Farm Bureau News
From the President’s desk
Members bond over fundraising, fellowship opportunities
Do you remember the excitement of that last bell that told you school was officially out for the summer? Here at the Delaware Farm Bureau, we feel a similar excitement.
Summertime means fellowship, gatherings and fundraising opportunities. For us, it's a unique season in that the same sun that nourishes our crops will also feed our souls while we connect with our members and consumers through events like the Delaware State Fair or the recent Strawberry Festival at Bobola Farms.
These events are crucial opportunities for our organization.
Members of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee seize the season as a way to raise funds for their scholarship programs. The Strawberry Festival, one of their main yearly events, was well attended and included a lot of great activities for all ages.
The group also puts on a good show every year on the last day of the Delaware State Fair in the Quillen Arena with their Antique Tractor Pull Contest. This event has become so popular that some farmers and ranchers travel for hours just for this one event in hopes of taking home bragging rights after a fun day out with their peers.
Delaware Farm Bureau News
Editor Jennifer Antonik jenn.antonik@defb.org 302-697-3183
Delaware Farm Bureau News (ISSN 10770798), published in Camden, DE, bimonthly, by Delaware Farm Bureau. Production by Delaware Printing Company. Periodicals postage paid at Camden, DE and additional offices.
Business and Editorial Offices: 3457 S. DuPont Highway, Camden, DE 19934, 302-697-3183.
Any editorial material may be reproduced with credit to this publication.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Delaware Farm Bureau News at the office above.
State Board of Directors
President
Richard Wilkins
1st Vice President
Laura Hill
2nd Vice President
The Women's Committee spends much of their year preparing for the food booth at the State Fair. It not only helps their committee with funding for scholarships, but it also helps local organizations like FFA or 4-H groups who volunteer at the booth throughout the week.
Like in years past, this season offers priceless opportunities for us to connect with each other and support our missions. But something is different about the summer of 2022 for the Delaware Farm Bureau. You, our members, will have a chance to meet our new executive director, Don Clifton, during events like the Delaware State Fair
Don visited with children and their families from inside the Mobile Ag Lab during the Strawberry Festival in May. I hope you take the opportunity to speak with him and welcome him to our staff as you enjoy our other summertime events.
I'm excited to have Don on board as our executive director. He brings a lot of leadership and farming experience to the table. Not only does he have what it takes to lead our great organization, he is a lifelong resident of Delaware and really understands the ins and outs of our in-
dustry in the First State.
You can read more about Don on page 4 of this issue.
He joins the Delaware Farm Bureau as we are headed toward exciting adventures. With the pandemic seemingly wrapping up, we are able to get back out into the public and do what we do best - advocacy, education and connecting with each other.
We are now able to enjoy faceto-face activities again, like the Delaware State Fair. Stay tuned for information on our county and statewide meetings and banquets, as well as other opportunities to connect with your fellow Farm Bureau members.
Of course, we know we must continue to be careful with ourselves and others as much as possible. If you feel sick, please stay home. We'll see you again soon! But if you feel like you're ready to join us for these activities, we are excited to see you.
You, our members, make the Delaware Farm Bureau what we are today. You keep us strong, vibrant and ready for action. If you know of a farmer or rancher who is not yet a member, please share what we've been up to with them. Community members and those who are professionally engaged in the agriculture industry can also join. There is strength in numbers.
For more information on membership or to find a volunteer role, visit www.defb.org or call our office at (302)-697-3183. Stay strong. Stay well. Stay Farm Bureau Proud.
William Powers, Jr
County Presidents
Kent: James Minner
Sussex: Steve Breeding
New Castle: Stewart Ramsey
Young Farmers & Ranchers
State Chair: Mollie Lynch
Kent Chair: Michael Lynch
Sussex Chair: Jordan Betts
New Castle Chair: Abel Elwell
Women’s Committee
State Chair: Mary B Gooden
Kent Chair: Rebecca Bobo la
Sussex Chair: Constance Fox
New Castle Chair: June Unruh
Kent County Directors
Bruce Dempsey
David Marvel
Ted Bobola Jr.
