USDA Announces No Actions Under Feedstock Flexibility Program

USDA Announces No Actions Under Feedstock Flexibility Program Release No. 0032.16 Contact: Kent Politsch (202)720-7163 WASHINGTON, March 31, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced today that it does not expect to purchase sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program in the second quarter of 2016. The CCC is required to announce quarterly estimates of sugar to be purchased for the Feedstock Flexibility Program based on crop and consumption forecasts. Federal law allows processors of sugar beets and domestically grown sugarcane to obtain loans from USDA with maturities of up to nine months when the sugarcane or sugar beet harvest begins. The loans provide interim financing so that commodities can be stored after harvest, when market prices are typically low, to be sold later, when price conditions are more favorable. Upon loan maturity, the sugar processor may repay the loan in full or forfeit the collateral (sugar) to USDA to satisfy the loan. The Feedstock Flexibility Program was reauthorized by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill as an option to avoid sugar forfeitures. USDA’s March 9, 2016, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report (www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde) projects that domestic fiscal year 2016 ending sugar stocks are unlikely to lead to forfeitures. USDA closely monitors domestic sugar stocks, consumption, imports and other sugar market variables on an ongoing basis, and will continue to administer the sugar program as transparently as possible using the latest available data. The next quarterly estimate regarding the Feedstock Flexibility Program will occur prior to July 1, 2016. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Roswell School District Looking to buy Local Produced foods.

The Roswell School District who also purchases for Dexter, Hagerman and Carlsbad is very interested in getting more farmers involved and to buy more locally grown produce. We hope you can join us for our upcoming "Farm to Cafeteria" meeting this coming Tuesday, April 5th, 8 - 10am in Roswell to learn about the Roswell School District (and other school districts) procurement requirements and opportunities for farmers to sell to schools. Lyman Graham, the district School Food Service Director is our host and is a true advocate for this program. Our brief agenda includes: - Welcome and introductions - Brief overview of New Mexico Farm to School Programs and progress - How to sell to school districts, bid process and procurement requirements (sharing your experiences are helpful) - How can we get the word out to more farmers and who are they? - Questions about planning for the season - How can we be of support to you in your region? We'll share briefly about the recent "NM Grown Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for School Meals" Strategic Planning convening and the three year Action Plan and possible future resources for trainings and more - Any additional needs and next steps The meeting will be held at the Roswell Independent School District Library at the AESC Building, Room 300, at 300 N Kentucky Ave, Roswell, NM 88201, (located on the 3rd floor) *Please use the parking lot on the South West side (back side) of the building and use the door with the ramp to enter the building on the side, for the easiest access. Do not park or enter thru the front (Kentucky Ave) entrance. If you and/or one of your colleagues can join us please let me know at 505-660-8403. Also, please feel free to call me if you have questions or need more information. Here is our website for additional information about what we do at Farm to Table - http://www.farmtotablenm.org/. Thanks so much for your interest. We hope to see you next week! Warmest regards, Pam Roy Farm to Table Executive Director -- Pam Roy Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council 618 B Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-660-8403 Cell www.farmtotablenm.org

New Publicaion NMSU Extension Guide E-307 Home canning of Vegetables

Good morning, The following CES publication has been revised and is now available online in PDF format. Guide E-307: Home Canning of Vegetables Revised by Nancy C. Flores (Extension Food Technology Spec., Dept. of Extension Family and Consumer Sciences) And Cindy Schlenker Davies (County Program Director/Extension Home Economist, Bernalillo County Extension Office) http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/E307.pdf

