USDA Offers New Loans for Portable Farm Storage and Handling Equipment

USDA Offers New Loans for Portable Farm Storage and Handling Equipment Portable Equipment Can Help Producers, including Small-Scale and Local Farmers, Get Products to Market Quickly COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 29, 2016 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide a new financing option to help farmers purchase portable storage and handling equipment. Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator Elanor Starmer announced changes to the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program today during a local and regional food roundtable in Columbus, Ohio. The loans, which now include a smaller microloan option with lower down payments, are designed to help producers, including new, small and mid-sized producers, grow their businesses and markets. "As more communities reconnect with agriculture, consumer demand is increasing for food produced locally or regionally," said Dolcini. "Portable handling and storage equipment is vital to helping farmers get their products to market more quickly and better maintain product quality, bringing them greater returns. That's why we've added this type of equipment as a new category for our Farm Storage Facility Loan program." The program also offers a new "microloan" option, which allows applicants seeking less than $50,000 to qualify for a reduced down payment of five percent and no requirement to provide three years of production history. Farms and ranches of all sizes are eligible. The microloan option is expected to be of particular benefit to smaller farms and ranches, and specialty crop producers who may not have access to commercial storage or on-farm storage after harvest. These producers can invest in equipment like conveyers, scales or refrigeration units and trucks that can store commodities before delivering them to markets. Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. "Growing high-value crops for local and regional markets is a common entry point for new farmers," said Starmer. "Since they often rent land and have to transport perishable commodities, a loan that can cover mobile coolers or even refrigerated trucks fills an important gap. These producers in turn supply the growing number of food hubs, farmers markets or stores and restaurants interested in sourcing local food." Earlier this year, FSA significantly expanded the list of commodities eligible for Farm Storage Facility Loan. Eligible commodities now include aquaculture; floriculture; fruits (including nuts) and vegetables; corn, grain sorghum, rice, oilseeds, oats, wheat, triticale, spelt, buckwheat, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, sugar, peanuts, barley, rye, hay, honey, hops, maple sap, unprocessed meat and poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and renewable biomass. FSFL microloans can also be used to finance wash and pack equipment used post-harvest, before a commodity is placed in cold storage. AMS helps thousands of agricultural food producers and businesses enhance their marketing efforts through a combination of research, technical services and grants. The agency works to improve marketing opportunities for U.S. growers and producers, including those involved in specialty crop production and in the local and regional food systems. Visit www.ams.usda.gov to learn more about AMS services. Today's announcement will further advance the efforts of USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, which coordinates the Department's work to develop local and regional food systems. USDA is committed to helping farmers, ranchers, and businesses access the growing market for local and regional foods, which was valued at $12 billion in 2014 according to industry estimates. Under this Administration, USDA has invested more than $1 billion in more than 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects. More information on how USDA investments are connecting producers with consumers and expanding rural economic opportunities is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium. To learn more about Farm Storage Facility Loans, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport or contact a local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. #

Expanding Opportunities for Minor Crops: Final Rule to Revise Crop Grouping

Expanding Opportunities for Minor Crops: Final Rule to Revise Crop Grouping EPA is finalizing a rule to revise the pesticide crop grouping regulations that allow the establishment of tolerances for groups of related crops. The final rule will expand the number of crops that can have tolerances established and thus will allow minor use growers a wider choice of pest control tools including lower-risk pesticides, to be used on minor crops, both domestically and in countries that import food to the United States. Crop groupings allow petitioners to request a tolerance for multiple related commodities based on research data on a representative crop. This is the fourth in a series of revisions to the crop groupings. The final rule revises the existing leafy vegetable (except brassica) and brassica vegetable crop groups, as well as establish new crop groups, including: stalk, stem and leaf petioles; tropical fruit, inedible peel; and tropical fruit, and edible peel. This final crop group rule is in response to several petitions submitted to EPA by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4). IR-4 helps growers by conducting research to support tolerances for products and crops that pesticide companies do not find profitable enough to support investment in the research. The Federal Register notice announcing the final rule is available at www.regulations.gov in Docket# EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766. Learn more about Crop Groupings and Minor Uses