Sussex County Directors
Alan Bailey
Mark Davis
New Castle County Directors
Bruce Patrick Will Powers, III Ryan Greer
Delaware Farm Bureau President Richard Wilkins
Interns spice up summer break with new experiences
By Jennifer Antonik Delaware Farm Bureau
Two interns are ready for a fun summer with Delaware Farm Bureau staff and volunteers.
Marketing Intern Jaiden Cain is a fourth-generation farmer in Harrington and an agribusiness management major at Virginia Tech.
She graduated from Lake Forest High School in Felton where she volunteered as a chapter officer for the school’s FFA organization. She was also very active in 4-H, starting in the Harrington Sunshine 4-H group as a cloverbud and switching to the Vernon Creek group when she was in her later high school years.
At home, the family has a grain farm and bore dairy heffers for a dairy farm not far down the road from where they live.
“Every single summer, in between school, I would ride with my dad in the tractor and would have to help him out. I spent a lot of time on the farm in the summers,” she said.
As an intern for the Delaware Farm Bureau, she said she is looking forward to new summertime activities like visiting farm stands and getting to know other farmers. She also wants to experience agriculture from different perspectives.
“My goal in life is to help bridge the gap between consumers and producers, to build a stronger bond between farmers and the public,” she added.
Cain would like to build on her experiences at the Del-
INTERNS. . . CONTINUED TO PAGE 11
Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation Intern Abby Edwards and Marketing Intern Jaiden Cain prepare for a summer of ag related experiences.
Del. Farm Bureau announces new executive director
The Delaware Farm Bureau has announced farmer Wm. Donald Clifton, II, as its new executive director.
Don Clifton brings a variety of farming and agribusiness experience into his new position. The Clifton family has grown grains and soybeans, and processed vegetables in northeast Sussex County since the 1920s. In addition, they operated Clifton Canning Company, a vegetable cannery, for nearly 50 years before closing the operation in 1995.
“We even maintained a three hundred head beef herd up into the 1980s. As a kid all I wanted was to follow in my father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Through all the ups and downs, good years and difficult ones, I’ve been fortunate to do that, along with a few other things.”
Clifton explains that his vegetable processing experience required a grasp of federal FDA regulations as well as state DNREC regulations. “I was the point man for dealing with all things regulatory, both on the farm and the processing plant. That experience helps in this new position, working on behalf of Delaware farmers.”
Clifton has received Presidential appointments as State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency twice, serving in the Clinton and Obama administrations. In addition to performing his Delaware responsibilities, he was occasionally tapped to perform detail service at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. working on items from administrative streamlining to policy on farm lending program delivery. Back in Delaware, he was responsible for the development of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) for the state.
“Don is an outstanding choice [for the Delaware Farm Bureau],” Delaware’s Department of Agriculture (DDA) Secretary Michael Scuse said. “I’ve known Don for
many years. Don was the State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency and did an outstanding job working for Delaware farmers. I think Don will be an asset to not just Farm Bureau, but to the agricultural community.”
The Clifton Farms, Inc. currently grows about one thousand acres of crops. The Cliftons maintain a fleet of pea and lima bean harvesters to harvest their own crops and those of other local farmers. Clifton Farms, Inc. also operates a vegetable cleaning facility, handling about five million pounds of baby lima beans annually for Seabrook Brothers & Sons, of Seabrook, NJ. “Vegetable processing must be in my blood,” says Clifton.
In 2001, after his first stint with FSA, Don Clifton and his wife Ruth established Farmers First Services, Inc., an agricultural consulting business through which they developed and presented crop insurance education programs for farmers through partnership agreements between Delaware’s Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension, and the USDA
Risk Management Agency. Clifton also served on Governor Ruth Ann Minner’s Strategic Economic Council (SEC) as the co-chair for Agriculture and Biotechnology from 2001-2002. “One of the recommendations the SEC brought forward was funding for a crop insurance cost-share program. Governor Minner adopted the recommendation and the General Assembly provided funding for four years. It helped farmers obtain higher levels of coverage and reduce risk.” said Clifton.
“And we were able to devise a program delivery method which incurred zero administrative cost to the taxpayer or the farmer.”