Feds warn of dry season in New Mexico Mar 29, 2016 Logan Hawke

An environmental group has filed a lawsuit in New Mexico charging irrigation water taken from the Rio Grande River over the last 80 years by the state's major central water district might not provide a substantial benefit, as required by law. WildEarth Guardians of Santa Fe is challenging the New Mexico State Engineer to better monitor and manage the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District's use of water permits it currently receives and has received over the last 80 years to make certain water taken from the river meets minimum federal water laws. Specifically, the lawsuit is charging that the water taken by the district to irrigate cropland in more than a 100-square mile area of Central New Mexico may not constitute a beneficial use of the natural resource as defined by law and therefore the original water permits issued by the state could be and possibly should be revoked. The lawsuit represents the latest development in the Southwest's ongoing struggle with an ever-changing and drier climate and the rising demand for water by an expanding variety of users. It may also represent the first real lines being drawn on the sandy shores of the Rio Grande, dividing farmers and environmentalists into opposing camps as the region's water resources become more challenged by warmer temperatures, changes in annual precipitation and trending smaller snowpacks each winter, a task with the ultimate goal of determining how the water from the river is to be used and divided in the years ahead. For the latest on southwest agriculture, please check out Southwest Farm Press Daily and receive the latest news right to your inbox. Originating in Colorado, the Rio Grande is the fourth largest river system in the United States, traveling nearly 1,900 miles through New Mexico, and creating the 900-mile international border between Mexico and Texas before feeding into the Gulf of Mexico. Farmers, communities and industry in both the U.S. and Mexico rely on the river's water for such diverse uses as drinking water, agriculture, and to sustain the environment across nearly 5,000 square miles of semi-arid land. The task is a major project even for Mother Nature. In recent years drought has interrupted the continuous flow of the river as vast miles of riverbed have been transformed into slight trickles of water or a hot, parched and dry sandy bottom as the searing Southwestern sun suck the moisture from the riverbed. In all, it has been estimated the river provides water to meet the needs of over six million people across the region and to irrigate as much as 3,200 square miles of productive farmland. The demand for more water and a changing climate in recent years has caused a major shortage of water resources throughout the Southwest and has prompted water woes and wars between special water districts, state, tribal and federal authorities, and even cities and industry that depend on the life- sustaining river. Last week the U.S. Interior Department issued its latest report, outlining many of the challenges that lay ahead for the depleted region's water resources. It warned of dry conditions, warmer-than-usual temperatures and smaller snowpacks in the years ahead, prompting members of WildEarth Guardians to take legal action in an attempt to force state and federal officials to demand the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) justify the water they have taken and distributed down through the years, and to replace water that may have been taken that did not constitute a beneficial use of the resource. New Mexico State Engineer Tom Blaine said last week he is not aware of any unauthorized diversions from the river by the water district, and officials at the MRGCD have declined to comment on the lawsuit. New Mexico farm groups have voiced mostly only quiet concern over the building water issues across the region. The district forced irrigation cutbacks in several recent years as a measure to conserve water, but a shortage of irrigation water caused many farmers to reduce acreage and forced many others to pump groundwater from wells in order to bring their crops to harvest, often with smaller yields and poorer crop quality. Good summer and fall rains last year and the year before have helped to revitalize the chile, onion, pecan and alfalfa crops in New Mexico's south-central district but fear of a returning drought later this year has many producers worried. Some say another drought like in 2011 and 2012 would be devastating to the region's agriculture industry, and with growing water troubles associated with the Rio Grande, those problems could be greatly exacerbated. The lawsuit filed last week represents only the latest threat to the right-to-farm across the American Southwest and brings into question whether long-standing senior water rights will remain adequate security for farmers who grow the region's and the nation's food and fiber. But it's not the first time senior water rights have been challenged in recent times. In neighboring Texas, senior water rights holders in the Texas Rice Belt have discovered what can happen to those rights once urbanized areas along the length of the Colorado River suffer serious water shortages during times of drought. Through emergency action taken by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), irrigation water from the Colorado River designated for use for food production and for waterfowl and wildlife protection was curtailed or cut off and remains so for a fourth consecutive year, causing many rice farmers to cut back acreage or in a few instances abandon successful rice operations within the state. Farmers in New Mexico's Central Rio Grande Valley are now beginning to wonder if they could be the next water rights holders to fall victim to diminishing water resources in the face of rapid growth of urban areas and industry demand for water. Whether drought returns to the Southwest to stay or not this year or in the years ahead, troubling challenges like lawsuits over water rights are going to continue to plague water users on every side of the issue of who owns the water and how it can be used for the generations to come.

My American Farm Outreach Grants

My American Farm Outreach Grants AFBF American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture We are looking for 10 schools to take part in our My American Farm Outreach Grant program for 2016. Upon completion of an agricultural outreach event, your school will receive $1,500 to further your efforts in sharing the importance of agriculture in our everyday lives. Apply here to become one of the 10 schools

