Spring NEAFA Lobby Day Recap

Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

Charlie Elrod, NEAFA Vice-president

May 13th saw us heading back to Albany for a “mini-lobby day” which was targeted to discussing with legislators two bills we were advocating for and three which we were advocating against, as well as thanking the legislators for their very ag-positive New York State budget.  As has become the norm, Julie Marlette and Jim Carr from Hinman-Straub did a great job setting up appointments with our Senate and Assemblymembers as well as key ag legislators and members of the Senate Counsel’s office.  In all, we had eight appointments across the day.

The two bills we were expressing our support for grew out of the transportation summits we have organized with NEDPA and NY Farm Bureau over the last couple of years.   The first was a bill introduced by Senator Skoufis and Assemblymember Lupardo which would establish a program whereby farm trucks would be limited to no more than one DOT safety stop per day.  We feel this is a valid concern given that trucks hauling perishable products or livestock should not be subjected to multiple stops for safety inspections which will delay their timely delivery or induce unnecessary stress on animals.  In general, we received positive feedback on this bill in our meetings.  The second bill, sponsored by the same legislators would provide an exemption to the F and G endorsements on a CDL driver’s license for farm employees operating covered farm trucks within 150 miles of the farm. Given the nationwide shortage of CDL drivers, this bill could be helpful in allowing farms to get crops harvested and transported with available labor.  In a couple of discussions we did get some pushback on this bill.  Concerns raised included relatively inexperienced drivers driving through small rural villages in tractor trailer trucks, or whether 150 miles was the right radius to use for “local” driving.  We are waiting to see if these bills will move ahead.

One bill which we really emphasized our opposition to is one which would direct NYS Department of Ag & Markets to establish a regulatory system to independently evaluate applications for feed or foods which are Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS).  This function is already in place federally through the Food and Drug Administration, and for feeds the Center for Veterinary Medicine.  There are so many concerns with this including: 1) the cost to the state to create a staff of chemists, toxicologists, biologists, etc. to oversee the GRAS application process; 2) the erosion of confidence in the existing FDA/CVM system which provides us with one of the safest food supplies in the world; 3) the financial and resource burden this would put on businesses making or selling food or feed in NY state.  We are pretty optimistic that this bill will not move forward, though it will bounce back in some form in the coming years.

Another bill we registered our opposition to was one in which farms, among many other businesses, would have to provide employees with mitigation from “extreme” temperatures in the workplace.  In this case for instance extreme cold was defined as being under 60 degrees.  Employees would be able to self- diagnose cold or heat stress and take unlimited, paid breaks to escape the temperature extremes.  We pointed out the burden this would place on farm operations in either summer or winter to provide cooling or warming sheds for these breaks as well as to add additional staff to cover for those taking breaks.  

Lastly, we opposed the Extended Producer Responsibility bill which really seeks to overhaul the entire solid waste recycling system in NY.  Admittedly, the system doesn’t work very well now, with highly variable rates of successful recycling across the state.  However, this bill would place a fee on any producer who puts a product in its final package to fund whatever new system was dreamed up (and is at this point completely undefined).  We will likely see this issue raised again in the future.  

Again, our thanks to Hinman-Straub for their great organization and facilitation of this lobby day.  Stay tuned to the NEAFA News for further updates to this year’s legislative session.  

Vermont Governor Vetoes Neonic Bill

ACTION TAKEN BY GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT ON LEGISLATION

The Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance has worked diligently this spring to educate all aspects of Vermont government about the limitations of the proposed ban on neonics in Vermont.  Please see the message from Governor Phil Scott below and thank you to all our NEAFA members and VDPA partners for all the work done this spring for this positive result! 

Montpelier, Vt. − Governor Phil Scott announced action on the following bills, passed by the General Assembly.

Reflecting on the bills coming to his desk this year, Governor Scott said:

“Over the last few years, I’ve tried to meet legislators in the middle, so we can achieve shared priorities. Unfortunately, due to a lack of balance in the Legislature, opposing perspectives and data are often not listened to, or even invited, in the debate. This means some bills are passed without thinking through all the consequences, and therefore, could do more harm than good. Due to the sheer number of bills passed in the last three days of the session, there are many that will fall into this category.

“Please know, as Governor – and therefore the final check before a bill becomes law – I have an obligation to carefully weigh the good against the bad for each, making decisions based on whether the benefits outweigh the negative impacts for our entire state. That is what I’ve been elected to do, and I will follow through.”

On May 20, Governor Scott returned without signature and vetoed:

• H.706, An act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides

He sent the following letter to the General Assembly:

May 20, 2024

Dear Ms. Wrask: 

Pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution, I’m returning H.706, An act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, without my signature because of my objections described herein. 

Pollinators are essential to growing food and maintaining a healthy, thriving ecosystem. The same is true of farmers, who are also critical contributors to our economy, but altogether, this legislation is more anti-farmer than it is pro-pollinator.

It’s important to note, the honeybee population has grown, while the use of neonics has persisted. In fact, the USDA Census for 2017-2022 shows Vermont’s honeybee population has grown about 30 percent. Additionally, the science is not conclusive on whether this ban will achieve the desired results, but the bill has the potential to produce severe unintended environmental and economic consequences—particularly for Vermont’s dairy farmers.

Although neonics are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and used on a variety of crops, this bill would ban neonic-treated seeds of corn, soybean, and all other cereal grains (wheat, rice, oats, etc.) and it bans outdoor uses on soybeans, cereal grains, ornamental plants, any plant in bloom and certain vegetables after bloom.

To put the impacts of this bill into context, Vermont grows about 90,000 acres of corn, while the U.S. grows 90 million acres of corn, and almost all corn seed sold in the U.S. is treated with neonics. This would put Vermont farmers at a significant disadvantage.

This is especially concerning given the fact Vermont is struggling to keep dairy farmers, and many more have been put at risk through higher taxes and energy prices, crop losses associated with last year’s spring frost, and summer and winter floods. 

This bill unfairly targets dairy farmers reliant on corn crops and will harm farmers without achieving its goals for pollinators. For these reasons I cannot sign it into law.

Rather than eliminating an important EPA-approved tool, we should continue to closely monitor and study the issues and science to protect both family farms – and the food they produce – and pollinators.

Sincerely,

 /s/

Philip B. Scott

Governor

________________________________________

Thank you to all who testified, wrote in, and repeatedly educated on this topic!

Executive Pen: Mike Thresher

A Vermont spring day in May, one lives by the old saying:  it May rain, it May snow, or it May sunshine (or all 3 in 1 day!)  It has been a very good start, many acres of land have been planted, cows are grazing, and the hay crop harvest has begun.  As I begin my 2nd term on the NEAFA board and move into the Secretary seat, I would like to thank and recognize Corwin Holtz, for serving as the past secretary and for his 10 years on the board.  

I have served the past 3 years on the membership committee and helped to reconfigure our membership levels and dues.  I hope everyone has found this more useful and inviting to expand their membership, as well as invite new members.   If anyone feels the new structure is not meeting the needs of our agricultural industry throughout New York and New England, please reach out to me or any of our membership committee members.  Maintaining and growing our membership is vital for our continued support of the agriculture industry throughout New York and New England.  Our website (NEAFA— Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance (northeastalliance.com)) has up to date information about our upcoming events, as well as updates on legislation that is or has been on going.  

In speaking of upcoming events, our Annual Golf For Good Works Tournament is August 19th and 20th, held again at the Turning Stone Resort. This is a huge fund-raising event for the Alliance and we use the proceeds to support programs such as the Northeast Regional Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, Future Farmers of America Foundation, NYS 4-H Foundation’s Junior Dairy Leader Program, Dairy Judging Teams and Vermont Breakfast on the Farm, to name a few.  Registration and sponsorship opportunities are now open and available on our website here.

I enjoy serving on the NEAFA Board, helping to represent Vermont and our agriculture industry.  I was the 3rd generation dairy famer of our farm in Vermont.  When we closed the farm in 2000, I joined Morrison’s Custom Feeds of Barnet, VT.  Morrison’s has a unique feed business model of having three different lines of feed: conventional, certified non-GMO, and certified organic.  I have been blessed to lead our company to be the largest supplier of organic dairy feed in New England, and I also serve as Board Chair of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont Board (NOFA-VT).

NEAFA Member Highlight: Farm Credit East

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

For April, NEAFA spoke with Farm Credit East’s Executive Vice President Tom Cosgrove, and David Lane, who will be taking over some of Tom’s responsibilities in a few months. “I oversee the marketing and communication, public affairs, and knowledge exchange teams, among other duties,” said Cosgrove. “Farm Credit East is a credit and financial services cooperative. We’re member owned, and agriculture, forest products, and fishing are all we do. Along with credit and leasing, we can help with financial services like taxes, payroll needs, appraisals, and record keeping as well. We also have specialists who deal with crop insurance and risk management.” 

“All of the products that we offer make up an important combination. It’s not just about providing capital. We understand the rules and regulations that our clients face, and our products and services are tailored to our members because of that. Our borrowers are our owners, which means that a portion of earnings on loans are returned to them as well.”