Longtime acquaintance and former DDA Secretary Ed Kee commented on Clifton’s new role, “First of all, Donnie has been an active farmer himself, being the third generation of the Clifton family on the land, so he really understands all the factors that impact family farms. He’s been there; he’s done that. His family has seen the ups and downs. That gives him a real empathy for what the farmer
goes through. That will help him a lot as he gets going in the job. He is well versed in agriculture policy, too, so he’ll be a good watchdog for policy. The third and final thing is that deep down in his gut, he believes agriculture is important, important to Delaware and to the farmers and their families and he has a great love for agriculture in Delaware.”
Delaware Farm Bureau President Richard Wilkins said the Delaware Farm Bureau is pleased to have Clifton on the job. “Don Clifton’s knowledge of Delaware’s agriculture is extensive and impressive. He understands what is needed to assure the sustainability of farming in Delaware. He is a welcome addition to our Farm Bureau team which will continue our advocacy on behalf of our farmers, their families, and our consumers.”
Don and Ruth Clifton reside near Milford, DE. They have seven grown children and ten grandchildren.
For more information on the Delaware Farm Bureau, visit www.defb.org.
DEFB Executive Director
Don Clifton
DEFB Legislative Committee advocactes for better regulatory practices in environmental hearings
By Jennifer Antonik and Don Clifton Delaware Farm Bureau
The Delaware Farm Bureau weighed in on agriculture-related legislation in June as the General Assembly session came to a close for the year.
The organization’s legislative committee previously identified two pieces of proposed legislation which it deemed counterproductive and potentially injurious to the agriculture field. The committee deemed it urgent enough to warrant public commentary by Executive Director Don Clifton during the bills' respective hearings.
The first bill, HB 220, was commonly referred to as establishing a “green amendment” and sought to add an amendment to article 1 of the Delaware Constitution as it relates
to protecting Delaware’s natural resources.
Primarily sponsored by Reps. Madinah Wilson-Anton and Paul Baumbach, and Sens. Stephanie L. Hansen and Darius J. Brown, HB 220 is “. . .the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution to conserve, protect and maintain Delaware’s natural resources, including its water, air, soil, flora, fauna, ecosystems and climate,” according to its synopsis. “This Amendment would create an inherent and inalienable right for all Delawareans to a clean and healthy environment. The Amendment would also declare that the State, including all of its branches, agencies, and political subdivisions, as trustee of the State’s natural resources. By enacting this amendment Delaware would join other States which have
or are seeking similar provisions, in their respective Constitutions, creating the same inherent and inalienable rights for their citizens.”
While the Farm Bureau remains committed to encouraging “green,” or eco-friendly practices, Clifton explained to the House Administration Committee Friday, June 15, that the bill would simply not work as proposed.
“The Delaware Farm Bureau speaks today in opposition to HB 220 and the proposed State Constitutional Amendment contained therein. We have submitted written comments, including previously published legal reviews and background information regarding Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendments (ERCAs) proposed or enacted in other states, most recently New York. These documents out-
line the conflicting interpretations resulting from the vague language and lack of standards/parameters in these ERCAs. ERCAs can ironically be counterproductive in the pursuit of more rapid environmental improvement,” he said. Continuing, Clifton stated, “HB 220 is more conflicting and unwise than other state ERCAs enacted to date due to the language in the last sentence station, stating, ‘This provision and the rights stated herein, are self-executing, . . .” While scholars have pointed out how other state ERCAs increase the ‘potential to facilitate abusive litigation . . .,” (Legal Backgrounder, Washington Legal Foundation, January 14, 2022.) HB 220 virtually guarantees such abusive litigation due to the
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Taiwan delegation honored by Delaware Assembly
By Don Clifton Delaware Farm Bureau
At the opening of the June 9, 2022, session of the Delaware Senate a delegation from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office from the Republic of China (Taiwa honored. On hand to receive the tribute and leading the Taiwanese delegation was Bi-khim Hsiao, Representative to the United States, whose office is in Wash ington, D.C.
Senator Trey Paradee (District 17) led the tribute on behalf of the Senate. "The State of Dela ware since September 2000 has enjoyed a prosperous relationship centered on reciprocity with The Republic of China (Taiwan). As two great countries who share common beliefs on democratic ideals and capitalistic economies, both have as a result, benefited from such close ties. Taiwan has been a major trade partner and importer of Delaware agriculture over the last 20 years with a resounding commitment to continued trade long into the future. Kent County, and Delaware as a whole, is lucky to have such great friends in the Taiwanese, and I look forward to strengthening this bond while serving as both a steward for Delaware agriculture and a strong supporter of Taiwan."
