October 16, 2020
Newsletter for October 16, 2020
This Issue:
  • New Proposed Regulations From Department of Ag On Custom Slaughter
  • Don’t Forget Upcoming Hearings On State Engineer Designation Orders
  • American Farm Bureau Federation Announces Virtual 2021 Annual Meeting
  • AFBF Report Shares Telling Details Of State-by-State Farm Economics
  • As Voting Gets Underway – Reminder of Farm Bureau Political Action
New Proposed Regulations From Department of Ag On Custom Slaughter
On October 6 a survey was sent from the Nevada Department of Agriculture requesting input on newly drafted regulations covering the requirements being planned for custom slaughter and mobile slaughter operations.  If you are interested in responding to the survey, which for some reason is only being provided on a short-term basis…with the deadline to complete the survey by October 16…we encourage your action by clicking here.

We apologize for our delay in distributing this information, which was complicated by there not being a weekly Grassroots newsletter last week due to travel.  Staff travel and the very narrow window of the Department’s deadline for the survey, 10 days after their release of the proposal have caused a challenge in getting word out and responses.

Through the review that Nevada Farm Bureau staff has made of the proposed regulations it seems that the main purpose is to create requirements for the Nevada Department of Agriculture to impose oversight on “Custom Exempt Farm Slaughtering” and “Mobile slaughter facilities” – which currently aren’t covered by any regulation.  Those now regulated also get to pay fees and obtain permits and have an extensive set of procedures for how the harvest process is supposed to be carried out.

After all the regulatory hoops have been jumped through, the necessary permits and fees paid to the Department of Agriculture – the end result is a required label stamped on the harvested meat “NOT FOR SALE.” 

The hoped-for State Inspection program and an ability to sell processed meat products within the state of Nevada (as provided for by some neighboring Western States) is no closer than it ever has been.  There may be a basis for gaining improvements in the proposed regulations for obtaining this result and could be accomplished with significant responses to the Department of Agriculture to encourage these changes, but that will need strong pressure for consideration.  At this point there has not been information provided for possible workshop(s) or additional steps for public input beyond the small business impact survey that has the October 16 deadline.

Those interested in the subject should reach out to make contact with the Nevada Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Division by email at [email protected], or by phone at 775-353-3709.
Don’t Forget Upcoming Hearings On State Engineer Designation Orders
The first round of hearings by the Division of Water Resources, providing opportunity to learn more about the proposed Orders from the State Engineer to designate basins and then provide input, have concluded.  The following details cover the next round of the hearings to be held…

Thursday, October 22 (starting at 11:30 a.m.) Caliente City Hall, Council Chambers, 100 Depot Ave., Caliente, NV  Proposed orders to designate these basins:
  • Cave Valley Basin (180) located within Lincoln and White Pine Counties
  • Hamlin Valley Basin (196) located within Lincoln and White Pine Counties
  • Coal Valley Basin (171) located within Lincoln and Nye Counties
  • Pahroc Valley Basin (208) located within Lincoln and Nye Counties
  • Dry Lake Valley Basin (181) located within Lincoln County
  •  Delamar Valley (182) located within Lincoln County
  • Tikapoo Valley-Northern Part (169A) located within Lincoln County
  •  Tikapoo Valley-Southern Part (169B) located within Clark and Lincoln Counties


Thursday, October 22 (starting at 2 p.m.) Caliente City Hall, Council Chambers, 100 Depot Ave., Caliente, NV  Proposed orders to designate these basins:
  • Escalante Desert Basin (197) located within Lincoln County
  • Dry Valley Basin (198) located within Lincoln County
  •  Rose Valley Basin (199) located within Lincoln County
  • Eagle Valley Basin (200) located within Lincoln County
  •  Spring Valley Basin (201) located within Lincoln County
  •   Patterson Valley Basin (202) located within Lincoln County
  • Clover Valley Basin (204) located within Lincoln County
  •   Kane Spring Valley (169B) located within Lincoln County
 
Proposed orders to designate, establish preferred use and curtail new appropriations will be covered for this basin:
  •  Tule Desert Valley Basin (221) located within Lincoln County

Friday, October 23 (starting at 9 a.m.) Goldfield Community Center, Corner of Crook & Euclid, Goldfield, NV  Proposed orders to designate these basins:
  • Monte Cristo Valley Basin (136) located within Esmeralda and Mineral Counties
  • Lida Valley Basin (144) located within Esmeralda and Nye Counties