Growing up in Central NY on a dairy farm, Cosgrove has a long history with agriculture. “I went to the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,” said Cosgrove. “I knew early on that I was not cut out to farm myself, but I gained a newfound appreciation for it, and I looked for ways to stay involved. I studied communications, economics, and policy so that I could better understand the business of agriculture. I worked as a research assistant at Cornell out of college, and then worked in Washington for 5 years with US Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, including when he was on the US Senate Agriculture Committee for the 1996 Farm Bill. I got to know Vermont’s agricultural community well during that time period. 

After I left Washington, agricultural coops intrigued me enough to work in a variety of roles for CoBank and Farm Credit East over the past 26 years. I feel very fortunate. I’ve had a great career, and I believe in the mission of Farm Credit East. I work for a great organization. Like I said earlier, our borrowers are our members, and to work on their behalf is a great thing. I feel fortunate to work for something I believe in and to have had the chance to have a variety of roles.”

For Farm Credit East, NEAFA is an important part of the ag community. “NEAFA is a great organization,” said Cosgrove. “We view our role in ag broadly,” said Cosgrove. “We may not do business directly with NEAFA members, as they may not be eligible for all of our products and offerings, but we recognize the important role that NEAFA members play for supporting the farm economy in the Northeast. Being a NEAFA member, it’s a great way to keep tabs of what’s going on in the industry. NEAFA tackles issues from a policy standpoint that cut across what our members are interested in and are concerned about. NEAFA members are key stakeholders and providers in the industry, and we want to be a part of that and support them.”

Looking towards the future, two areas Farm Credit East is focused on are sustainability matters and efficiency. “We’re trying to harness digital tools and technology to streamline the credit process,” said Lane. “We want to make it easier to do business for our members; if the transactional parts are easier to do, there’s more time for for our staff to focus on customers’ businesses both today and what they’re focused on in 5 years.”

“The same can be said for sustainability,” said Lane. “We’re working on ways to help our members achieve their goals. We’re excited about how farmers are approaching innovation and sustainability. You can see the financial benefits of practices like no-till, reduced till, and cover crops, and adoption rates for practices like that are high. Farmers are innovators. They’re constantly developing new tools to get things done in the most efficient way possible. When you look at sustainability goals, there are a lot of projects going on now with renewable energy, renewable natural gas, anaerobic digesters, etc. All of that research is exciting to the next generation of farmers, which helps keeps them on the farm. We’re helping our members access grants and incentives through reports on what’s available and direct assistance. Sustainability is an emerging area that we want to help our members take advantage of.”

For more information on Farm Credit East and what they do, visit www.farmcrediteast.com

Executive Pen: Treasurer Introduction

By Matt Sheffer, NEAFA Treasurer

As my time as Treasurer begins, I want to thank those who came before me and have helped get me up to speed. I have large shoes to fill, Barry Baetz was a board member for 15 years and Treasurer for 8. Over those years our financial statements stayed strong through both steady and volatile times and Barry’s stewardship of our investment accounts have given us important dividends, the most important being financial freedom. For years, Rick Zimmerman and Sue Van Amburgh have guided us and executed the day to day needs of the alliance and Sue continues to do so today and into the future! 

While I am new serving you as a member of the alliance and fiduciary of our funds, my philosophy will be one of familiarity. Our operation of the alliance is self-sustained, we will continue to work closely with our Membership Committee and the Board to budget membership and registration dues each year to cover the operation and activities of the organization. I believe it to be paramount to keep our self-sustainment alive by keeping costs in check as well as growing our top line via membership, registrations, and sustaining sponsorships.  Our additional funds allow us to be there when there is an industry need, a specific project, or charitable cause which benefits our membership and agriculture industry. 

Agriculture is an industry rich in traditions, and NEAFA has become a traditional organization in the Northeast Agribusiness market, with events that are a part of people’s schedules. The NEAFA Annual Meeting was moved back to February in Albany intentionally to reestablish that tradition, as is our attendance and participation at the Herd Health & Nutrition Conference. Our Annual Golf Tournament is extremely well attended and a staple on calendars. Please register for the Golf for Good Works Tournament August 19-20 at Turning Stone. 

It is an honor to serve you and the organization, and I look forward to meeting our growing membership and new members. Professionally I lead Cargill’s Dairy Feed & Nutrition business in New York State. I first joined Cargill in 2014 as an intern and full time after college graduation as a member of their rotational management program. I have had various roles in many locations but have been happy to be back in New York connected with our New York dairy and Northeast agriculture industry. Personally, I grew up in the Finger Lakes with great mentors and family members that have worked in agriculture before me. My uncle’s Mark and Rob Sheffer worked in production agriculture and agribusiness respectively, my sister Kirsten lives outside of Skaneateles and works for the USDA in Cayuga County, and my cousin Eric still operates “the home farm” Sheffer’s Grassland Dairy in Hoosick Falls NY. I now live in Eastern NY and am excited for my upcoming wedding in October this year. 

Vermont Legislative Update

There are several hot topics in the Vermont legislature this spring.  Below is the newsletter from the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance, written by Shouldice and Associates, to give an update on happenings in Montpelier.  

Update from Week 15 of the Vermont Legislative Session – April 19, 2024

We end the week with yet another, not so subtle message from our fearless leader. Governor Scott once again, in his calm demeanor, lashed out with continued concern at the Vermont Legislature. The long-awaited Yield bill, better known as the property tax bill, made its debut after being voted out of House Ways & Means after weeks of often dramatic testimony and committee discussions. The outlook of what is taking place under the golden dome is bleak at best. Below is the statement Scott released on Thursday. Read it and weep everyone, read it and weep…

“Vermonters already face a daunting tax burden. Too many are struggling to get by, and simply cannot afford to see their costs continue to go up. Vermonters have also made themselves abundantly clear: taxes are crushing them.

Months ago, when the December 1 property tax projection letter came out, my team warned about the consequences of such a historic tax increase. Unfortunately, many in the Legislature brushed it off and downplayed it. For years, I’ve voiced my concerns about the sustainability of our education system and have offered ideas for the Legislature to consider that would contain costs. They have rejected those ideas, time and time again – without following through on solutions of their own.

“Today, it is clear the House’s only plan is to accept an unbearable property tax increase, without any cost containment, while adding other taxes and studying the problem for a couple years. That means we’ll be in this same mess for years to come. I cannot accept this, I know Vermonters won’t, and I hope the Senate doesn’t either.”

The Yield bill passed by the House this week had onlookers dazed and confused that their property tax bills are still pegged to go up 15-18% this year.

An act relating to homestead property tax yields, non-homestead rates, and policy changes to education finance and taxation, H.887, a bill that passed out of committee 8-4 and has been dubbed as the non-starter for Republicans and Governor Phil Scott because it won’t address the $200 million shortfall in the education fund, increases taxes and does nothing for cost containment.  Next year the fund could be in even worse shape due to the delay in substantive changes to how education is paid for.

Here is what the Legislature is looking at:

• The bill sets the property dollar and income dollar equivalent yields for the purpose of setting homestead tax rates and establishes the non-homestead property tax rate. This will result in an average increase of approximately 14.97% for homestead property tax bills and income education tax bills, and an average increase of 17.99% for non-homestead property tax bills.

ï  The bill expands revenues to the Education Fund by repealing the sales tax exemption for prewritten software accessed remotely. This change is estimated to generate $20.4 million in additional revenue for the Education Fund in fiscal year 2025.

ï  The bill imposes a 1.5% surcharge on short-term rentals, with all revenues dedicated to the Education Fund. This surcharge is estimated to generate $6.5 million for the Education Fund in fiscal year 2025.

ï  The bill establishes the "Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont," the "Educational Opportunity Payment Task Force," and the "Education Fund Advisory Committee" to study and make recommendations for Vermont's public education system. These commissions and committees will receive funding from the General Fund.

ï  The bill includes provisions regarding the calculation of excess education spending and the application of the local common level of appraisal (CLA). These provisions may impact property tax rates and district budgeting, but the exact fiscal impact is uncertain.

The estimated additional revenue from repealing the sales tax exemption for prewritten software accessed remotely is $20.4 million in fiscal year 2025 and $22.3 million annualized, beginning in fiscal year 2026. The current projected shortfall in the education fund is $200 million.

Legislative fatigue is firmly settling in. The Democratic Caucus was given a bit of a hand slap for not attending committee hearings and floor debates. This is creating problems with gathering a quorum to conduct business and amend legislation. The pressure is building with very few legislative days to finish work on bills that are poised to pass this session. Onlookers have started to tally the cumulative effect of program, tax, and spending proposals. Two proposals, education spending and increases in health insurance premiums alone, are projected to cost Vermonters over $300 million.

On Thursday night, Legislators danced off to the annual “cabaret”, where Legislators put together silly skits about proposed legislation and members of the opposite Chamber. This event is closed to the public and lobby core, it’s assumed lobbyists are the brunt of the jokes. 

Leadership has been very clear that they are not just “eyeing” May 10th for adjournment but are very firm that adjournment will happen and likely turn into a late-night adjournment. To make this happen, the legislative committees will work on Monday’s as needed and a Saturday or two, no doubt begrudgingly. Maybe they should install NoDoz dispensing machines along with a few cases of Red Bull and an espresso machine?