To the right: Bi-khim Hsiao, representative to the United States from Taiwan, meets Delaware Farm Bureau Executive Director Don Clifton.
Council of Taiwan.
Delaware Farm Bureau Executive Director Don Clifton was on hand for the tribute and had an opportunity to congratulate and thank Representative Hsiao.
The United States has long been Taiwan’s most important supplier of agricultural products. In 2021, 21.8% of Taiwan’s total agricultural imports came from the U.S. The main products imported include soybeans, corn, wheat, beef, and poultry meat. The importing value of U.S.-exported agricultural products was up to US$3.9 billion in 2021.
In 2021, Taiwan was the sixth-largest overseas market of U.S. agricultural products. Among the top ten trading partners of the U.S., Taiwan was the fourth-largest consumer of U.S. agricultural products on a per capita basis.
Representative Bi-khim Hsiao assumed her position as Taiwan’s Representative to the United States in July 2020, after serving as a Senior Adviser to the President at the National Security
“It is important that we express out appreciation for strong global trade partners like the Republic of China. Representative Hsiao’s presence here today emphasizes their commitment to keeping our partnership strong. The Delaware Senate tribute reinforces that,” Clifton said.
Representative Hsiao previously served four terms in the Taiwan Legislature., For many years she was the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and previously the chair of the USA Caucus in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. She is also a founding Board Member of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy.
Born in Kobe, Japan, Representative Hsiao grew up in Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan. She has an MA in Political Science from Columbia University in New York and BA in East Asian Studies from Oberlin College, Ohio.
Above: Senator Trey Paradee introduces Bi-khim Hsiao to the General Assembly.
Cost of July 4th cookout 17% higher compared to 2021
U.S. consumers will pay $69.68 for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, based on a new American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey.
The average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people is $69.68, which breaks down to less than $7 per person. The overall cost for the cookout is up 17% or about $10 from last year, a result of ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and the war in Ukraine.
Farmers are feeling the pricepoint pain too, like the people they grow food for, according to AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan.
“Despite higher food prices, the supply chain disruptions and inflation have made farm supplies more expensive; like consumers, farmers are price-takers not price-makers,” Cryan said. He added, “Bottom line, in many cases the higher prices farmers are being paid aren’t covering the increase in their farm expenses. The cost of fuel is up and fertilizer prices have tripled.”
Cryan also pointed to the cascading effects of the war in Ukraine, as that country’s contributions to global food security are cut off, Russian and Belarusian fertilizer exports are constrained, and some other countries pull back exports to protect their domestic supplies.
The marketbasket survey shows the largest year-to-year price increase was for ground beef.
Survey results showed the retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef at $11.12, up 36% from last year. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department’s Producer Price Index indicates that compared to a year ago, farm-level cattle prices are up 17.5%, but wholesale beef prices are down 14%. This serves to highlight the differences between farm-level, wholesale and retail beef prices and how the events of the last few years have had significant impacts on the beef production and cattle pricing cycles, making them all hard to predict.
Several other foods in the survey, including chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato
salad, fresh-squeezed lemonade, pork & beans, hamburger buns and cookies, also increased in price.
One bright spot for consumers is the average retail price for strawberries, which declined by 86 cents compared to a year ago.
Sliced cheese and potato chips also dropped in price, 48 cents and 22 cents, respectively. Better weather conditions in some fruit-growing regions and greater retailer pricing flexibility for processed products are the likely drivers behind the modest price declines for these items.
The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home and general inflation across the economy. Both the index and the marketbasket show increases of more than 10% compared to year-ago levels.
“According to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series, farmers currently receive approximately 8% of every food marketing dollar,” Cryan said. “The farmers’ share of the retail food dollar is as low as 2% to 4% for highly processed foods such as bread and cereal, and can
be 35% or more for some fresh products.”