Registration deadline extended for AgriFuture conference

Registration deadline extended for AgriFuture conference Registration closes this Friday for May 16-18 event in Las Cruces (LAS CRUCES, N.M.) – People who want to farm, ranch, or land another career in agriculture now have until May 6 to register for the AgriFuture Educational Institute, happening May 16-18 in Las Cruces. The AgriFuture conference aims to inform, inspire, and connect those who will produce our food and fiber (cotton, wool, etc.) going forward. Dozens of people will lend their talents and tales of experience during the event, including: • Mesilla Valley farmer, entrepreneur, and past member of the national Faces of Farming and Ranching program Jay Hill • Ruidoso-area ranchers and entrepreneurs Laura Jean Schneider (author of a series on ranching in High Country News) and Sam Ryerson • Former National FFA officers Paul Moya, a native New Mexican, and Wiley Bailey • Farm kid-turned Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell The farm-to-retail sector, value-added production, and international trade will be addressed during the institute’s breakout sessions. Then attendees will board several buses to take private tours of a wide variety of agricultural businesses in and around Las Cruces. New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) and a dozen other agencies and organizations involved in New Mexico agriculture are coordinating and hosting AgriFuture, which is open to future agricultural producers age 40 and under; veterans are encouraged to attend. It is also open to current agricultural producers of all ages in hopes that they will serve as mentors going forward. “AgriFuture is an excellent way for existing agriculture producers to impart generations of knowledge to young producers and future producers,” said Beverly Idsinga, executive director of Dairy Producers of New Mexico, one of the conference’s sponsors. “This knowledge is vital to keep agriculture thriving and to pass the torch on to the next generation.” People who want to attend must register at http://2016-agrifuture.eventbrite.com by Friday, May 6. Event updates are being posted at www.facebook.com/NMDepartmentofAg. The registration fee for future agriculture producers is only $50 for the Institute and includes lodging. The fee for current agriculture producers (those who can potentially mentor beginning farmers and ranchers) is only $100. Institute activities are being planned by NMDA and several of the state’s agricultural organizations: Ag New Mexico Farm Credit Service, Dairy Producers of New Mexico, Farm Credit of New Mexico, New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, New Mexico Beef Council, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, New Mexico Wool Growers Inc., USDA-Farm Service Agency, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Institute activities are also being funded by these and other organizations, as well as a long list of individuals. To help sponsor the institute in any amount, please call NMDA at 575-646-5063.

$6M plan aims to protect tiny fish By Ollie Reed Jr. / Journal Staff Writer Published: Sunday, May 1st, 2016 at 12:02am Updated: Saturday, April 30th, 2016 at 10:11pm