Proposed orders to designate, establish preferred use and curtail new appropriations will be covered for these basins:
  • Columbus Salt Marsh Basin (118) located within Esmeralda and Mineral Counties
  • Oriental Wash Basin (232) located within Esmeralda County

Monday, October 26 (starting at 2 p.m.) Currant Creek Community Center, Intersection of US 6 & State Route 379, Railroad Valley, NV  Proposed orders to designate these basins:
  • Hot Creek Basin (156) located within Nye County
  •  Garden Valley Basin (172) located within Lincoln and Nye Counties
  • Railroad Valley Basin-Northern Part (173B) located within Lincoln, Nye and White Pine Counties

Proposed orders to designate, establish preferred use and curtail new appropriations will be covered for these basins:
  • Little Smoky Valley Basin (155A) located within Eureka, Nye and White Pine Counties
  • Railroad Valley-Southern Part (173A) located within Lincoln and Nye Counties

The State Engineer’s office provided this presentation of slides which explain in an overview of what the hearings will be addressing and also the background on the different meanings for what goes along with a basin’s designation.  The public hearings held in Fallon, Hawthorne, Ely, Eureka, Elko, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca and Lovelock were also distributed by a livestream technology which allowed those who logged into the system to listen the hearings, although not provide any input.  From Nevada Farm Bureau’s monitoring of the hearings, listening in on the livestream feed, the majority of the hearings were not well-attended and there were limited numbers of persons who provided testimony.

Those who wish to offer public input can still weigh in by providing written comments.  This is the schedule for deadlines associated with the meetings:
  •  Written testimony deadlines for the hearings that are conducted from October 12 to 15 will be November 2, 2020.  
  • Written testimony deadlines for the hearings that are scheduled for October 22 and 23 will be November 6, 2020.
  • Written testimony deadlines for the October 26 hearing is November 13, 2020

The address to send your written testimony is…

Division of Water Resources 
901 South Stewart Street, Suite 2002 
Carson City, Nevada 89701-5250
American Farm Bureau Federation Announces Virtual 2021 Annual Meeting
After learning that the San Diego Convention Center has cancelled all events through the end of January 2021, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) announced that the 102nd annual meeting would be taking place in a virtual system.

While those who were planning on traveling in-person to the AFBF Annual Meeting in San Diego might miss the usually warm and pleasant San Diego weather, the virtual platform will actually increase the opportunities for more Farm Bureau members to be part of the meeting from the comfort of their homes.  The plans are to offer “Free Registration” and the ability to connect with content and meeting sessions that frequent in-person convention goers have come to expect at this national get-together. This link will take you to the AFBF annual meeting website schedule.   We’ll keep you posted on the additional information that we will be provided on a going-forward basis.
AFBF Report Shares Telling Details Of State-by-State Farm Economics
A recent economic article in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) “Market Intel” offered a great overview of the numbers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm income forecast.  We encourage you to click on this link to see Dr. John Newton’s article “Reviewing State-Level Farm Economic Conditions.”  Dr. Newton is AFBF’s Chief Economist.  While there are less than positive or glowing details for much of the country, Nevada’s agriculture conditions seem to be better off than others.
As Voting Gets Underway – Reminder of Farm Bureau Political Action
Many have already received their ballots for the election process and a few have carried out their voting and turned the ballots in.  Just around the corner is the start of Early Voting in Nevada (October 17th to 30th).  We once again want to get out the word for the support that Nevadans for Family and Agriculture (Nevada Farm Bureau’s Political Action Committee) is supporting these candidates:

We support the re-election of Senator Heidi Gansert (Senate District 15) and Senator Pete Goicoechea (Senate District 19).  We support the election of April Becker (Senate District 6) and Dr. Carrie Buck (Senate District 5).  We are also working with others to see the current minority party of the Nevada Senate become the majority party.

In the Nevada Assembly support for re-election includes Assemblyman Greg Hafen, II (Assembly District 36) Assemblywoman Alexis Hansen (Assembly District 32) and Assemblywoman Robin Titus (Assembly District 38).

Funding from donations made to Nevada Farm Bureau’s PAC, Nevadans for Family and Agriculture has also been used to make donations to the candidates noted and were provided to the Nevadans for Quality Higher Education, the PAC involved in support for “Yes, on Question 1”.  Nevada Farm Bureau Federation President, Bevan Lister recently recorded this promotion video, shared on the organization’s social media platforms.
Have a great weekend!