Commenting on big picture concerns related to food security, AFBF President Zippy Duvall said: “The increased cost of food and supplies is a very real concern in our country and across the globe. U.S. food assistance programs and food banks help those who struggle to make ends meet here at home, but the story is much different around the globe as food insecurity skyrockets. The big impact of a single event in Ukraine shows how dependent the world is on stable, productive agriculture.”
The July 4th cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare meals at home.
Data for this year’s survey was collected by 176 volunteer shoppers across the country and in Puerto Rico, including Farm Bureau members and others.
Individual Prices from the AFBF 2022 Summer Cookout survey
• 2 pounds of ground beef, $11.12 (+36%)
• 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, $8.99 (+33%)
• 32 ounces of pork & beans, $2.53 (+33%)
• 3 pounds of center cut pork chops, $15.26 (+31%)
• 2.5 quarts of fresh-squeezed lemonade, $4.43 (+22%)
• 2.5 pounds of homemade potato salad, $3.27 (+19%)
• 8 hamburger buns, $1.93 (+16%)
• Half-gallon of vanilla ice cream, $5.16 (+10%)
• 13-ounce bag of chocolate chip cookies, $4.31 (+7%)
• 2 pints of strawberries, $4.44 (-16%)
• 1 pound of sliced cheese, $3.53 (-13%)
• 16-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.71 (-4%)
AFBF is the nation’s largest general farm organization with member families in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Learn more at http://facebook. com/FarmBureau or follow @ FarmBureau on Twitter or @ farmbureau on Instagram.
Visit the Delaware Farm Bureau online at www.defb.org or call the state office at 302-697-3183.
Strawberry Festival a success for YF&R Committee
The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee held its 12th annual Strawberry Festival Saturday, May 28, 2022, at Bobola Farms in Dover.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the group's yearly scholarships and major activities such as national conventions.
The committee also held a FillA-Ford food drive with the help of Willis Ford of Smyrna. Attendees were asked to bring a food item to donate for the Harvest for All Campaign. In turn, they received $1 off of wristband prices for children.
A total of 185 pounds of food was donated to the Food Bank of Delaware this year through this effort, according to YF&R State Chair Mollie Lynch.
The Strawberry Festival also featured strawberry shortcake donated by Skyline Cafe and ice cream donated by Woodside Farm Creamery.
Volunteers from the committee and the Lake Forest FFA helped make the 2022 festival a success.
For more information on events or scholarships offered by the Delaware Farm Bureau and its committees, visit www.defb.org.
To the right: The Urian girls show off their love for strawberries while posing for a photo together.
Below: Local FFA members visit the Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation's Mobile Ag Lab during the festival.
Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee members test out the kiddie train and tour the Strawberry Festival before it begins at Bobola Farms in Dover.
The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee collected canned goods during the annual Strawberry Festival this year to help combat hunger in Delaware.
INTERNS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
aware Farm Bureau and eventually find a career in communications or marketing within the agricultural field. She also hopes to help run the family farm when the need arises.
Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation Intern Abby Edwards is returning this year after working as a marketing intern last year. She owns a small business, Delmarva Daisy, and is now studying agricultural education at Delaware State University.
She discovered a love for agriculture as a young girl as her father was involved in the ag community and she became involved in 4-H. In school, she found FFA and "competed in pretty much every CDE," she told the Delaware Farm Bureau last year.
She graduated from Lake Forest High School and found herself volunteering as a Delaware FFA state officer for two years.
Now as a college student, Edwards is continually building up new experiences as she works toward a new career in agriculture.
"Last year [as an intern], the most memorable experiences were each of the 'Our Delaware Farmer' interviews because each provided an opportunity to travel to a farm or operation in
Delaware, meet new people within the agricultural community and help to share their stories and advocate for agriculture. Through interactions with both producers and consumers, I learned that there is a great need to bridge the gap that has been continuously increasing between the farm and consumers’ tables and it starts with educating children about agriculture," Edwards said.
She called her experience last year with the Delaware Farm Bureau "enriching" and is glad to return for another year in a different intern role.
"This year, my goal is to help revamp the Mobile Ag Lab with even more interactive activities that expand on the agriculture information that we already provide young children. I also want to continue the 'Our Delaware Farmer' series and the goal is to complete at least 10 interviews this summer," she added.