Monitor - S 102 - An Act Relating To Expanding Employment Protections And Collective Bargaining Rights

Read first time and referred to the Committee on General and Housing (04/05/23)

This bill proposes to establish a good cause standard for termination of employment, require employers to provide severance pay to terminated employees, and permit employees or representative organizations to bring an enforcement action on behalf of the State for violations of the good cause termination requirement. This bill also proposes to prohibit employers from taking adverse employment actions against an employee in relation to the employee's exercise of free speech rights. This bill also proposes to permit agricultural and domestic workers to collectively bargain and to permit employees to elect a collective bargaining representative through card check elections.

House General & Housing Committee heard testimony from Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing sector, labor and Rural Vermont. However other groups focused on animal welfare in the even farm workers strike. This would not only creates a potential situation of animals not being properly cared for, milk not being shipped and could disrupt the supple chain.

With push back from many groups about the unintended consequences the committee will likely continue testimony next week.

Rural Vermont is supportive of S.102, this is the only agriculture group that has testified. The agricultural workers exemption language was struck in the Senate. This means that under the bill agricultural workers would have the right to protections under collective bargaining. This has been passed by; New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona, Colorado, California, Washington, and Nebraska providing some rights for collective bargaining.

S 213 - An Act Relating To The Regulation Of Wetlands, River Corridor Development, And Dam Safety

NEW STATUS: Referred to Committee on Ways and Means per Rule 35(a) Notice Calendar: Favorable with amendment (04/19/24)

This bill proposes to amend provisions related to wetlands, river corridor development, and dam safety. The bill would establish as State policy that wetlands shall be regulated and managed to produce a net gain of wetlands acreage. The Secretary of Natural Resources would be required to amend wetlands rules to incorporate the net gain policy. The bill would require the Vermont Significant Wetlands Inventory maps to be updated and revised annually. The bill would also require amendment to the existing Vermont Flood Hazard Area and River Corridor Rule to adopt requirements for issuing and enforcing permits for development within a flood hazard area or a mapped river corridor in the State. In addition, the bill would amend the Unsafe Dam Revolving Fund to be the Dam Safety Revolving Fund to provide loans for emergency and nonemergency funding of dam repair. The bill also provides that the owner of a dam or the owner of land on which a dam is located shall be held strictly, jointly, and severally liable for harm caused by the breach of a dam, provided that the dam has been classified as a significant or high hazard potential dam or the person who owns legal title to a dam or the owner of land on which a dam is located is not in full compliance with dam safety rules.

The amendment by House committee on Environment & Energy, proposes several changes related to the regulation of wetlands, river corridor development, and dam safety. Here's a summary:

1.       Consultation Requirement: Requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to consult with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and regional planning commissions before making amendments to the River Corridor Base Map.

2.       Regulation of Development: Allows municipalities to regulate development in flood hazard areas, river corridors, and other hazard areas, with specific provisions related to accessory dwelling units and planting projects.

3.       Municipal Regulation: Grants municipalities the authority to regulate land use for compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program and municipal ordinances related to flood hazard areas and river corridors.

4.       Protection of River Corridors: Authorizes municipalities to adopt bylaws to protect river corridors and buffers, outlining specific objectives and regulations for development in these areas.

5.       Wetlands Rulemaking: Requires the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to review and potentially authorize certain activities within wetlands, including utility line relocation and temporary access for restoration projects.

6.       Analysis of Green River Dam: Directs the Agency of Natural Resources to analyze the costs of the Green River Dam and submit the results to relevant legislative committees.

7.       Report on Waiver of Permit Fees: Mandates reports on establishing criteria for waiving, reducing, or mitigating permit fees for low-income individuals or other criteria. Overall, the amendment aims to enhance regulations concerning wetlands, river corridors, and dam safety, while also addressing issues related to permit fees and effective dates.

S 301 - An Act Relating To Miscellaneous Agricultural Subjects

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry (04/04/24)

This bill proposes to make multiple miscellaneous changes to agricultural statutes. The bill would amend the requirements for the Vermont Seeding and Filter Strip Program. The bill also would amend the licensing requirements for agricultural warehouses. In addition, the bill would amend livestock dealer licensing requirements. The bill also amends eligibility requirements for financial assistance from the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation.

SUMMARY:

Agricultural Water Quality

ï  Amends Vermont seeding and filter strip program, allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program compensating farmers for establishing and maintaining grassed waterways and filter strips on cropland.

Agricultural Warehouses

ï  Amends licensing requirements for public warehouses storing farm products, including dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, and produce, and sets licensing fees.

Milk Handling

ï  Amends definitions and licensing requirements for milk handlers, establishing fees based on the volume of milk or dairy products handled annually.

Public Warehouse Licensing

ï  Establishes licensing requirements for various entities involved in meat, meat food products, or poultry products, including commercial processors and distributors.

Livestock Dealers

ï  Amends definitions related to livestock dealing, clarifying exemptions and licensing requirements for livestock dealers, packers, and transporters.

Contagious Diseases and Animal Movement

ï  Amends definitions related to contagious diseases and animal movement, outlining rules and regulations for disease control and eradication, including testing of captive deer.

Pesticides; Mosquito Control; Rodenticides

ï  Amends rules related to mosquito control, grants, and pesticide use, including restrictions and approvals for rodenticides and larvicides. It mandates the Secretary to register second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides as restricted use pesticides if they are distributed or sold within the state

Vermont Agricultural Credit Program

ï  Amends the creation and definitions of the Vermont Agricultural Credit Program, providing alternative credit sources for farmers and forest product businesses.

Loan Eligibility Standards

ï  Amends loan eligibility standards for farmers, forest product businesses, and other entities, outlining residency and ownership requirements.

The House Agriculture Committee began taking testimony on sections of the bill this week. We believe this too will become a "Christmas tree" with added language. We will continue to monitor and this will be one of the last bills passed out of this committee.

H 877 - An Act Relating To Miscellaneous Agricultural Subjects

Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Agriculture (03/28/24)

This bill proposes to make multiple miscellaneous changes to agricultural statutes. The bill would amend eligibility requirements for the Farm Agronomic Practices Program. The bill would adopt additional national standards under the weights and measures standards. In addition, the bill would amend how training can be provided for certified pesticide applicators. The bill would also amend provisions related to mosquito control and provisions related to the regulation of fertilizer, limes, plant amendment, plant biostimulants, and soil amendments.

This bill is largely technical in nature, however, there is a change to the pesticide training and certification program in AAFM. The Agency wants to have the ability to contract with a third-party vendor to administer pesticide examinations through a remote program. The Agency may also charge an additional fee to applicants who prefer to utilize the electronic or alternate testing service for pesticide certification or licensing examinations. AAFM will still administer in person examinations that do not include an additional fee.

In addition, the bill as passed by the House would:

ï  Expand eligibility requirements for the Farm Agronomic Practices Program to provide financial assistance to Vermont farms for implementing soil-based practices that enhance soil quality, nutrient retention, crop production, and reduce agricultural waste discharges.

ï  Define terms related to livestock and poultry transportation and testing.

ï  Adopt additional national weights and measures standards

ï  Change regulation of fertilizer, limes, plant and soil amendments, and plant biostimulants

The Senate Committee on Agriculture has not started work on this yet, it will likely be the last bill the committee will pass out for the year. We expect this bill to have language added and become a "Christmas tree" once the committee begins their work.

H 81 - An Act Relating To Fair Repair Of Agricultural Equipment

Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs relieved; bill committed to Committee on Agriculture on motion of Senator Ram Hinsdale (02/09/24)

This bill proposes to ensure the fair repair of agricultural equipment.

Brian Carpenter from Champlain Valley Equipment testified again this week where he was able to walk through changes, the committee was amenable to most of these. We look forward to seeing a new version of the bill early next week. Next week could be the last week of morning committees, so there is little time left.

H 626 - An Act Relating To Animal Welfare

NEW STATUS: Read third time and passed Action Calendar: Third reading (04/19/24)

This bill proposes to establish the Division of Animal Welfare at the Department of Public Safety to develop, implement, and administer a centralized program for investigating and enforcing animal welfare requirements in the State. The bill would also amend or establish standards for the operation of animal shelters and animal rescue organizations. In addition, the bill would amend or establish requirements for the importation or transportation of animals into the State.

This bill is adding a surcharge on the rabies licenses which will go towards setting up a Division of Animal Welfare. The bill was sent over to the Senate this week, it technically missed crossover but we believe that it will still be taken up and passed or added onto a different bill.

H 687 - An Act Relating To Community Resilience And Biodiversity Protection Through Land Use

NEW STATUS: Referred to Committee on Finance per Senate Rule 31 (04/19/24)

This bill proposes to make multiple changes to the State land use and development law, known as Act 250. It would also make changes to the regional plans and municipal plans.

H.687 is a bill in that aims to make changes to land use regulations, municipal zoning law, and Act 250, and laws pertaining to construction and maintenance of housing with a focus on community resilience and biodiversity protection. The Senate drafted another bill, S.311, which they held to merge with H.687.

