Michigan Blueberry Farmer Honored as Champion of Change
Kristin Kubiszak, a blueberry grower from southwest Michigan and a member of MBG Marketing, was honored as one of 15 Agricultural Champions of Change at a White House event this week. Kubiszak is retail manager for Brookside Farms, a 5th generation family farm located in Paw Paw, Mich. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in social work from Cornerstone University, Kristin returned home to her family farm that focuses on growing and packing blueberries for distribution through MBG’s cooperative marketing network. Kristin also sits on the board of directors for the Van Buren County Farm Bureau as the Promotion and Education Chair, where she strives to educate others about Michigan agriculture and the impact on communities.
The honorees announced this week were recognized for their efforts to help ensure that the next generation of producers succeeds. In her comments, Kubiszak stressed the importance of agricultural education and co-ops in this effort.
House Passes Legislation to Eliminate Duplicative Pesticide Regulations
This week, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 935, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, by a vote of 267-161. The bill, introduced by Congressmen Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.) and Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), would eliminate the costly and duplicative pesticide permitting requirements imposed on farmers and ranchers by a misguided decision of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in National Cotton Council v. EPA.
“The House’s strong vote in favor of H.R. 935 this evening is an important first step towards ensuring that this country’s farmers and ranchers will not face burdensome and redundant regulations and the tremendous uncertainty that goes along with it,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of NCFC in reaction to the vote. “I would like to thank Representatives Gibbs, Schrader, Scott and McIntyre for their leadership in seeing this bill through the process and urge that the Senate take up its version of the bill after the August recess without delay.”
The bill would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Clean Water Act to clarify congressional intent and eliminate the requirements of a Clean Water Act permit for the use of FIFRA-registered pesticides. NCFC strongly supports the registration and re-registration of pesticide products under FIFRA, Conner noted, since the act is founded on robust science, ensuring that products in the marketplace can be used while offering the desired protections for human health and the environment.
NCFC Submits Comments on FDA Sanitary Transportation Rule Proposal
NCFC this week submitted comments on the Food & Drug Administration’s proposed sanitary transportation rule, part of the agency’s implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). While appreciating the Agency’s efforts to strengthen food safety measures, NCFC outlined several concerns with several of the proposed regulations, particularly with the lack of a set definition of “sanitary” within the rule and a lack of differentiation based on how various transported commodities will be used. For example, the comments note that “appropriate sanitary conditions” for delivering cattle feed to a pasture should be different from those involving transport of food intended for human consumption. For additional information or a copy of the comments, please contact Kathleen Johnson at kjohnson@ncfc.org.
Congress Heads Out on August Recess
Congress left Washington this week to head out on a five week August recess. Before gaveling out of session, both the House and Senate passed legislation to temporarily provide the highway trust fund with $11 billion. This was a “must-pass” piece of legislation, as the Department of Transportation had estimated that trust fund money would run out early this month, leading to road projects across the country coming to a halt. The measure passed this week, however, amounts to little more than kicking the can down the road as the money provided will keep the fund in the black only until May of 2015.
The prospect for much movement on legislation this autumn appears dim; when they return from recess in early September, the House and Senate will each have fewer than 15 legislative days left until the November election.
Upcoming Events:
- Fall NCFC Executive Council Meeting—September 25 & 26, 2014—NCFC offices, Washington, D.C.
- LTA Subcommittee Chairs/Vice Chairs Meeting—October 2 & 3, 2014—Four Seasons Hotel, Austin, Texas
- NCFC Human Resources Conference—October 23-24, 2014—Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago, Ill.
- Government Affairs Committee Meeting—November 12-14, 2014—Benson Hotel, Portland, Ore.
- 86th NCFC Annual Meeting—February 11-13, 2015—Paradise Point Hotel, San Diego, Calif.