Cyndi's Two Cents

Lessons learned in 2018

 

Commentary.

One of the questions I ask farmers, ranchers, agronomists and others as the old year wanes and we pull out the long lens to look into the new one is “What lessons did you learn this year that you’ll take into next year?”  Although there is often a slight pause before they answer, there’s almost always an answer.

About this time every year my team of ag journalists puts together a list of top stories that have impacted agriculture in the past twelve months.  From the continuing dicamba debate to the U.S.-China trade war; from the “new NAFTA” to the dairy slump; from the impact of African Swine Fever to Farm Bill negotiations, delayed planting and a drawn-out harvest and the resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt – there’s no lack of subject matter for our annual “Year in Review” program.

The Animal Ag Alliance also has a list.  Theirs is a list of legislative issues and trends across these United States of America that have the potential to impact the way farmers and ranchers farm and ranch.

I noticed, with just a cursory glance through the list, that many states have pending or recently passed legislation addressing poultry housing.  Michigan Senate Bill 0660 will delay the implementation of cage cage-free confinement standards for egg-laying hens by more than five years. The California Farm Animal Confinement Initiative which is backed by HSUS requires all eggs produced and sold in the state of California to abide by United Egg Producers’ cage-free guidelines.  Iowa House Bill requires grocery stores participating in a federal program to carry conventional eggs if they also provide an inventory of cage-free, free-range or enriched colony eggs.

Also egg law related, 13 states are suing Massachusetts over its cage-free egg law, saying the statute violates the U.S. Constitution which gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. The law, set to take effect in 2022, will mandate that all pork, veal and eggs farmed and sold in Massachusetts come from hogs, calves and laying hens not confined to tight quarters. The 13 states say it will unlawfully force out-of-state farmers to change their production methods if they want to sell their eggs and meat in Massachusetts.

Missouri Senate Bill 977 made Missouri the first state to regulate the word “meat.”

California Senate Bill 1138 bill requires California hospitals and prisons to provide vegan meals. The bill was supported by PETA-related Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Animal rights and free speech groups across the country have raised concern and some have sued over “Farm Protection” or “ag-gag” laws, calling them unconstitutional.

According to the National Agriculture Law Center, all 50 states have enacted right-to-farm laws that seek to protect qualifying farmers and ranchers from nuisance lawsuits filed by individuals who move into a rural area where normal farming operations exist, and who later use nuisance actions to attempt to stop those ongoing operations.

Although similar, there is detail in the laws specific to each state.

As a lesson learned in 2018, perhaps you will consider reviewing the list available on the Animal Ag Alliance website.  Those legislative issues and trends could very well impact the way you farm or ranch in the future.