The bill:

ï  It also establishes a professionalized Environmental Review Board (ERB) to administer Act 250 and creates programs and special funds for revitalization and resiliency efforts.

ï  The fiscal impact of the bill includes both revenue losses and appropriations. The changes to the Act 250 process could result in an estimated annual revenue loss of $900,000 for the Natural Resources Board (NRB) and $70,000 for the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) starting in fiscal year 2027. However, the implementation of three additional fees could generate an indeterminate increase in Act 250 Permit Fund revenues starting in fiscal year 2027.

ï  The bill appropriates $2.0 million in fiscal year 2025 from the General Fund. This includes $1.5 million for the Municipal Planning Grant Program, $112,500 for ERB employees, $125,000 for Agency of Commerce and Community Development outreach and one position, and $250,000 for two positions at the Agency of Natural Resources.

ï  The ERB, which would administer the Act 250 program, would consist of five members appointed by the Governor. The chair of the ERB would be a full-time position, while the other four members would be half-time. The bill also establishes an ERB Nominating Committee, comprised of members from the House, Senate, and Executive Branch, to review and approve the Governor's appointments.

ï  The bill includes provisions for the creation of Tier 1 areas that are exempt from Act 250 under certain conditions. Municipalities can apply for Tier 1A or Tier 1B status, which would exempt residential developments in those areas from Act 250 and associated permitting fees. These changes may result in a reduction in fee revenue for the NRB Act 250 Permit Fund of approximately $900,000 starting in fiscal year 2027, representing about 30% of permitting and subdivision fee cost revenue.

ï  Tier 2” is expected to constitute most of the land in the state. There, Act 250 jurisdiction would remain mostly the same as now, except for a newly established road rule: Act 250 review would kick in for private road construction over 800 feet, a measure intended to slow down forest fragmentation. The bill directs a report to flesh out the details of this tier.

ï  Tier 3,” jurisdiction under Act 250 would become automatic, meaning any new development would trigger review under the law. H.687 doesn’t specify where, exactly, the “critical natural resources” of this tier would be — they may include “river corridors, headwaters streams” or “habitat connectors of statewide significance” — and instead directs a newly-established Land Use Review Board to establish a process for mapping out these places over the next few years.

Potentially the most controversial part of the bill is changing Act 250 administration from the Natural Resources Board, a citizen volunteer group, and installs a professional Land Use Review Board. This would move appeals from the judicial system to decisions by the new Board.

Governor Scott has signaled this approach is a non-starter. Language from S.311 "Bring everyone Home" was added into this bill.

The expansion of "on-farm" accessory businesses was stripped out of the bill and replaced with a review of whether and how Act 250 jurisdiction over commercial activities on farms should be revised, including accessory on-farm businesses. The report shall be submitted to the House Committees on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry and on Environment and Energy and the Senate Committees on Agriculture and on Natural Resources and Energy.

Oppose - H 706 - An Act Relating To Banning The Use Of Neonicotinoid Pesticides

NEW STATUS: Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31 Rule 31 suspended and bill not referred to Committee on Finance on motion of Senator Baruth Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Agriculture Second Reading Entered on Notice Calendar (04/19/24)

This bill proposes to prohibit the sale, offer for sale or use, distribution, or use of any neonicotinoid treated article seed for soybeans or for any crop in the cereal grains crop group. The bill would also prohibit the application or treatment with a neonicotinoid pesticide for multiple other uses.

The Senate committee on Agriculture passed the bill out 4-1-0. It is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Senate Amendment moves the date out to 2031 and it also more closely aligns the waiver language to that of New Yorks treated seed ban waiver. Finally, there is a contingency in the bill saying if New York reverts their treated seed ban, Vermont would as well.

S 25 - An Act Relating To Regulating Cosmetic And Menstrual Products Containing Certain Chemicals And Chemical Classes And Textiles And Athletic Turf Fields Containing Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

NEW STATUS: Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment (04/19/24)

This bill proposes to (1) prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution in Vermont of cosmetic and menstrual products containing certain chemicals and chemical classes; (2) prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution in Vermont of textiles containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; and (3) prohibit the installation of any new athletic turf field containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

House Human Services Proposed Amendment

Language from S.197, An act relating to restricting perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products has been added to S.25.

Sections pertaining to agriculture:

ï  The Agency of Natural Resources shall obtain input on its recommendation from interested parties, including those that represent environmental, agricultural, and industry interests. They have said that they will ask for input from the Agency of Agriculture. We expect to follow this study process along with other stakeholders.

ï  On or before November 1, 2024, the Agency of Natural Resources shall submit an implementation plan developed pursuant to this section and corresponding draft legislation to the House Committees on Environment and Energy and on Human Services and the Senate Committees on Health and Welfare and on Natural Resources and Energy.

ï  For the purposes of this section, “consumer products” includes restricted and nonrestricted use pesticides.

S 258 - An Act Relating To The Management Of Fish And Wildlife

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment and Energy (03/28/24)

This bill proposes to transfer the authority to adopt rules for the taking of fish, wildlife, and fur-bearing animals from the Fish and Wildlife Board to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bill would also amend the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Board so that it serves in an advisory capacity to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition, the bill would prohibit the hunting of coyote with dogs.

S 311 - An Act Relating To Bringing Everyone Home

Committed to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy with report of Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs intact, under suspension of Senate Rule 49, on motion of Senator Baruth Committee Bill for Second Reading (02/20/24)

This bill proposes to make multiple changes related to housing, including land use planning, Act 250, municipal zoning, taxes, and housing incentives and programs.

Some Language added into H.687, An act relating to Community Resilience And Biodiversity Protection Through Land Use.

Please reach out to Kevin Kouri, our NEAFA representative to Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance with any questions at kevin@phoenixfeeds.net

Governor Hochul Announces Significant Investments in New York’s Agricultural Industry as Part of FY 2025 Budget

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced significant investments in New York’s agricultural industry as part of the FY 2025 Budget. The Budget includes support in key areas to continue to strengthen the agricultural community, provide a boost to New York’s farmers, and create a stronger, more resilient food supply chain. This includes first time investments of $55 million to bolster New York’s dairy industry, over $60 million in local assistance to support farmers and producers, $50 million for the continuation of the successful Nourish NY program, a five-year extension of the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages at restaurants and bars, $19.5 million to expand the New York State Animal Heath Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, and $15 million to grow New York's bioeconomy and further other key agricultural initiatives. Under Governor Hochul, investments in New York State’s agricultural priorities and its farmers have gone up by 60 percent since 2022.

“From the dairy farms of Wyoming County to the fisheries off the shores of Long Island, agriculture plays a critical role in New York’s economy," Governor Hochul said. “We are making key investments to lift up every corner of this industry and support hardworking families. The agricultural community is essential to building a stronger, more resilient future for New York State and I will continue make investments that move this industry forward."

Supporting New York Restaurants and Bars

The FY 2025 Budget grants restaurants and bars the authority to sell alcoholic beverages to-go for another five years. To-go drinks were a critical lifeline for the hospitality industry during the pandemic, and it has continued to be successful for bars, restaurants, and everyday New Yorkers since then. The current provision was set to expire in April 2025, but will now expire in 2030.

Bolstering New York’s Dairy Industry

With dairy being the largest sector of the agricultural industry, the FY 2025 Budget invests $55 million in two initiatives that will support dairy farm modernization and ensure a more reliable supply chain. The Budget includes $34 million in capital funding over two years for on-farm fluid milk storage technologies and processing infrastructure to mitigate transportation issues during periods of intense winter weather and road closures, which will increase dairy supply chain efficiency and avoid raw milk dumping related to emergency events.     

Additionally, to help farmers mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce their carbon footprint, the Budget includes $21 million for a new Alternative Waste Management and Enhanced Precision Feed Program. This will further the mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, provide opportunities to sequester carbon, and scale assistance to meet unmet farmer demands.  

Investing In Nourish NY Program 

Nourish NY continues to connect New York’s farm products to New York families in need. The FY 2025 Budget funds the program with an additional $50 million to help families access fresh food and support local farmers. In 2021, Governor Hochul signed legislation to codify Nourish NY into law. This critical program helps people who are food insecure access the nourishment that they need, while providing a market for farmers to sell their products. A total of $147 million has been dedicated to the program so far.

Local Assistance

The FY 2025 Budget builds on Governor Hochul’s support for the agricultural industry by including over $60 million in total local assistance to support local farmers and producers through key programs focused on research, education, and marketing. This year, this includes funding for the FFA youth leadership conference, workforce programming and guidance, and on-farm health and safety programs through the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health.

New York State Animal Heath Diagnostic Center at Cornell University

The FY 2025 Budget includes $19.5 million to expand the New York State Animal Heath Diagnostic Center at Cornell University to increase the facility’s capacity, expand programs in eDNA, AMR and Genomic surveillance, and meet the lab’s growing demand, which has nearly doubled since it was built in 2010. The Vet Lab is a critical component of the State’s efforts to protect New York from new and emerging threats from animal disease outbreaks.

Other FY 2025 Budget investments include:

• $7 million to grow New York’s bioeconomy and leverage existing opportunities to develop bioproduction within the agriculture and forestry sectors.

