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High Tunnel Bill Clears General Assembly
 A bill that would lessen the red tape around building high tunnel structures on farms, one of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's significant legislative priorities this session, has cleared the General Assembly. State senators unanimously passed House Bill 1486, sending the legislation to Gov. Tom Wolf for his signature. The bill cleared the House late last year. Sponsored by Rep. Dave Zimmerman of Lancaster County, the bill would prevent municipalities from requiring that farmers submit stormwater management plans on high tunnel structures that meet common sense guidelines clearly outlined in the bill. More and more farmers have been using high tunnels to extend the growing season for fruits and vegetables and meet demand for local produce. But the burdensome paperwork, delay and cost often imposed by local regulation can make high tunnels cost prohibitive for many farmers. PFB believes high tunnels play a critical role in helping farmers keep up with growing demand for local food and that farmers using them should not have to undergo regulatory burdens intended for commercial and residential development. Seeing the bill through the General Assembly is a significant priority for PFB and the organization has been a leader in discussions related to the legislation. PFB thanks Sens. Scott Martin, Ryan Aument and Gene Yaw for their hard work and leadership building support for the legislation in the Senate.
PFB Influences Changes to New CAFO Permit
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued its newly revised general environmental permit used to regulate livestock farms; and the final version of the revised permit includes changes based on concerns that Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and other groups had raised over DEP's earlier draft. The permit, PAG-12, is required for farms classified as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). PFB had voiced concerns that DEP's initial draft of the permit would impose unnecessary burdens on farms by requiring daily inspections of water lines and the installation of field markers to show compliance with the permit. In the final draft, DEP clarifies that daily water line inspections are only required for farms with 700 or more mature dairy cows or 1,000 or more cattle other than mature dairy cows and veal calves. The final draft also notes that the field marking requirement only applies to farms that have demonstrated violations of the manure setback requirements. PFB had also raised concerns over the permit's $500 annual fee. In response, DEP is phasing in that requirement so that existing CAFOs will not need to begin paying until after January 2020. In addition, the original draft would have required new CAFOs to pay the $500 fee when first applying for the permit and then continuing paying annually. Now, new permit holders will only need to start paying the fee after the first year of coverage. DEP also made other changes addressing some of PFB's concerns that the initial draft was unclear and assumed authority that DEP does not have under existing laws.
 Learn more about how the checkoff works on behalf of Pennsylvania soybean farmers at www.pasoybean.org
China Slaps Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Agricultural Products
Pennsylvania agriculture is likely to suffer the consequences of an escalating trade disagreement with China that stems from President Donald Trump's recently announced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. China is retaliating with tariffs of its own on U.S. pork, wine and fruit. In addition, China has threatened to impose tariffs on dozens of other agricultural products, including soybeans and beef, if Trump follows through on his threat to tax imports of additional Chinese items. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau had expressed concern over Trump's initial steel and aluminum tariffs, warning that the move could ignite a trade war that would ultimately harm Pennsylvania farmers. China is the second-largest recipient of U.S. agricultural goods, accounting for 15 percent of U.S. agricultural exports. And the levy on pork is especially bad news for Pennsylvania, a major pork-producing state. Exports of Pennsylvania pork generate $67.5 million per year. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said the escalating dispute is "is testing both the patience and optimism of families who are facing the worst agricultural economy in 16 years." Duvall added: "Growing trade disputes have placed farmers and ranchers in a precarious position. We have bills to pay and debts we must settle, and cannot afford to lose any market, much less one as important as China's. We urge the United States and China to return to negotiations and produce an agreement that serves the interests of the world's two largest economies."
Sign-Up for Improved Dairy Safety Net Begins Next Week
 Farmers will have an opportunity to sign up for the newly overhauled dairy Margin Protection Program beginning next week. A recent federal spending bill included updates intended to bolster the effectiveness of the risk management program, which pays out when the difference between the national all-milk price and average feed cost falls below a certain threshold. The program now has the potential to pay out monthly, rather than every other month. Production eligible to be covered under lowest tier of premiums was increased to 5 million pounds and premium rates for that tier were also greatly reduced. The $100 administrative fee is now waived for limited resource, beginning, veteran, and disadvantaged producers and will be refunded to eligible farmers who already signed up for 2018 coverage. The new sign-up period for 2018 coverage will run April 9 to June 1 and that coverage will be retroactive to Jan. 1. Farmers must enroll for coverage during that window by submitting form CCC-782. Farms that previously signed up for 2018 coverage must re-enroll. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has an online tool to help farmers determine which level of coverage to buy. That tool is available at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool. The new and retroactive enrollment period is a victory for Farm Bureau, which has been a leading advocate for overhauling the MPP. In a letter last month, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Rick Ebert urged USDA to implement the changes quickly and allow farmers to retroactively enroll for 2018 coverage. "Both of these measures would go a long way to helping dairy farmers receive critical support necessary to help them manage this financial crisis," Ebert wrote.
