Wyoming Farm Bureau

A memorial service for Carla Livingston will be held on Saturday, May 19th at Sundance High School at 10 a.m. with a reception to follow at the Elementary School. 

Carla Lynn Livingston, 60, of Sundance, WY passed away on April 29th at the Close to Home Hospice house in Gillette, WY.  Surrounded by her family, she went very peacefully after battling brain cancer for 18 months.

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2012—The American Farm Bureau Federation Tuesday, along with 14 state Farm Bureau organizations, including Wyoming, and 16 other national and regional agricultural organizations, filed a motion seeking to intervene in Gulf Restoration Network, et al. v. Jackson, et al., a lawsuit seeking to force the Environmental Protection Agency to establish federal numeric nutrient water quality standards for all states in the Mississippi River Basin. The resolution of the lawsuit could be significant for farmers, municipalities and others throughout the 31-state basin because numeric nutrient standards could lead to more costly and stringent limits on nutrient runoff to waters that ultimately contribute to the Mississippi River.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 30, 2012 – The American Farm Bureau Federation this week asked members of Congress to support H.R. 4965, a bill that would preserve existing U.S. water rights and responsibilities to the Clean Water Act. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Reps. John Mica (R-Fla.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio).

According to AFBF, H.R. 4965 does not alter the Clean Water Act, but it merely reaffirms longstanding provisions in the law. It would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers from pursuing the agencies’ proposed Final Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act and from using it as a basis for regulation.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 26, 2012 – “The Labor Department’s notification today that it is withdrawing proposed rules that would have prevented many young people from working in agriculture is the right decision for our nation’s family-based agriculture system," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman.  "Farm Bureau appreciates the administration’s decision and efforts by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to listen to farmers, ranchers and other rural Americans. We also know that this would not have happened without the efforts of Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and others in Congress, and we thank them for standing up for agriculture and the rural way of life."

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 24, 2012— “American beef and dairy products are safe. The safeguards our government has in place to detect any incidence of this disease are clearly working. The report of a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, discovered during the pre-rendering process, is proof that our detection system works," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it is denying a 2008 petition submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to cancel 2,4-D and revoke all of its tolerances.  EPA conducted a thorough evaluation of all the available data, the public comments and various new studies.  The agency found no concern and, as a result, will not re-open the safety assessment of 2,4-D.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 30, 2012 – The American Farm Bureau Federation today endorsed Senate legislation that would help protect America’s farm and ranch families from potentially crippling blows of the federal estate tax following a farm owner’s death.

The Senate bill, the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2012 (S. 2242), was introduced by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wy) is one of the co-sponsors.  The bill is similar to another Farm Bureau-supported, H.R. 1259, introduced in the House by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas). The House bill now has more than 200 co-sponsors.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 27, 2012—This week, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Western Energy Alliance and Public Lands Council questioned the administration’s commitment to job and economic growth in comments submitted to the Bureau of Land Management on greater sage-grouse policies in the West.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 21, 2012— “The American Farm Bureau Federation is pleased with the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision on behalf of property owners in Sackett v. EPA. AFBF filed amicus briefs in the case to educate the court about the legal and on-the-ground consequences of Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water Act policies.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13, 2012—The American Farm Bureau Federation is supporting measures to make certain farm vehicles exempt from federal motor vehicle regulations that are appropriately aimed at the long-haul trucking industry. AFBF is urging senators to support two amendments to the pending transportation bill (S. 1813).

Cheyenne-The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has drafted new regulations covering wolf management and wolf hunting. The draft regulations are available on the WGFD website at gf.state.wy.us Written comments due April 23.  Comments will also be accepted at the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Meeting April 25-26 in Casper

Promulgating regulations is the next step towards getting wolves in Wyoming removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Wyoming. Last August, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reached an agreement to move forward with delisting. Under the agreement, Wyoming will maintain at least 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Reservation.

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is encouraging private well owners to check their water wells regularly.  March 13th is "Know Your Well Day."

By Kerin Clark, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation

Having food that is readily available is all most of us have ever experienced in our lifetime.  The old quote comes to mind:  “When people have food, they have a lot of problems.  When people don’t have food, they only have one problem.”  Fortunately, thanks to agriculture and the impacts of technological advances, we don’t have to worry about not having food to eat--Agriculture is Amazing!

Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2012 – A U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Fla., has ruled that Environmental Protection Agency-imposed numeric nutrient criteria for Florida streams and unimpaired lakes are unlawful because they are arbitrary and have no scientific basis.

The ruling resolves several challenges to federal numeric nutrient criteria imposed by EPA on Florida waterways. The court upheld EPA’s ability to issue federal standards under the particular facts at issue in Florida and upheld some of the particular EPA standards. However, the court agreed with arguments raised by the American Farm Bureau Federation and its co-plaintiffs that two key types of restrictions were unlawful. This aspect of the ruling underscores that sound science must support such costly, federally imposed actions.

Laramie—Eating healthy while on a tight budget is within reach for most Americans, provided they’re willing to invest some time in strategic shopping. During Farm Bureau’s upcoming Food Check-Out Week (Feb. 19-25, 2012), farmer and rancher members will focus on spreading the word about how consumers can stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food.

           Recognizing the importance of the Wyoming agriculture industry and educating school children through reading, the week of February 13^th has been designated by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead as “Wyoming Agricultural Literacy Week.” 

            Educating Wyoming school children about agriculture is the goal of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Committee “Ag Books for Kids” project.   2012 marks the eighth year of the project.  The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer & Rancher Committee, along with the county Farm Bureaus, donates agriculture books each year to the elementary school libraries across Wyoming.

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 2, 2012—Young people and the contributions they make as members of farm and ranch families are vital to American agriculture, according to Missouri hog farmer Chris Chinn. Testifying on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, she told the House Small Business’ Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade that proposed Labor Department regulations on child labor would have negative impacts on rural America.

Chinn, who owns and operates a family farm with her husband, said the DOL rules could significantly limit the jobs their children (aged 14 and 10) could do on their own farm, and especially their grandparents’ farm.

           Recognizing the importance of the Wyoming agriculture industry and educating school children through reading, the week of February 13^th has been designated as “Wyoming Agricultural Literacy Week.”  Wyoming Governor Matt Mead will make the state proclamation.

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1, 2012 — “The decision today by the Labor Department to re-propose the ‘parental exemption’ in the child labor rule is a positive step, but much more work is needed. We will continue to work with the administration to address our concerns with the rule. Any final regulation must make sense, not infringe on the traditional rights of family farms and not unnecessarily restrict the ability of young people to work in agriculture. As DOL’s proposed rule stands currently, that is not the case.

            Legislative issues, Wyoming’s economy, trucking issues, and generational differences are a few of the topics that will be presented at the 2012 Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Legislative Meeting.  The meeting will be Feb. 27-28 at the Holiday Inn in Cheyenne. 

            Held annually to coincide with the legislative session, the meeting provides Farm Bureau members the opportunity to meet with their legislators one-on-one and receive updates on current issues.