• $5 million to launch New York’s Blue Food Transformation to bolster marine agriculture, promote a healthy natural environment, and provide New Yorkers with a nutritious source of locally grown seafood.

• $1.2 million for the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition of Soil and Water Conservation Districts to build professional capacity and accelerate agricultural and resiliency-related projects on farms of all types.

In addition, the Budget:

• Continues the multi-year $50 million investment to support kitchen facilities that prepare meals for K-12 schools from New York State farm products.

• Advances New York’s agricultural workforce and helps agricultural employers and employees adapt to changing work landscapes.

• Boosts agricultural education and builds on the state’s commitment to creating a strong agricultural workforce pipeline.

• Provides continued support for local fairs through $2 million in marking initiatives, including a County Fairs Passport Program.

• Doubles funding for Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management Program to $4.25 million. The additional funding will support growers through field trials and the implementation of alternative practices to address pest solutions as part of the transition from treated seeds.

• Continues funding for key programs that assist New York’s farms and protect the environment, including Cornell Soil Health, the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which are seeing an increase of $1.2 million this year, and the Climate Resilient Farming grant program.

Performance Trends for NY Dairy Farms from 2017 to 2022

Mary Kate MacKenzie, Farm Business Management Specialist, Cornell PRO-DAIRY

In “Six Year Trend Analysis 2022,” authors Jason Karszes and Lauren Augello present characteristics of the same 122 dairy farms that participated in the Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summary from 2017 to 2022. Their report illustrates changes over time in key performance and financial metrics for a subset of the NY dairy industry and compares the top 25% most profitable farms to the rest of their sample. This article shares highlights from their data to provide insight into possible drivers of success for individual farms and ways in which the NY dairy industry has been impacted by changes in broader economic and regulatory environments. 

Farm profitability

From 2017 to 2022, average net farm income per cow without appreciation reached a low of $167 in 2018 and a high of $1,612 in 2022. The average rate of return on assets (ROA) without appreciation ranged from 1.4% in 2018 to 11.6% in 2022. The analysis compares average performance of the 30 most profitable farms with that of the remaining 92 farms as determined by average return on assets without appreciation over the six-year period. In 2018, the high profit group achieved a net farm income of $463 per cow, compared to net farm income of -$8 for the remaining farms. In 2022, the high profit group achieved a net farm income of $2,034 per cow, compared to $1,343 for the remaining farms. ROA ranged from 4.1% in 2018 to 14.9% in 2022 for high profit farms, and from -0.1% in 2018 to 9.6% in 2022 for the remaining farms. The following sections explore farm characteristics that may explain some of the differences in profitability between these two groups.

Farm size and milk production

From 2017 to 2022, the average herd size in this sample rose from 998 to 1,232 cows. The most profitable farms were larger, on average, and they grew at a faster rate. Tillable acres per cow declined for all farms over the same period, from 1.93 to 1.80. High profit farms managed fewer tillable acres per cow, averaging 1.50 in 2022 versus 1.95 for the remaining farms. Corn grain acres varied across the period, showing a slight increase from 2017 to 2022. Lower profit farms devoted 0.21 acres per cow to corn grain in 2022, which was 1.75 times the number of corn grain acres per cow reported by the high profit group.

High profit farms increased milk production per cow by 5.6% over the six-year period, averaging 27,906 pounds in 2022, while the remaining farms increased milk per cow by 2.8% to 26,658 pounds in 2022. Due to faster growth in herd size and milk per cow, the high profit farms increased their total milk shipped by 41% from 2017 to 2022, while the remaining farms increased milk shipped by 21%, on average. 

Labor use, efficiency & cost

With New York’s Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act (FLFLPA) taking effect on January 1, 2020, this six-year period is an interesting time to analyze changes in labor costs and efficiencies on dairies. Overall, the labor cost per hired worker equivalent (FTE) rose 28% from 2017 to 2022. With labor efficiency gains offsetting some of this cost increase, the labor cost per hundredweight rose 10% over the same period. High profit farms spent slightly more on hired labor per FTE, yet they used labor more efficiently and they improved labor efficiency at a faster rate. In 2022, high profit farms spent $3.00 per hundredweight on hired labor, an increase of 5.5% over 2017, while the remaining farms spent $3.42 per hundredweight on hired labor, an increase of 13.5%.

Production costs

With fewer acres per cow, the higher profit farms had lower variable and fixed costs in expense categories impacted by the crop enterprise. In all six years, high profit farms spent less per hundredweight on custom hire, machinery repairs and fuel; machinery depreciation; and crop inputs. The cost gap between high profit farms and remaining farms increased steadily over the six-year period, with high profit farms spending $0.63 less per hundredweight on crop-related costs in 2017 and $1.20 less per hundredweight in 2022. Despite working fewer acres per cow, high profit farms also spent less per hundredweight on purchased feed in five out of the six years. Only in 2022 did the lower profit farms spend less on purchased feed, yet the difference was only $0.08 per hundredweight.

Higher rates of inflation in 2021 and 2022 impacted production costs on NY dairies. From 2017 to 2020, feed costs on high profit farms ranged from $5.58 to $5.85 per hundredweight, on average, then rose by 13% in 2021 and 19% in 2022, reaching a high of $7.78 in 2022. A similar pattern is evident for other expense categories sensitive to inflation, chiefly machinery repairs, fuel, and crop inputs. Milk marketing expenses also increased at a faster rate in 2021 and 2022, reflecting various changes to marketing cost structure, including the choice by some managers to purchase base, ship milk pounds above the new base limits, or both. In 2022, milk marketing cost high profit farms $1.64 per hundredweight versus $1.74 on remaining farms. 

Rising interest rates in 2022 impacted individual farms differently depending on their debt structure and the portion of their debt with fixed or variable interest rates. High profit farms had a lower debt to asset ratio and lower debt per cow in all six years compared to the remaining farms. High profit farms spent $0.40 per hundredweight on interest in 2022, on average, while the remaining farms spent $0.66. For both groups, the interest expense in 2022 was higher than in the prior two years, but lower compared to 2017, 2018 and 2019.

On high profit farms, the total cost of milk production rose 24% from $17.79 in 2017 to $22.07 in 2022. Total cost of milk production on the remaining farms rose 26% from $19.43 to $24.52 over the same period. The total of milk production includes operating expenses, depreciation expenses, the opportunity cost of operator labor and management, and a 5% return on equity. 

Milk price

Historically high milk prices in 2022 helped farms offset inflation-driven cost increases. Gross milk sales per hundredweight averaged $27.02 for both profit groups in 2022, an increase of more than $7.00 over the previous year. Net milk price was higher for the high profit group in all six years, with the difference between the two groups ranging from $0.07 in 2021 to $0.36 in 2020. 

Investment 

The high profit farms had lower total investment per cow, yet the gap between high profit farms and the remaining farms narrowed from 2017 to 2022. Over this period, the average total investment per cow among high profit farms rose 14% to $13,442, while the average total investment among the remaining farms rose 10% to $13,600. The high profit farms reinvested more per cow back into the farm each year except in 2021. 

Summary

High profit farms in this sample tended to be larger farms that utilized less labor, land, and capital per cow. They also produced more milk per cow, on average, spreading per-cow variable costs and fixed costs over more units of milk production. The data do not reveal the extent to which these differences are due to economies of scale versus strong management performance, but it is likely that both factors contribute to these farms’ financial success. The data do show clear evidence that variation in farm performance is driven more by differences in the cost of production than by differences in the milk price. Opportunities for managers to improve performance include pursuing efficiency gains across all areas of the dairy business and achieving incremental increases in milk production and net milk income while controlling costs.

New York Agriculture at a Crossroads

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo

Chair, Committee on Agriculture  

While the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our food supply chain, it also increased public awareness about where our food comes from and who produces it. New York stands at a crossroads in the post-pandemic recovery. Policymakers and consumers seem genuinely interested in better understanding the challenges farmers and processors face. Addressing those challenges is where the hard work begins. For example, topics like solar development, on-farm labor, transportation and processing bottlenecks, and how to pay for infrastructure upgrades, need careful attention. 

I’m pleased that recent state budgets for agriculture have improved each year. This is the direct result of the work of NEAFA, the Farm Bureau and other agricultural advocacy groups and their members. It also shows what can happen when you have strong representation in Albany, who not only advance programs that help New York’s farm economy, but who also actively oppose or try to lessen the impact of policies that may cause harm.

As always, I will be prioritizing support for the many programs and services that farmers rely on and NEAFA has emphasized. This includes FarmNet, Pro-Dairy, Pro-Livestock, the NY Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Cornell’s IPM Program, Farm Labor Specialist, and more. 

I especially want to protect the new funding the Governor is advancing on behalf of dairy. The proposed Dairy Farm Modernization grants are welcome as the need grows to increase on-farm milk storage capacity and improved milk transfer systems and cooling technologies. 

In addition, I view agricultural education and outreach as cornerstones of NY’s ag economy. FFA, Ag in the Classroom, and now a proposed Youth Leaderships Conference, that includes 4H, are all valued investments. Further, the invaluable contribution of Cornell Cooperative Extension is always front and center. 

