“House Minority Leader Backs Moratorium on Regulations”
House Minority Leader John Boehner (bay-ner) supports repeal of the health care overhaul and the financial regulation packages. The latter got final Congressional approval last Thursday (July 15). Boehner says he wants to see common-sense solutions. Therefore – the Ohio Republican has thrown his support behind a one-year moratorium on almost all new federal regulations – including the new health care overhaul and financial regulation packages. Boehner says a moratorium would create jobs by ending uncertainty among businesses fearful of new federal mandates.
The idea came out of a meeting of business leaders who gathered as part of America Speaking Out – the House Republicans’ effort to solicit ideas across the country for a fall campaign platform. Boehner says having a moratorium on new federal regulations is a great idea. It sends a wonderful signal to the private sector that they’ll have some breathing room. Boehner said the only exception he might foresee would be for emergencies.
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“Support for Aviation Biofuels Sought”
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell is urging Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to support public-private initiatives in her home state of Washington designed to develop aviation biofuels for military and commercial aircraft. In a letter to the Secretary – Cantwell said research has shown the technical viability of turning crops and biomass into aviation fuel – securing a reliable domestic supply for our military and commercial jets.
One initiative in the Pacific Northwest is examining economics, potential feedstocks and technical and policy hurdles to developing an aviation biofuels industry in a four-state area. Another project is a commercial arrangement to produce jet fuel from camelina crops for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The plan is to grow camelina in Montana – transport the crop to a refinery – and then ship the jet fuel via pipeline to the airport.
Cantwell – who chairs the Energy Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – says aviation biofuels offer potentially greater economic opportunity for farmers, aviation and transportation and U.S. energy independence. The Washington State Senator says the industry will require federal support to reach its potential.
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“USGC Observes Export Process of DDGS in Canada”
A group of U.S. Grains Council members visited trans-loading facilities in Canada and a research feedlot servicing Alberta end-users – observing the industry’s ability to handle and store distiller’s dried grains with solubles entering Canada from America. The group also visited a DDGS feedlot demo at a Claresholm beef feedlot where Council-funded research is being conducted to determine the highest feed intake of DDGS among cattle. The group saw trail methods and cattle allocations – and experienced firsthand how the feedmill works with the product.
The tours gave team members an inside look into the workings of DDGS from the U.S. into Canada and requirements for Canadian end-users. Member Rich Zeller of Glacial Lakes Energy says he was happy to see facilities in the area have developed infrastructure for handling DDGS – which he says is the first vital step to providing the product to the market. Member Matt Fitzhum says it’s important to remember that building strong export relationships is key to adding value to co-products. He states Canadian beef and hog producers are a market that can be accessed by trucks and railcars at a fraction of the cost it takes for DDGS to reach Asia or Europe – making Canada a vital trading partner.
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“Administration Officials Holding Climate Change Meeting”
Today (Monday) Obama Administration officials holds a public outreach meeting of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force in Denver , Colorado. The meeting provides an opportunity for senior members of the Obama Administration to hear local and regional ideas, questions and concerns about climate change impacts – including impacts to agriculture – and to describe Federal planning efforts already underway.
The Climate Change Adaptation Task Force was organized in 2009 by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. When President Obama signed the Executive Order – he called on the Task Force to develop – within one year – Federal recommendations for reducing vulnerability to climate change impacts both domestically and internationally. The one-year deadline is October 5th.
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“NFU Brings Light to Accurate Information on Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food”
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson says NFU applauds the efforts Deputy Secretary Merrigan and everyone at USDA have put forth to educate the public through the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. He says it’s the responsibility of those in agriculture to educate the public on the hard work done each day to produce and distribute a safe, healthy and reliable food supply. Johnson says the initiative is more than linking producers and consumers with information – it is the start of a national conversation about the importance of understanding where food comes from and how it gets to people’s plates.
Johnson notes the initiative promotes buying locally-produced foods – but says it is realistic because everything put on a dinner table isn’t grown in every region and it’s not all produced year-round. He says the initiative is an effort for consumers to make a conscious effort when making purchases when there is a local option.
NFU will continue to assist USDA with the initiative and encourages everyone to learn about the program and spread the message in their local communities. Johnson says all of ag must come together in every way possible to provide a united front for farmers, ranchers and consumers with the 2012 Farm Bill on the horizon.
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“Legislative Officials and American Agri-Women Meet in D.C.”
The American Agri-Women held its 25th annual Fly-in to Washington D.C. this past week and 45 women from 12 states met with USDA, Interior Department and EPA leaders – along with members of Congress – to discuss immigration reform, the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, food safety and animal welfare. AAW brought its position on 2010 policy to Congressmen and Senators – which focus on ag jobs legislation, antibiotic use in animal ag, the Atrazine review, estate tax reform and more. The organization also presented its first Champion of Ag award to House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and Senator James Inhofe.
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“There Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing”
Agricultural Research Service chemist Thomas Wang has reported evidence that for some dietary compounds – length of exposure over time may be a key to whether or not ingestion leads to a beneficial or detrimental effect. Wang specializes in cancer research at the ARS Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. He has published a study showing that concentrations of resveratrol – a highly bioactive compound found in grapes and other plant foods – actually turned out to be a double-edged sword when it came to mitigating cancer risk.
Wang tested the effects of resveratrol on a group of laboratory animals that had sex-hormone-dependent tumor cells. Half of those animals were fed a daily diet that included three to six milligrams of purified resveratrol – that’s equal to roughly the amount in five glasses of wine or grape juice. At first – the tumor cells in the lab animals grew slower. But as the animals continued to consume resveratrol – there was an increase in blood vessels developing around the tumors of the animals – effectively setting up a system of feeding the tumors.