Edwards would like to participate as a Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee member after her internship. She also wants to serve as a leader in the Lake Forest FFA Alumni Chapter, continue assisting with the Delaware FFA Association, and begin student teaching this year. She plans to enter the high school Agricultural Mechanics/Structures classroom in 2023.
For more information, visit the Delaware Farm Bureau online at www.defb.org.
Summer bounty offers giving opportunities for Delawareans
By Debbie Kirk Delaware Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Chair
Do you have an abundance of produce and have run out of ideas for summer recipes? If this sounds familiar, please consider donating your excess produce to those in need. According to Feedingamerica.org, 114,190 people in Delaware are facing hunger - and of them 32,830 are children. We can make a difference!
There are multiple locations throughout Delaware that accept fresh produce for distribution at food pantries and there are resources available to provide details about safe handling of produce and guidelines for donation. The USDA provides detailed information about produce donation on their website, https://www. usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/donating.
The Food Bank of Delaware is an active partner in the fight against hunger and they have
multiple locations throughout the state where excess produce donations are accepted. Those living in New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties have drop off locations available in their areas. Please visit the website for the Delaware Food Bank to learn more about safe food handling and donation locations. http://www.fbd.org/produce/.
There are many other non-profit organizations throughout our state that will receive fresh produce donations and utilize these donations to support Delawareans in need. A simple search of your local area will provide the connections you need to make an impact in your community. The mission statement for the Delaware Farm Bureau Promotion & Education committee states that we will partner with Delaware farm families to create relationships with our neighbors and sharing your summer bounty is a great way to be a good neighbor!
FROM PAGE 5
self-executing provision. The challenges to state courts to interpret the proposed amendment are unreasonable to impose on current or future judges. What do they base their deliberation upon? HB 220 includes no measurable standards or parameters and no statutory or regulatory basis. A further concern is that HB 220 upsets the Constitutional balance between the three branches of State government. It practically abrogates the citizen-elected legislature’s prerogative to establish and maintain environmental policy. It seems unfathomable that elected legislators would vote to erode their own constitutional authority. Delaware Farm Bureau insists HB 220, as written, is a bad bill and should not be advanced. Thank you for your consideration.”
The House Administration Committee voted 4-1 to table HB 220 June 16, 2022. No further action was taken during the remainder of the session on this bill.
The second bill in question was SB 305, sponsored by Sen. Hansen,
which was created to amend titles 7 and 29 of the Delaware Code as it relates to climate change. This act was known as the Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act.
One of the bill’s co-sponsors, and the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Debra Heffernan, said during the hearing that she thought it was important for the support and concerns for the bill “be vetted in public” to help air out the situation.
Rep. Heffernan explained issues relating to climate change in Delaware have included increasing temperatures, more frequent heavy rain events and sea level rise. She added that these issues greatly impact “farm crops, animal migration patterns, air pollution and other health concerns.”
According to the synopsis provided for the bill, “. . .The Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act, follows the issuance of Delaware’s Climate Action Plan in 2021, and establishes a statutory requirement of greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the medium and long term to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change due to anthropo-
genic greenhouse gas emissions on the State, establishing a mandatory and regularly updated plan to achieve those emissions reductions and develop resilience strategies for the State, and requires State agencies to address climate change in decision-making and rulemaking.”
Clifton said although he has seen some of the negative impacts of climate change personally, the Delaware Farm Bureau opposed the bill as written as it did not adequately include the agriculture industry.
“My family has been farming in Sussex County for four generations. We experience climate change firsthand,” Clifton explained in a statement to the House Natural Resources Committee Friday, June 29, 2022. “Sea level rise is encroaching on our farm and those of our neighbors. I want to emphasize here today that farmers are part of the solution. Delaware Farm Bureau opposes moving forward with SB305, with amendments, as currently conceived and written. Delaware farmers have for decades engaged in some of the best environmental practices available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, like no-till crop production.
Recently, there is a resurgence in the practice of growing cover crops, which enhance the soil and capture carbon. Yet SB305 is disappointing in its insufficient consideration of agriculture.