Also, our investments in research and development supports a vast network of activities at Cornell’s CALS, along with the work being done by the NY Farm Viability Institute. These dedicated professionals are working on climate resiliency, animal and soil health, farm profitability, and more.

We are very fortunate to have such a robust network of Universities, Extension Offices, and agricultural organizations; all committed to building NY’s farm economy and preserving NY farmland.

There is a new subject worth mentioning that will compliment the Governor’s support for Long Island seafood processing. I am also interested in promoting an Upstate Aquaculture Initiative focused on the production of fin-fish such as trout, through New York Sea Grant. Stay tuned for further developments on this, as I understand that some members of NEAFA are also interested in fish-feed. 

As always, I appreciate the input I receive from NEAFA and all of NY’s farm and food advocates. We can never thank our farmers enough for the work being done, often under extreme and unpredictable weather conditions, to produce the food our families rely on. At this crossroad moment, I will do my best, working with all of my colleagues, to support and protect NY Agriculture (and Aquaculture). 

NY Legislators Departures and Primaries

By Hinman Straub, Special to NEAFA

A number of New York State legislators have recently announced that they will not seek reelection this fall.  Several are running for a higher office, and the rest retiring from public service. The following members – several of whom hold leadership positions or are committee chairs - will not run for reelection in November. These changes will impact most committee assignments, as these leadership positions will be given to senior members, likely already committee chairs, which will allow new members to take chairmanships, and a lot of over all movement in committee membership. 

SENATE

• Neil Breslin (D-Albany) – retiring. Senate Insurance Committee chair.

• Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) – running for Congress in an April special election. Senate Transportation Committee chair.

• Kevin Thomas (D-Suffolk) – recently suspended his candidacy for a seat in Congress. Senate Consumer Protection Committee chair. 

• John Mannion (D-Syracuse) – running for Congress. Senate Disabilities Committee chair.

ASSEMBLY

• Jeff Aubry (D-Queens) – retiring.  Speaker Pro Tem.

• Marjorie Byrnes (R-Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Steuben and Wyoming Counties) – retiring.

• Taylor Darling (D-Suffolk) – running for State Senate.

• Inez Dickens (D-Harlem) – retiring.

• Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) – running for State Senate. Assembly Higher Education Committee chair.

• Joseph Giglio (R-Olean) – retiring.

• Andrew Goodell (R-Jamestown) – retiring.

• Aileen Gunther (D-Middletown) – retiring.

• Daniel O'Donnell (D-Manhattan) – retiring. Assembly Tourism, Parks Arts & Sports Committee chair. 

• Fred Thiele (D-Suffolk) – retiring. Assembly Local Governments Committee chair.

• Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn) – retiring. Assembly Ways & Means Committee chair.

• Kenneth Zebrowski (D-Rockland County – retiring. Assembly Government Operations Committee chair.

2024 Primaries

• The Presidential Primary Election in New York State is Tuesday, April 2, 2024, from 6 AM to 9PM. Early voting will run from Saturday, March 23 through Saturday, March 30.

• Primary Elections for other federal, state, and local offices (Congress, State Senate, State Assembly etc.) will be held on Tuesday, June 25.

NY Legislative Budget Proposals Released

By Hinman Straub, Special to NEAFA

Earlier this month, the Senate and Assembly each advanced their respective “one-house” budget proposals. These proposals help establish the negotiating positions for each house as final budget negotiations begin. 

In a year where the Executive budget was already more generous than anticipated towards agriculture, the legislative bodies have sought to invest even more in the agriculture industry. 

While the formal deadline for adoption of a final budget for State Fiscal Year 2025 is Monday, April 1st (with Fiscal Year 24 ending March 31st), many believe that is not the likely outcome. With Good Friday and Easter falling on March 29th and 31st respectively, and commitments from the Governor to honor religious observance, time is already incredibly short. Moreover, with a significant difference in the amount of spending between the Legislative and Executive proposals, the likelihood that negotiations will be elongated as each side fights for the best deal, rather than the quickest. 

It is also important to note that the Legislature is scheduled to be in session through April 17th rather than breaking immediately after April 1. When session is scheduled through the early part of April, it sometimes results in a later budget. 

Some details on the respective proposals are below. 

Join us April 9 for the Herd Health and Nutrition Conference

By Charlie Elrod, Ph.D., President, Natural Biologics, Inc., VP, Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance

The Education Committee and PRO-Dairy team have done another great job in putting together an excellent agenda for the 2024 Herd Health and Nutrition Conference in Syracuse, NY on Tuesday, April 9th.  As always, the event kicks off with a reception and trade show on Monday evening with a chance to visit with friends and colleagues from the dairy industry.  

The program gets going the next morning with Dr. Billy Brown from Kansas State University presenting data on growth performance and carcass characteristics of beef-on-dairy calves who’s dams were supplemented with choline.  He will also review the use of novel high protein corn byproducts in calf grain.  Dairy Extension Specialists Lindsay Ferlito and Betsy Hicks will then take the podium to present a summary of a USDA APHIS and NY Farm Viability Institute funded study on herd health, record keeping and disease incidence trends in New York State.

Heat stress in New York?  Yes, it happens every year and Dr. Jimena Laporta from the University of Wisconsin will discuss her research on the effects of heat stress during gestation on lactation performance of the resulting offspring over generations.  Her research has carried this line of questioning to the molecular level to better understand exactly why and how this happens. Following lunch, there will be no way to nap as Dr. John Goeser of Rock River Lab explores the intersection of agronomy, nutrition and herd health.  John will discuss how agronomic choices, practices and feed hygiene impact herd health and productivity.

Lastly, no dairy conference is complete without a discussion of the ways the dairy industry can reduce its impact on climate.  In this panel discussion, we welcome Karl Czymmek, Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Greg Albrecht and Meghan Hauser for a lively discussion of dairy cow nutrition and feeding management as a driving force in farm efficiency and reducing environmental impact.  They will also discuss New York state programs which foster adoption climate-smart practices as well as the challenges and benefits of adopting them.  

If you haven’t yet registered, it’s not too late!  Get registered and we’ll see you on April 8 and 9.

NEAFA Member Highlight: Chemlock Nutrition

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

This month’s NEAFA member highlight is Chemlock Nutrition. “We’re a young company,” said Director of Dairy Science Rick Brown. “Chemlock Nutrition was founded in 2010 by chemists and has customers worldwide. It began by selling cobalt carbonate for industrial applications. By 2014, we also started selling that to livestock premix companies in the US since cobalt is an essential nutrient used in ruminant nutrition.”

Brown has had a lifelong connection with agriculture. “I grew up in Maine, and I joined 4H and the National Holstein Association at a young age,” said Brown. “I received my bachelor’s in animal science from Cornell in 1998 and spent 17 years working with Purdue Agribusiness before joining Chemlock Nutrition. Chemlock was an exciting new opportunity to learn about nutrients I hadn’t previously focused on. It’s a very innovative company. They have high-quality products, an extensive product portfolio, and many new products on the horizon. We’re based in chemistry and focus on better methods of delivering nutrients to livestock. My team focuses on dairy cattle, but we have a monogastric team (poultry and swine), and we’re also working on products for pets and equine.”

While Chemlock’s direct customers are distributors and pre-mixers, my team also works directly with nutritionists. “We sell to the people that sell to the feed mills,” said Brown. “But we work directly with nutritionists to help on the application side. Our team works with consultants and dairy farmers across the country. That work can be a lot of fun because it’s rewarding when you can help people. It’s a great challenge to bring value to and to help people advance and improve the profitability of their farm.”

Chemlock Nutrition is a newer member of NEAFA as well. “Last year was our first year with NEAFA,” said Brown. “I’ve been aware of NEAFA for a long time through my prior involvement with Purdue. The exposure to other members and the activities that they put on were what made us join. We like that NEAFA is educating and legislatively supporting the dairy industry. We focus on the education side, but we’re pleased with NEAFA's efforts to support the dairy industry in the Northeast from a lobbying side as well. Living and working in the Northeast, I see our dairy farms progressing positively in several ways. Technologically and sustainably, these exciting points dramatically grow along with the expansion and modernization of dairy processing. They’re all things that will help northeastern farms remain competitive going into the future and supply the East Coast with nutritious dairy products.”

For more information on Chemlock Nutrition, visit www.chemlocknutrition.com

President's Pen, March 2024

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

Spring is trying to come to the Northeast – one week we were reaching for the t-shirts and shorts and the next week we were digging the winter jackets back out - a reminder of how diverse our weather and agricultural landscape is!  Spring’s cycle of planning and planting is not just seen in the many fields being worked, but also in our state capitols with legislative sessions in full swing as well as industry meetings and gatherings.  

We look forward to connecting with many of you at the Herd Health and Nutrition Conference on April 8th and 9th in Syracuse.  We will hold our NEAFA spring board meeting just prior to the conference (taking some time to witness the eclipse!).  This meeting will be focused on advocacy updates with Hinman Straub, our lobby team in New York reviewing the current budget proposals, as well as VDPA and our advocacy efforts in Vermont.  Hinman Straub continues to monitor committee agendas and how our state budget in NY is shaping up – the “one house” budgets are being updated regularly and it is encouraging to see agricultural and NEAFA’s priorities supported, however, there will be many discussions between the executive and one house budgets as the total budget number is about 2X what is available to spend.  More to come in the next couple of weeks.  