Child Labor on the Farm and Ranch Posted on March 28, 2016 by tiffany.dowell

Child Labor on the Farm and Ranch Posted on March 28, 2016 by tiffany.dowell In preparing for an upcoming presentation, I have been looking into child labor laws in agriculture. What I’ve learned is that pretty much my entire childhood was illegal! Because many farmers and ranchers do employ minors to help on weekends or over the summer, understanding child labor laws related to agriculture is extremely important. peter Source of Laws Laws related to child labor and agriculture are found at both the federal and state levels. Federally, these rules are found in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Additionally, many states also have state-level employment laws as well. In Texas, these laws are found in the Texas Labor Code, Chapter 51. Most of the Texas-specific laws closely follow along with the federal rules. Additionally, the Texas Labor Code does not apply to a child employed in agriculture during a period of time when the child is not legally required to be attending school. See Texas Labor Code 51.003. Thus, the key considerations for Texas farmers and ranchers are the rules found in federal law. Farmer/Rancher’s Own Children A child of any age may be employed by his or her own parent at any time, doing any type of work, on a farm or ranch that is owned or operated by the parent. See 29 CFR 570.2(a)(2); (b). The same is true if the owner or operator of the farm or ranch is someone standing in place of the parent, such as a custodial grandparent. See id. The same is true under Texas law. See Texas Labor Code 51.003(1)(C). Other People’s Children Employment of another person’s child on the farm or ranch is where the rules get more complex. The applicable rules depend upon the age of the child and the nature of the tasks he or she is doing. See 29 USC 570. Age 16 or 17: The child can perform any farm job, including those deemed “hazardous” by the Secretary of Labor. Further, the child may work anytime, including school hours. Age 14 or 15: A child may perform only those jobs not considered to be “hazardous” by the Secretary of Labor. The child may only be employed outside of school hours. Age 12 or 13: A child may only work in an agricultural operation if the child’s parent is also employed there. Work may only occur outside of school hours. Children 11 or under: A child may work in an agricultural operation only if parental consent is obtained and the farm employees are exempt from the FLSA requirements. Here again, work is only permitted outside of school hours. “Hazardous Activities” As noted above, children under the age of 16 may not participate in activities deemed to be “hazardous” by the Secretary of Labor. The Secretary has developed a list of agricultural related activities deemed “hazardous.” See 29 USC 570.71. Many of these may surprise most farmers and ranchers. They are as follows: Operating a tractor of over 20 PTO horsepower, or connecting or disconnecting an implement of any of its parts to or from such a tractor. Operating or assisting to operate (basically including even touching) any of the following machines: corn picker, cotton picker, grain combine, hay mower, forage harvester, hay baler, potato digger, mobile pea viner, feed grinder, crop dryer, forage blower, auger conveyor, or the unloading mechanism of a nongravity-type self-unloading wagon or trailer, power post-hole digger, power post driver, nonwalking type rotary tiller, trencher, earthmoving equipment, fork lift, potato combine, power-driven circular, band or chain saw. Working on a farm in a yard, pen, or stall occupied by: a bull, boar, or stud horse maintained for breeding purposes, a sow with suckling pics or a cow with a newborn calf (umbilical cord present). Felling, bucking, skidding, loading, or unloading timber more than 6″ in diameter. Working from a ladder or scaffold at a height of more than 20 feet. Driving a bus, truck or automobile while transporting passengers. Riding on a tractor as a passenger or helper. Working inside a fruit, forage, or grain storage designed to retain an oxygen deficient or toxic atmosphere, a upright silo within 2 weeks of silage being added or when a top uploading device is in operating position, a manure pit, or a horizontal silo while operating a tractor for packing purposes. Handling or applying (includes cleaning equipment, disposal or return of empty containers or serving as flag man) Category I chemicals, identified by the word poison and the skull and cross-bone labels or Category II chemicals, identified by the word warning on the label. Handling or using a blasting agent. Transferring, transporting, or applying anhydrous ammonia. There are certain exceptions for student-learners in vocational agriculture education programs and 4-H members who have completed a tractor training program. For more details, see 29 USC 570.72. Recordkeeping Requirements If children are employed on a farm or ranch, certain record keeping requirements apply. See 29 USC 516.33(f). The required records include the child’s name in full, place w here the child lives during employment, date of birth, and written consent of the parent if required for employment. Penalty for Violations Persons who violate these rules can face serious consequences. First, monetary fines up to $11,000 per employee that is subject to a violation may be imposed. Violations found to be willful may be punished by up to an additional $10,000 and imprisonment of up to 6 months. If the violation results in death or serious injury of the child, the penalty increases to $50,000 per person and may be doubled if the violation is found to have been repeated or willful. Conclusion The good ol’ days have certainly changed when it comes to employing children on the farm or ranch. Anyone who intends to hire children under 18 should be aware of these rules and be careful to comply with the requirements.

The following new CES publication is now available online in PDF format.

Guide B-825: Defining Drought on New Mexico Rangelands By Nicholas K. Ashcroft (Extension Rangeland Management Specialist, Dept. of Extension Animal Sci. and Natural Resources) Samuel T. Smallidge (Extension Wildlife Specialist, Dept. of Extension Animal Sci. and Natural Resources) http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B825.pdf