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Bluntnose shiners are minnows, tiny fish barely more than 3 inches long. But, as a federally threatened species restricted to a 170-mile stretch of the Pecos River in New Mexico, they carry a lot of weight. The Endangered Species Act requires specific river flows to sustain the shiners’ habitat, flows that are difficult to maintain during severe drought years. That’s why the Bureau of Reclamation and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission have joined forces on a plan to construct a $6 million pipeline to move water leased from privately owned property 10 miles north of the village of Fort Sumner to Sumner Reservoir, about 16 miles northwest of Fort Sumner. The 16-inch pipeline would convey water from nine existing wells on the private property to the reservoir about eight miles to the west. The project is still subject to a bureau internal feasibility study and other hurdles. But, if it goes forward, the stream commission and the bureau would take credit for the water stored in Sumner to create a 30,000 acre-feet fish pool in Santa Rosa Reservoir, about seven miles north of the town of Santa Rosa. That pool would be used to supplement flows in the Pecos during exceptionally dry times. “We are looking for alternative sources of water to assist us in extreme drought conditions, such as existed between 2011 and 2013, to provide flow targets between Sumner Dam and Brantley Dam,” Michelle Estrada-Lopez, bureau Pecos Basin project manager, told the Journal . “The bluntnose shiner exists only in the Pecos between those two dams.” Brantley Dam is about 13 miles north of Carlsbad. Estrada-Lopez said the bluntnose shiner had been increasing prior to 2011, when harsh drought locked in for two years. “Then they started failing,” she said. “But they have been increasing again since heavy rains in September 2013. The (Pecos) River has been in continuous flow since then.” In New Mexico, however, brutal drought is always a possibility. The Sumner pipeline would help sustain the shiner during arid periods. The stream commission has signed a 25-year agreement to lease water from the VP Bar LLC and has also contracted with the bureau, which would provide all the funding for the project. In addition to construction costs, annual operating and maintenance costs are expected to be $300,000. Many details remain to be worked out. “We are looking at construction costs, sources of funding, the types of permits that would be needed, whose land the pipeline would cross and if we can get permission from landowners,” Estrada-Lopez said. The lease agreement with VP Bar calls for 3,553 acre-feet of water to be delivered to Sumner Lake each year. An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre to a depth of one foot. Estrada-Lopez said that is less water than VP Bar has been using each year for agricultural purposes. The agreement is subject to re-evaluation if the pipeline plan fails to proceed. In the meantime, bureau and stream commission officials are exploring the possibility of transferring some of the VP Bar water rights to the Vaughan Conservation Pipeline facility southwest of Fort Sumner. The Vaughan delivery system has been used to supplement shiner habitat for several years. Officials also noted that, in addition to maintaining shiner habitat, the VP Bar lease agreement would provide additional water to downstream users and help New Mexico meet the terms of the 1948 Pecos River Compact with Texas, which provides for the equitable division of Pecos River waters.

New Mexico lawmakers challenge feds over fencing

Several New Mexico Legislators signed a letter addressed to New Mexico State Engineer Tom Blaine regarding the controversial dispute between ranchers and the federal government over the fencing of watering holes on U.S. Forest land in order to protect the New Mexico jumping mouse, which is an endangered animal. The letter was signed by both Republicans and Democrats from across the state and from rural districts. The 50 legislators are arguing that the federal government is abusing its authority and violating private property and water rights. According to the Office of the State Engineer’s website, Blaine is well-versed in the critical water issues facing New Mexico, bringing more than 28 years of engineering experience in the private sectors to the Office of the State Engineer. As the top water official in New Mexico, he has the authority to stop the U.S. Forest Service from limiting access to springs and other riparian areas. “We believe the actions of the U.S. Forest Service are intrusive and overstep the congressional direction and authority given to the U.S. Forest Service and circumvent the long-established ownership of private property and senior water rights of some of our constituents and neighbors,” the letter to Blaine states. “We believe that you are the responsible party with the appropriate authority to terminate the actions of the U.S. Forest Service.” Blaine announced Thursday that he has ordered his staff to investigate the complaints from ranchers. He said New Mexico continues to be concerned with federal mismanagement of public lands and effects on farmers, ranchers and their livelihoods. He also said he’s committed to working with lawmakers and local communities to ensure access to needed water. The Forest Service first began ordering closures and installing fences to protect the jumping mouse habitat in 2014 on the Santa Fe and Lincoln forests after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the mouse as an endangered species. The U.S. Forest Service argues that they’re obligated under the Endangered Species Act to protect the jumping mouse. The mouse is also found in Arizona and Colorado, and federal wildlife officials recently set aside nearly 22 square miles in the three states as a critical habitat. Lawmakers also believe that downstream residents have a vested stake in the outcome of the dispute because it creates a chain reaction that will affect not only wildlife but the livelihoods of the ranchers who have legal rights that were established since before statehood. “We also believe all of the downstream residents and citizens of New Mexico have a vested stake in the outcome of this dispute and we, too, are relying upon you to help resolve the problem expeditiously. These New Mexicans have lived in uncertainty for years with no clear direction or implementation of the decisions that protect their private property rights confirmed by the New Mexico Supreme Court,” the letter to Blaine states. “We believe the taking of the private property is illegal; it is contrary to court decrees and decisions; and it is morally wrong. The incursions of the U.S. Forest Service must be stopped. The citizens of New Mexico deserve to have their rights protected.” Lawmakers also say the U.S. Forest Service is targeting ranchers and their cattle because other hooved life such as deer and elk have a high population in the region, pose no threat to the meadow jumping mouse. Deer and elk are actually managed in a way where they’re protected and nurtured, unlike the rancher’s cattle. “Obviously, the U.S. Forest Service is not protecting the mouse; clearly, it is using its own definition of ‘habitat’ written and defined within the agency as a method to seize water and exercise power over the allotment owners without any restitution,” the lawmakers stated in the letter. At this time the Office of the State Engineer is currently investigating the matter and the New Mexico jumping mouse litigation is still ongoing with still no clear direction in sight. State Engineer Letter by Jackie Devine You can read the letter at: http://www.alamogordonews.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2016/04/29/new-mexico-lawmakers-challenge-feds-over-fencing/83712320/