We are excited to continue advocacy efforts in Vermont by collaborating with the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance (VDPA).  Thank you to our board member Kevin Kouri for representing NEAFA on the VDPA board.  One bill of interest in the VT legislature is the ban of neonicotinoid pesticides – a similar measure that passed in NY this past session.  Here is the summary of the bill and movement:

Oppose - H 706 - An Act Relating To Banning The Use Of Neonicotinoid Pesticides

NEW STATUS: Read third time and passed
Action Calendar: Third reading (03/22/24)

This bill proposes to prohibit the sale, offer for sale or use, distribution, or use of any neonicotinoid treated article seed for soybeans or for any crop in the cereal grains crop group. The bill would also prohibit the application or treatment with a neonicotinoid pesticide for multiple other uses.

The House passed this vote by roll call and they will send it over to the Senate early next week. We expect to have a robust and open conversation with the Senate Agriculture committee. Organizing knowledgeable members to speak in front of committee is very important. We have spoken with some of the Senate Agriculture members to let them know the bill is coming and we are ready to be heard in their committee.

If you are willing to testify for opposition of this bill, please reach out to VDPA at vdpacommunications@gmail.com, or Kevin Kouri. 

On the education front, kudos to the Cornell Pro Dairy team and our education committee, headed up by Dr. Kristan Reed, on planning a great Herd Health and Nutrition Conference.  Check out Dr. Elrod’s article highlighting the presentations!  Thank you to the many sponsors of the conference.  We look forward to your feedback to continue to improve the program and topics for next year!

Looking forward, we will once again be excited to see you at our Annual Golf for Good Works Tournament to be held on Tuesday August 20, with a reception to be held Monday evening August 19 at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY.  Great golf combined with a first-class networking event are in store again for this year.  Please note, due to the many conflicts that our June date posed with graduations, we pivoted this event to hopefully accommodate your schedule!

I look forward to seeing you soon – Happy Spring, stay safe as we plant and plan for a successful harvest all over the Northeast – in the fields, state capitols and with many industry happenings!

NEAFA Member Highlight: Adisseo

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

For February, NEAFA talked with Connor McCluskey, the Northeast Dairy Business Manager for Adisseo. While McCluskey joined Adisseo at the end of April, 2023, he isn’t new to the Northeast or agriculture. “I grew up in Connecticut and went to an agricultural high school,” said McCluskey. “I knew I wanted to be in agribusiness when I grew up. I went to University of Connecticut, where I studied agricultural economics and applied economics. After I graduated, I worked for Cargill in Northern NY as an assistant to one of their dairy nutritionists. It was a lot of learning as I went when I first started. I was very green, but I was loving it and enjoying working in agriculture. I worked at Cargill for 8 years, and I credit them for learning so much on the ground about how to feed cows, and about the nutrition business at large. Joining Adisseo provided me an opportunity to learn and grow in new directions through their resources, training, and meeting the farmers and the feed mills delivering great feed to dairies throughout the Northeast.”

Founded in 1939 in Commentry, France by Marcel Lingot, Adisseo is a global company with headquarters throughout the world. Their US headquarters is outside Atlanta, GA, with production facility in Hampshire, Illinois, just outside Chicago. “In the dairy industry, Adisseo has focus on amino acid balancing for the past 30 years,” said McCluskey. “Amino acids are a key building block for living beings, and especially in the cows. Research has shown that amino acids are something that are essential for herd health and performance. Everyone talks about sustainability and how important it is. Instead of solely focusing on green space however, you need to look at the sustainability of our businesses. It all goes hand in hand. An environmentally sustainable business is an economic stable business. Learning how to be more efficient in a progressive and healthy manner is key. Farmers and agribusinesses have no desire to harm the environment, they want to take care of it too. If we’re not sustainable as companies, we won’t be around for the future. It’s about learning what can we continue to do to grow and be sustainable. Keep cows healthy and increasing production without increasing herd size is a step towards sustainability.”

For Adisseo, NEAFA is also a key part of keeping agribusiness healthy in the Northeast. “Adisseo wants to support NEAFA to insure that agriculture in the Northeast has a representative,” said McCluskey. “NEAFA is good at that, they make sure that agribusiness voices are heard through action, policy, and education.”

To learn more about Adisseo and what they do in the US, visit https://milkpay.com/

2024's NEAFA Lobby Day a Success

By Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.
President, Natural Biologics, Inc.
Vice President, NEAFA

February 6 marked our first, full-blown lobby day since the pandemic and was a rousing success! Nine NEAFA members and three of our Hinman-Straub colleagues split up into three teams and hit the Legislative Office Building.  Hinman-Straub did a great job lining up about twenty appointments, including with many members of the Senate and Assembly from the NEAFA members’ districts.  We had a profile for each legislator we were to meet with and copies of the budget priorities for the College of Ag & Life Sciences.  The meetings are scheduled for 30 minutes, but in reality we typically had about 20 minutes of focused conversation.  With the smaller groups we spent less time on introductions and could more readily get to the substance of the conversation.

Because the Governor had come out very strong on funding agricultural programs and projects in her budget, one of our highest priorities was to demonstrate support for the Governor’s budget.  In a few instances, we asked for restorations or additional funding for specific programs or positions.  Funding an additional Farm Labor Specialist, the Dairy Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub, the PRO-Livestock program, Dairy Farm Modernization Grants, Dairy Profit Teams and other programs were among those which we discussed.

In addition to the budgetary discussions, we also made the case that transportation issues are still a major hurdle across agriculture.  A lack of CDL drivers, emergency road closures, and inconsistent weight limits were among the transportation issues discussed.  As in the past, several legislators have asked us to bring back specific policy recommendations to be included in legislation.  We will work with NY Farm Bureau and NEDPA to begin to formulate these instead of letting others write the language and we end up just reacting to it.  

It was great to see some younger NEAFA members joining us for lobby day and we look forward to collaborating with our colleagues in NEDPA and NYFB to support and grow a sustainable agribusiness industry in the Northeast.

Congratulations to the NEAFA Distinguished Service Award Winner - John Clark

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

NEAFA proudly recognized John M. Clark as the Distinguished Service Award winner at the 2024 Annual Meeting.  This award was presented by Rick Zimmerman, former NEAFA executive director, and Andy Dugan, a past NEAFA president.  This award is presented to individual(s) who have shown a long-time commitment to the agricultural industry in the Northeast.  John’s accomplishments were highlighted during the presentation.

First, John’s dedication of more than 40 years of leadership in the dairy industry and a tremendous commitment to the future through enthusiastic efforts to train and prepare more than 65 individuals within his own purpose-driven internship program was highlighted. He is an active alumnus of SUNY Cobleskill and Cornell University and a Professional Animal Scientist (PAS).

John Clark joined the NEAFA Board of Directors in 2012, serving as treasurer, chaired the Finance and Good Works Committees, as well as served on the Governmental Relations, and Conventions Committees.  During John’s tenure as chair of the Good Works Committee, NEAFA has raised over $140,000 dollars, through the Golf for Good Works Program, which has supported dozens of youth and agricultural promotion programs.  In addition, John spearheaded the NEAFA Scholarship Program, which provides $1000 scholarships each year to 4 high school seniors pursuing educational interests in agriculture.  This program is in its 6th year and remains an important element of our Good Works committee.

As president of NEAFA from 2018 to 2021, John lead the organization through the pandemic, keeping NEAFA relevant and moving the organization forward to continue to serve the agribusiness community.  John lead the organization to undertake two annual meetings in Florida, celebrating NEAFA’s 10 year and 15-year anniversaries. 

Rick Zimmerman concluded his remarks saying, “John Clark is always willing to pitch in, always willing to step up, always willing to emcee our annual meetings, always seeing the opportunities and possibilities of Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance and our industry.”  

Congratulations to John Clark, our 2024 Distinguished Service Award winner!

NEAFA Board Updates

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

At our Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance meeting held on February 7, 2024 we welcomed new board members and thanked those retiring from the board.

In appreciation of those retiring board members, a plaque was presented, giving appreciation for their time, dedication, and commitment to NEAFA.  Retiring board members include:

• Barry Baetz, Global Agri-Trade; retiring treasurer

• Corwin Holtz, Holtz-Nelson Dairy Consultants; retiring secretary

• Karl Bitz, Central New York Feeds

• Alan Wright, Land O’Lakes Purina Feed

Thank you to these four members for the many hours spent strategically influencing NEAFA to be positioned well for the future.

Four new board members were voted onto the board at the Annual Meeting including:

• Luke Lines, AmpliSource

• Joe Painting, Vermont Rail Systems

• Kevin Putnam, Pioneer 

• Dr. Carie Telgen, Diamond V

Lastly, the board met and elected the following officers:

• Jenny Mills, continuing President

• Dr. Charlie Elrod, continuing Vice President

• Mike Thresher, Secretary

• Matt Sheffer, Treasurer

Navigating the New Frontier: NEAFA Annual Meeting Recap

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

Approximately 130 people attended the NEAFA Annual Meeting, held February 6-7, 2024 at the Marriott in Albany, NY.  Several futuristic topics were explored during the meeting, and attendees had opportunities to network over the two-day event.  Tuesday afternoon featured a panel discussion as follow up to last year’s transportation summit and exploring algae as livestock feed.