“One specific flaw in the bill is the establishment of a “Technical Committee on Climate Scenarios” [10005 (a)]. DEFB believes any such committee that may be established should have representation appointed not by the DNREC Secretary alone, but with input by and authority of legislative leadership, DDA (Delaware Department of Agriculture), Agriculture and other industry leaders, and perhaps others. The bill speaks of “All of Government Implementation”. However, for there to be any chance of success, “All of Government” will not be sufficient. Business, industry, agriculture, and the public at large must be mobilized. This bill appears to be the result of a flawed process.”
A motion to approve SB305 for House floor consideration was defeated 5-6.
Recordings of the hearings can be viewed online at https://legis.delaware.gov/.
Grain bin safety signs available to farmers with silos
Grain bin accidents can be deadly within minutes. The Delaware Farm Bureau's Promotion & Education Committee knew they had the power to help prevent such accidents.
To raise awareness and share safety tips with emergency contact information, the committee partnered with the Delaware Soybean Board and Nationwide to create magnetic signs to be placed on silos in the First State.
"Zero entry is preferred," according to the sign. It promotes the use of a body harness, respirator and safety line if a farmer has to enter a grain bin. They should also have someone else with them in the case of an emergency.
Should an emergency occur, the caution signs include a list of fire companies in Delaware which have been awarded grain bin rescue tubes and equipment through Nationwide's Nominate your Fire Company Contest. These fire departments were also awarded training so they know how to operate their new equipment.
Farmers should let the 911 operator know which fire department with such equipment and
training is local to them so they can receive the fastest help available.
These signs, pictured below, are free to farmers and are available at the Delaware Farm Bureau
state office in Camden. Arrangements can also be made by calling the office at 302-697-3183.
The risks of value-added beef agreements
The following information is provided by Nationwide®, the #1 farm and ranch insurer in the U.S.*
In today’s beef business, cow/ calf producers, backgrounders, feed yard operators and independent processors are working more together in aligned, value-added beef agreements to capture more revenue per head. In such arrangements, there’s both increased opportunity –and risk.
“Tighter margins are leading more producers to look for ways to capture revenue downstream,” said Nationwide Manager, MM Underwriting-Large FarmPeter LaMair. “There’s a lot of opportunities for producers in shifting from commodity beef to direct sales. But there are physical, contractual and financial risks that producers should consider when exploring direct sales.”
. How aligned value-added beef agreements work
A common type of value-added beef agreement involves a small group of ranchers working together to align with a local processor or meat locker. In such an arrangement, the premium earned by producers is often based on proximity to the processor and end consumer. In many cases, these arrangements are based around a single rural community.
“In these arrangements, a processor will source cattle raised to certain specs, and producers are paid a premium based on those specs,” said Nationwide Business Program Management Senior Consultant Erin Cumings. “This makes it really important to make sure you understand and can meet your obligation when entering into an agreement like this.”
Knowing the risks and having the right insurance is key
Addressing your potential risks is an important first step in entering into any contracted agreement. LaMair said you should always include consulting your attorney and insurance agent. Contractual risk transfer is a big one to consider.
“You need to know what you’re
getting into,” he said. “You have to be able to protect yourself from risks ranging from animal death loss to falling short of your contractual obligations. And you have to be able to document that you are meeting those obligations and are protected from risks that could otherwise be financially damaging to your operation.”
Cumings recommends attention to a phrase common in the insurance industry but not as well-known in the cattle business. Care, custody and control (CCC) should always be accounted for in contracts among ranchers, feeders, processors and any other players in a value-added beef system.
“Any contract should specify CCC at each step so everyone knows where their obligations start and end,” Cumings said. “You need to also make sure you have the right insurance coverage.”
If you are looking to participate in a value-added aligned beef system, LaMair recommends taking the time to consult your attorney and Nationwide Farm Certified agent.
“It’s not always top-of-mind to have those conversations early in the process, but your attorney can help make sure you can meet your contractual obligations,” LaMair said. “Contact your agent to make sure that your policy structured correctly for any new operations you are considering.
Visit AgInsightCenter.com for more expert tips and information from Nationwide.
*A.M. Best Market Share Report 2020.
The information was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Nationwide Mutual Insur-
ance Company and its employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with any training, materials, sug-
gestions or information provided. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company should not be used as the basis for legal advice or other advice but should be confirmed with alternative sources. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2021 Nationwide
