trek to a 180-acre farm in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, to attend Dickinson College's conference on the role of farming at liberal arts colleges, the first such event to be held in the country.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, reports the participants came from 57 private and public universities across the U.S. and in Canada. During the event, current and former Dickinson students, who work the farm, offered lessons from establishing small gardens to running a farm.

Jenn Halpin, the manager of the farm, demonstrated its energy systems including a solar-hot water system for greenhouse heating and a solar-powered vehicle termed the Solar Wheeler, which was designed by a Dickinson professor and constructed by a physics student, according to the news source.

Anna Farb, a current student at the college, offered a student's perspective on the escape that working on the farm offers.

"The farm is where I clear my head, where I get to release all the trivial matters of college life and just think about the soil, the plants and the food," the senior explained.

The website of the Dickinson College Farm notes that 60 percent of the harvest is given to the campus dining hall, with the remainder going to a local food bank and members of the farm's co-op.  

USDA to begin 150th anniversary celebration in Virginia

The top-ranking U.S. Agriculture Department official visited the hometown of the founder of the agency he leads to begin marking its 150th anniversary, according to a press release.

Department secretary Tom Vilsack visited the Old Illinois State Capitol in Springfield to commence one year of celebrations for the department President Abraham Lincoln signed into law in 1862.

"Through our work on food, agriculture, economic development, science, natural resource conservation and a host of issues, USDA still fulfills President Lincoln's vision as "The People's Department" - touching the lives of every American, every day," said Vilsack. "As we commemorate 150 years, we will look for lessons from the past that can help us strengthen USDA in the future to address the changing needs of agriculture and rural America."

By establishing the Department of Agriculture, Lincoln viewed potential ahead for farmers in America and their strategies of tilling the land to make it productive, according to the Agriculture Department.

The Agriculture Department underscores the valuable contributions that ranchers and farmers make to U.S. strength and health.

The federal agency is scheduled to formally begin marking the 150th anniversary in February 2012 at the Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington, Virginia.

Pennsylvania to receive USDA funding for anaerobic digester projects

Anaerobic digester projects in eight states - including Pennsylvania - will be funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The federal entity said that it was pursuing the projects to cut down on farm-based pollution, spark renewable energy production and to lower energy costs. Anaerobic digesters are bacteria that break down manure in environments that are oxygen free, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The initiative will be funded by the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 14.5 million metric tons and helped to significantly reduce electricity consumption.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that the efforts will help small farmers move forward with new revenue streams.

"Since its creation this program has assisted almost 9,600 small businesses, farmers and ranchers and created or saved an estimated 15,000 jobs," he said in a statement. "It also provides producers with new opportunities to diversify revenue and make American agriculture and rural small business more competitive."

According to FarmAndDairy.com, three anaerobic digester projects will be funded in Pennsylvania.

USDA crop insurance education program to target Mid-Atlantic states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that it would begin an education and outreach program to teach small farmers in 47 states about crop insurance.

The USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) will have about $13.6 million in funding - from two different sources - to help teach farmers how to remain productive while managing risk, according to a release from the federal body. Proper risk management will likely help producers handle their farm credit.

Sixteen states will receive extra attention in the effort because they have been underserved in respect to farm insurance education in the past. These states include Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that the RMA's program will be important for farmers in the targeted states, as well as those in other parts of the country.

"USDA is committed to diversity, inclusion and performance in everything we do, and we need to continue to ensure opportunities in agriculture for all Americans," he said. "Through these partnerships, traditionally underserved agricultural producers and those in targeted states will receive assistance in understanding and using risk management tools."

The RMA was established in 1996 to help farmers and agricultural producers better manage their businesses' risks.

Farm credit crop insurance agents are also available to answer any producers’ questions about the programs. They can be reached at 888.339.3334.

$18,000 in scholarships available through MidAtlantic Farm Credit

Westminster MD (October 31, 2011)—MidAtlantic Farm Credit announces the availability of twelve scholarships totaling over $18,000 for members or children of members who plan to attend or are continuing their education at a two- or four-year college or a technical school on a full-time basis.

Applications are available at any of MidAtlantic’s office or you can apply online by visiting their website at mafc.com. Applications must be received by January 13, 2012; winners will be selected by February 24, 2012. Winners will be recognized at MidAtlantic’s annual stockholder meetings in April.

“As a member-owned cooperative, we take a strong interest in the future success of our members,” says Bob Frazee, President and CEO of MidAtlantic. “We feel it is important to help promote the education of our membership—current and future—and our scholarship program is one way in which we’re doing that. Programs like this that advance our membership towards their goals, are just one more benefit of belonging to a cooperative.”

MidAtlantic Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its member-borrowers. It provides farm loans for land, equipment, livestock and production; crop insurance; and rural home mortgages. The co-op has over 10,500 members and approximately $2.2 billion in loans outstanding. MidAtlantic has branches serving Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. It is part of the national Farm Credit System, a network of financial cooperatives established in 1916 to provide a dependable source of credit to farmers and rural America. For more information, visit mafc.com.



Media Contact:
Sandy Wieber
Vice President of Marketing
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
800.333.7950
swieber@mafc.com