Tonya Van Slyke, Executive Director of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, moderated a panel to discuss transportation issues, progress and continued opportunities. Panelists included: Joe Painting, VT Rail Systems; Keith Kimball, La Casa de Leche Company and NEDPA Chair; Kendra Hems, NYS Trucking Association and Casey McCue, NYS Department of Ag and Markets.  Key takeaways from the discussion included:

• Working together across the agricultural industries, trucking industries, rail providers and regulatory bodies will be key to eliminating obstacles.  Having a common message and working together on challenges will be key for success.

• We no longer live in a “all or nothing environment.”  Legislators need to hear from constituents, to help shape legislation and make the bridge connections across the supply chains.

• Progress has been made on getting more CDL drivers, including a scholarship for a CDL program and this past year, a “Jails to Jobs” program has launched to help those looking for a second chance with obtaining their CDL.

• The trucking industry supports electrification, where it makes sense.  The technology needs more time to develop. The heavy batteries in trucks will reduce capacity for hauling product, potentially decreasing hauling efficiency.   

• The industry also supports the new fuel standard, including renewable diesel that will soon be available to Upstate NY.

• There is huge support for the executive budget inclusion of more on farm storage of milk which will help alleviate the issues that weather related road closures have on moving perishable products.

• Rail in Vermont has been impacted greatly by washouts – over 100 washouts have wiped out rail infrastructure.

• The industry and state are working to help decrease wait times at milk plants by investing in more bays. 

Exploring New Feed Opportunities: Algae as Livestock Feed: Coast to Cow to Consumer Update

Nichole Price and her collaborators at the Bigelow Institute, including Ellen Deerenfeld from the World Wildlife Fund hosted an interactive presentation to the audience in Albany as well as an additional 30 people online, focused on sharing what research has been completed on algae as livestock feed.  Some of the algae strains have shown up to 80% effectiveness in reducing methane in cattle.  The Bigelow Institute has evaluated dozens of seaweed strains and solicited feedback from the audience on opportunities to incorporate feed products into feed mills and bovine diets. There is more to come as additional research is underway, seeking to ensure that algae meets efficacy, safety, economic and regulatory standards.

Conference attendees had a chance to mingle at the reception Tuesday evening, interacting with guests from the LEAD NY program, Hinman Straub and speakers.

Wednesday morning kicked off with the NEAFA annual business meeting.  See our update on new board members and thank you to retiring board members in this issue.

Trent Loos served as our emcee for the meeting on Wednesday.  Trent has been an advocate for all aspects of agriculture for the past 24 years.  His podcasts, including “Loos Tales,” showcase many ag issues.  Trent kicked off our meeting with introduction of the NYS FFA officer team that formally opened the meeting – a must see ceremony! His commentary between speakers helped emphasize key messages and relevance to consumers.

Lindsey McMahon, Senior Policy Advisor for Food and Agriculture within the NYS Executive Chamber provided insights from the NY Governor’s office, highlighting the increased executive budget for agricultural programs.  

Next on the program, Mike North from Ever.Ag provided a lively update on the dairy market and outlook.

• Consumer spending power seems resilient despite rising costs – how long can this last?

• Indexes such as the purchasing manager index signal a continued reduction in internal consumer activity.

• There is less milk around the world, including US milk production which is down 0.3%

• US cow numbers are down 39,000 head from December 2023 and the 2024 heifer inventory is low – total replacement heifers represent 43% of the milking herd and those that will calve in 2024 represent only 28% of the total milking herd.

• Regional trends continue as key butter and powder producers contract while cheese producers expand.

• Result of cheese expansion – can US manufacturers win a larger share of the export pie?  Mexican demand is a bright spot with a strong currency and growing economy.

• Farm margins will continue to be mediocre, however, increased soybean meal and corn stocks and lower international demand has resulted in lower feed costs

• Watch factors for 2024 Class III milk expectations include exports, consumer demand and new cheese capacity.

After a break, we had updates from Dr Kristan Reed and Dr Joe McFadden on their respective research programs at Cornell.  Both Kristan and Joe are Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance Sesquicentennial fellows.  Dr. Reed updated the audience on the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model,  which has the following missions:

• To build an integrated, whole-farm model that simulates milk, meat, and crop production, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality impacts, soil health, and other sustainability outcomes of ruminant farms. 

• We strive to achieve the highest standards for prediction accuracy, code structure and clarity, documentation, and accessibility. 

• Through continuous learning and improvement of our methods and algorithms, we are creating an open and inclusive platform for scientific collaboration. 

The team is working to launch version 1 of the model in the upcoming calendar year.  Immediate goals for the model include evaluation and sensitivity analyses across all modules and as a whole model; Pilot testing functional requirements for version 1; make improvements in data synthesis and summaries and energy estimations.

Dr. Joe McFadden made updates around his research program in sustainability.  Overall goals for his program are to reduce global enteric and manure GHG emissions from ruminant production to mitigate climate change, and support farmer opportunities, human health and nutrition, and animal well-being.

In his talk, Dr. McFadden reviewed progress and his roadmap for his program, including: 

• How can we leverage fatty acids? 

• Deep dive on seaweed, bromoform, and other halogens 

• Fatty acid by bromoform interactions 

• Methane mitigation during different energy balance and planes of nutrition 

• Novel compound discovery 

• Methane cost/benefit of disease and disease prevention

Next, navigating the new frontier means advocating with our state governments.  We had updates from our efforts in Vermont and New York.  Frist, Kevin Kouri, NEAFA board member and liaison to Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance (VDPA) shared updates from Vermont.  This past year, NEAFA joined forces with VDPA, who partners with Shouldice and Associates to multiply the agricultural voice in Montpelier.  Current topics in Vermont include continued discussion from 2023 around pesticides, rodenticides, PFAS, and the use of treated seeds. In 2023, VDPA worked hard on Right to Repair, Agritourism, and regulations on agriculture which have carried over to this year. 

Jim Carr from Hinman Straub provided an update on lobbying efforts in New York.  He reviewed several topics from 2023, including the neonics ban, agrivoltaics in farming, privacy information, agriculture technology challenge, FreshConnect Program, “Human Grade” Pet Food, Wage Payment Protections and Wetlands Management.  Jim also touched on key budget asks for inclusion in the 2024 NYS budget, including: $250,000 increase for Pro-Dairy Core Program, $100,000 increase for FarmNet, and $500,000 for the Dairy Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub.  Lastly, Jim reviewed some important topics for the 2024 session, including climate change and environment, chemicals of concern (e.g., neonics, PFAS, ingredients, labeling), economy and agribusiness, labor standards, privacy and transportation.

The final presentation of the morning was an update from American Feed Industry Association.  A familiar friend of NEAFA, Louise Calderwood, Director of Regulatory Affairs presented some of the trends we are experiencing on the federal level.  Focus on the industry resiliency in securing and diversifying the US vitamin supply chain, discussing the regulatory reform and updates from CVM on the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (Innovative FEED) Act as well as reinforcing food safety were topics that Louise discussed.

If you were not able to attend Navigating the New Frontier in person, we hope that you can join us next year!  Our meeting this year helped NEAFA members understand the upcoming frontier in the transportation, feed technologies, dairy markets, and advocacy efforts.  Check out more details on the sponsors of the Annual Meeting, speakers highlighted and photos from the event at 2024 NEAFA Annual Meeting — NEAFA— Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance (northeastalliance.com)

Neonic Bill Update

By Julie Marlette, NEAFA Lobbyist

Last month, after several long days of negotiations, Governor Hochul and the Legislature  came to an agreement on a series of  changes to the neonic bill that will be adopted next session. Upon reaching this agreement, the Governor did sign the bill, Chapter 775 of the Laws of 2023.
 
In her approval message, the governor stated, “While I am supportive of this bill, there were changes needed to ensure the DEC and the Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) can successfully implement this new law while allowing New York's agriculture sector to continue operations. Changes were necessary to provide DEC and AGM with regulatory authority to develop a waiver process for farmers to address problem pests, to provide additional time for  the regulated community, many  of  which  are already taking steps to move towards more sustainable and integrated pest management  practices, to come into compliance  with  this law, and to make technical changes so that DEC and AGM can successfully implement this nation leading law.
 
I have reached an agreement with the Legislature to enact these changes. On the basis of this agreement, I am pleased to sign this bill.”
 
Our understanding is that the details of the agreed to changes include:
 
Delaying implementation for several additional years.
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Authorizing the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets establish regulations that would for a waiver process that will allow some farmers to use treated seeds.

Our understanding is that this waiver would be renewable.
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Because this process would be established in regulation, stakeholders will have additional opportunities to comment. 

Because this bill was signed, the next step will be for the legislature to introduce and pass the agreed upon changes in a new piece of legislation. We will keep you informed when  that bill is introduced (likely after the first of the year), and of its movement through the legislative process.