TRICHOMONIASIS OR TRICH MEETING SCHEDULED THIS WEEK FOR Eddy and Chaves County

TRICHOMONIASIS OR TRICH MEETING SCHEDULED Eddy and Chaves County Cattle experts from New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will make presentations to ranchers and others May 4 on the cattle disease trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis, a highly transmittable disease, can result in early fetal death and infertility, resulting in extended calving intervals. Dr. John Wenzel, Extension veterinarian, and Woods Houghton Eddy County Extension Agent along with Sammy Urig DVM will be holding different kind of producers meeting on May 4th. They will be holding a meeting on talk radio, KCCC, 930 AM dial on May 4 at noon to 1:00pm they will be discussing the cattle disease Trich. Producers can call in their question during or e-mail them to whoughto@nmsu.edu during or before the radio meeting. The call in number will be 575-887-5521 or you can listen on line as well at http://tunein.com/radio/KCCC-930-s31960/ Trich can and will put beef producer in the red, I have seen loss in calf crops can be 10 percent to 30 percent and as high as 50 percent. There will also be a face to face meeting will be at 3 p.m. on May 4 at the Extension Office 1304 West Stevens, Carlsbad and May 5 at 10:00 in Roswell Thursday, May 5, 2016 - 10:30 AM Farm Bureau Building Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds Roswell, NM 10:30 AM – Trichomoniasis and Veterinary Feed Directive Update 12:00 Noon – Lunch Provided by Paul’s Veterinary Supply 1:00 to 3:00 PM – Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program 3:00 PM – Question Session and Wrap up Subscribe to Eddy County Ag news at: http://nmsueddyag.blogspot.com/ Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating.

USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for May 2016

Release No. 0040.16 Contact: Isabel Benemelis (202) 720-7809 WASHINGTON, May 2, 2016 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) today announced interest rates for May 2016. The CCC borrowing rate-based charge for May is 0.625 percent, unchanged from 0.625 percent in April. The interest rate for crop year commodity loans less than one year disbursed during May is 1.625 percent, unchanged from 1.625 percent in April. Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans approved for May are as follows, 0.875 percent with three-year loan terms, 1.250 percent with five-year loan terms, 1.625 percent with seven-year loan terms, unchanged from 1.625 percent in April; 1.750 percent with 10-year loan terms, down from 1.875 percent in April and; 1.875 percent with 12-year loan terms, down from 2.000 percent in April. The interest rate for 15-year Sugar Storage Facility Loans for May is 2.000 percent, down from 2.125 percent in April. Further program information is available from USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Financial Management Division at 202-772-6041.