Resources Available for Dairy Producers
Assistance is available for dairy farmers seeking to make the best decisions for their farms and families as market conditions drive down prices and force some producers to either find scarce new markets or exit the business. Dozens of Pennsylvania producers who ship to Dean Foods were notified in March that their contracts would end May 31. At the same time, Land O'Lakes cooperative is offering members voluntary buyouts that will enable them to take some of their equity in a lump sum if they stop shipping milk. Some of the Dean producers have found new markets for their milk but others will likely have to transition out of the business. Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding sent a letter to Dean Foods urging the company to give producers an extension on the contract terminations to give families more opportunity to transition. Farm Bureau recognizes that the factors influencing dairy prices and supply are regional, national and global in scope and that turning the industry around won't happen overnight. But the organization has been focused on advocating for remedies to help improve the situation going forward. Those efforts have included: successfully advocating for federal legislation to improve risk management options for dairy; sending letters to federal officials urging the immediate implementation of improvements to risk-management options for dairy and other measures; compiling a report examining milk policy in Pennsylvania; meeting with state and federal elected officials to discuss the challenges facing dairy; and educating the public through an online video, media interviews and letters to the editor. In addition, county Farm Bureaus are being encouraged to advocate for their local school districts to offer flavored, low-fat (1 percent) milk as an option, which could encourage more milk consumption among students. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has compiled resources for farmers looking to find new opportunities at www.agriculture.pa.gov/Pages/Dairy-Resources.aspx. In addition, the Center for Dairy Excellence has made wellness information available on its website and is also in the process of assembling teams to help dairy farmers affected by the severe financial and emotional stress of this dairy downturn. Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org or call the center at 717.346.0849 to learn more.
New Congressional Map Will Stand
 Pennsylvania's newly drawn congressional districts are here to stay. Federal judges declined two separate requests by Pennsylvania Republican leaders to stop implementation of the new district map, which was established by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. That means that the new districts will be in place for the upcoming primary election and many Pennsylvania voters will find themselves in new districts. After ruling that the previous congressional map was unconstitutional and had been crafted to unfairly favor Republicans, the state court gave Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the GOP-led General Assembly a limited time to agree on new districts. When that failed to happen, the court implemented its own map.
Last Chance: Tickets Still Available for FARMER Dinner
 There are still tickets available for the FARMER Dinner but you must register as soon as possible. Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, will headline the dinner, a major fundraiser for our political action committee. Duvall, a Georgia farmer, was recently reelected to another two-year term as president of the nation's largest agriculture organization. Since its inception more than 35 years ago, FARMER, which stands for Farmers Allied for Responsive More Effective Representation, has recognized members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly who are friendly to agriculture. Each election cycle, the bi-partisan FARMER Committee reviews the records of involvement of members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on important agriculture and rural issues. Those lawmakers identified by FARMER as "Friends of Agriculture" are publicly recognized and receive a campaign contribution. The FARMER Dinner will take place Monday, April 16 at the Hilton Harrisburg, beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person or $250 for two. Reservations can be made by contacting Ginny Keever at 717.761.2740 or vkkeever@pfb.com.
Friends of Ag Golf Tournament Coming Up in June
 The 26th Annual Richard Prether Golf Classic will take place Monday, June 18 at the Hershey Country Club, West Course. The outing is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation and Nationwide Insurance. The annual fundraiser supports agriculture education outreach through the foundation's many programs including the Mobile Ag Ed Science Lab, Ag on the Go, Educator's Ag Institute, Ag Literacy Week, our Scholarship programs, and other ag literacy outreach events. The tournament will be conducted as a four-person scramble and will be held on its scheduled date, rain or shine. The cost of the golfing package is $150 per person and includes greens fees and cart, driving range privileges, lunch and refreshments on the golf course, golf contests and prizes, gifts, dinner and a chance for door prizes. Registration begins at 10 a.m. The driving range will be open at 10 a.m. and there will be a putting contest from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Lunch will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. with a tournament shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. The deadline for reservations is June 1. Be sure to reserve your foursome early since space is limited to 144 golfers. To make your reservation or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities please contact the coordinator, Natalie Slembarski, at 717.761.3555 or NASlembarski@pfb.com.
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Help Us Spread the Word: Educator's Ag Institute
 The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, a charitable organization supported by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, is hosting its Educator's Ag Institute this summer. This year's institute, planned for July 8 through 12 in State College, will give teachers an up close and personal look at farming practices, and how they can use agriculture as the basis for lesson plans. The Educator's Ag Institute is open to new educators, along with those who have previously attended our Ag in the Classroom workshop. Participants will tour several farms and hear from farmers about how they grow food, care for and feed their animals, and how the farm is run. Educators will receive Act 48 credits and/or can register for continuing education credits through Penn State. Many of our county Farm Bureaus have previously sponsored educators to attend and we are encouraging that same outreach this year. Please consider sharing information about this valuable workshop with educators in your area. For more information, contact the foundation at 717.731.3556 or www.pfb.com/aginstitute.
$1000 Member Bonus on Ford Extended
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