Opinion

P.O. Box 3169 418 South Second St. Mankato, MN 56002 (800) 657-4665 Vol. XXXIX ❖ No. 17 32 pages, 1 section plus supplements

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Opinion 2-4 Farm and Food File 4 The Bookworm Sez: 6 From My Farmhouse Kitchen 6 Table Talk 7 Green and Growing 9 Swine & U 12 Mielke Market Weekly 14 From The Fields 17 Marketing 18-19 Farm Programs 20 Auctions/Classifieds 22-31 Advertiser Listing 31 Back Roads 32

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The distance between USDA and Iowa

Somewhere between divine intervenLet’s just set aside the NBC News tion and rotten luck, a weather phenomereport that 10 percent of American farmnon called a derecho tore across Iowa ers received 60 percent of the CFAP fundinto Illinois on Aug. 10. Unlike hurriing. I have another bone to pick with the canes, which are accompanied by personUSDA. Last week I received a press alized first names like Fred and Alice, release from them announcing a new this storm was anonymous; but the annual survey of farmers, ranchers and destruction gave no quarter to the tropiprivate forestland owners. cal events. To quote the release, “The survey will

On the national news broadcasts, the LAND MINDS help USDA understand what it is doing derecho was anonymous as well. When hurricane Isaias threatened to dump a By Paul Malchow well and where improvements are need ed, specifically at the Farm Service few inches of rain on New York City earlier this month, it was the lead OPINION Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk story for the networks with reporters Management Agency (RMA).” on the scene up and down the coast. Strangely, it took the networks a few days to discover the Midwest; move beyond the downed trees footage buried in their broadcasts; and actually discover the magnitude of the corn belt’s loss. Sounds like a good idea, right? Even Ag Undersecretary Bill Northey said. “Good data is critical to good decision-making. The more responses we receive, the better we can understand what we need to do to improve our services to America’s

And the magnitude of the loss is still being calcufarmers, ranchers and private forestland owners.” lated — and probably will be for some time. Reports from various local agencies were varied and confusing. Some said the corn could recover somewhat and possibly be harvested. Some said the corn was lost but the soybeans were fine. Today I read a report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture saying the soybean crop was devastated. One report So if the USDA is so interested in a huge response, why send out surveys to “a selection of 28,000 producers?” (quoting the release). Granted, family farms are disappearing at an alarming rate, but I think we’re still a ways above the 28,000 mark. claims 6 million crop acres are lost, another … 2.3 But wait … it gets better. Again, quoting the press million. release, “The survey will be open for at least six One aspect of the damage which is pretty undisputable is the grain bins crumpled like beer cans at weeks and will be closed once USDA receives a 30% response rate.” a fraternity mixer. A reporter cavalierly stated this Suddenly the 28,000 figure has shrunk to 8,400. really isn’t a problem since there won’t be any Good decision making indeed. grain harvested this fall anyway — so who needs If you would like to be one of the 8,400, the USDA storage? claims “all farmers are encouraged to take the sur

It seems up to this point, the grain marketing secvey at farmers.gov/survey.” tor has also stayed relatively mum on the storm’s n impact. Taking millions of bushels off the 2020 books would certainly impact the market. Both corn and soybean prices have seen a recovery of sorts, but how much lower could they go? (A dangerous question, I know.) For me, taking shots at the USDA is like eating potato chips. Once I start, it’s hard to stop. But it’s not just me … the National Farmers Union weighed in on this item recently: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also been mighty quiet — no fervent call of support; or even “our thoughts are with you.” To my knowledge, Sonny Perdue has yet to pay a visit to the area. President Trump is scheduled to fly into Mankato, Minn. today. Maybe he’ll cruise over Cedar Rapids at 20,000 feet and take a look. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that the reimbursement rates for the organic certification cost share program (OCCSP) would be reduced. The program helps organic farms and handling facilities cover the cost ofobtaining or maintaining certification under the National Organic Program (NOP), which can often be prohibi

Looking for a bright spot, let’s say corn and soytive for small or new operations. bean yields are slashed and prices go up. This is good if you have a corn or soybean crop to sell, but bad if you’re a livestock producer and your feed costs go through the roof. Forget what I said about bright spots. According to Federal Register notice, the agency is reducing the reimbursement from its previous level of 75 percent of eligible expenses and up to $750 per scope down to 50 percent and up to $500 per scope through fiscal year (FY) 2023. FSA indicated that

A crazy year just got crazier. Please … don’t anythey made the change because ‘the amount of fundbody ask “what’s next?” ing available will not cover expected participation n See LAND MINDS, pg. 7