July 10, 2024

Alabama Farmers Benefit from Restored Balance of Power

The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the Chevron deference, a move that restores balance of pour in government, said Alabama Farmers Federation National Affairs Director Mitt Walker.

"The U.S. Supreme Court took a major step toward reining in regulatory overreach by eliminating the Chevron deference doctrine. The 40-year administrative law precedent gave federal agencies leeway to interpret ambiguous laws through rulemaking.

"In recent years, this authority has been exploited to push political and ideological agendas. The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision restores a balance of power among the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Federal agencies no longer have the power to circumvent Congress and voters.

"This is a victory for American farmers, families and businesses who have been weighed down by increasingly burdensome rules. The decision will bring relief to farmers dealing with issues ranging from Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) to labor rules."

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) also applauded the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.

A.L.F.A. Leaders Visit Nation's Capital

Agricultural advocacy was on the agenda for A.L.F.A. Leaders Class VI June 26-28 during its national policy institute.

While in Washington, D.C., the group visited with:

• American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and staff
• Alabama's U.S. House of Representatives delegation
• House Ag Committee Chair G.T. Thompson, R-Pa.
• Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Sen. Katie Britt staffers
• Senate Ag Committee minority staff

Additionally, the 16 leaders toured the U.S. Capitol, monuments and the Museum of the Bible.

A.L.F.A. Leaders is the premier leadership development program of the Alabama Farmers Federation. During the trip, Leaders learned their international agricultural experience will take place in Brazil next year.

Alabama Educators Attend National Conference

Alabama was well represented during the National Agriculture in the Classroom summer conference June 24-27 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Attendees included:

• Tyler Thompson: Alabama Extension
• Andrea Riley: Grantswood Community School
• Rachel Chastain: Helen Keller School of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind
• Kathy DeFoor: Eva School
• Austin Blankenship: Alabama Extension
• Kim Earwood: Alabama Ag in the Classroom, Alabama Farmers Federation

Pictured below are Chastain, DeFoor, Thompson and Blankenship during their respective presentations.

Green Industry Producers Gather in Montgomery

The Alabama Farmers Federation Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod Division and the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association hosted a joint roundtable event June 26-17 focused on the latest developments within the green industry. The conference also included farm tours to Little Mountain Growers in Wetumpka and Southern Growers in Montgomery.

Caroleene Dobson, the Alabama FarmPAC-endorsed candidate for Congressional District 2, joined producers and sat in on green industry policy discussions.

Celebrate Sweet Grown Alabama Day July 13

Celebrate all things locally grown on Sweet Grown Alabama Day July 13. Participating in Sweet Grown Alabama Day is simple — do at least one activity that supports an Alabama farmer.

Possible celebrations include purchasing from a local farmer, cooking a meal made with local ingredients, picking Alabama grown flowers, eating at a restaurant that serves locally grown products or visiting a local farmers market.

OSHA Announces Heat Standard Proposal

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued proposed rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.

This is a step toward a federal heat standard to protect workers. The proposed standard would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction.

The standard would require employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplace. It would also clarify employer obligations and steps necessary to effectively protect employees from hazardous heat. The goal is to prevent and reduce the number of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities caused by exposure to hazardous heat.

OSHA encourages the public to participate by submitting comments when the proposed standard is officially published in the Federal Register. Farmers' input will help develop a final rule that adequately protects workers, is feasible for employers and is based on the best available evidence.

Livestock Risk Protection Preserves Producers’ Bottom Lines

For the last couple of years, fourth-generation farmer Billy Hixon has found a new sense of peace knowing he’s protected from volatile movements in price through Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). 

Hixon began using the price risk management tool to prevent drastic loss from unforeseen circumstances. 



“LRP is a tool for me to protect money,” said Hixon, the Pike County Farmers Federation president. “It’s insurance. It’s not a product I say I want to make money with. I want to protect my money.”

Offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), LRP is designed to insure farmers against declining livestock sale prices while enabling producers to benefit from an increase in market prices, according to the Farm Credit Services of America. 

Based on futures markets, LRP allows farmers to purchase coverage for a select number of livestock based on the market price for an intended sale period. Producers identify a time to sell that makes the most sense for their operation. They then work with an LRP agent to lock in the future sale price. 

LRP premiums are subsidized 35-55% by USDA depending on the coverage level. The premium is paid following the sale date. Like other insurance, a per head premium cost is applied.

Farmers Face Freight Frustration

As margins tighten across farm country, some Alabama producers face a frustrating line item — freight.

“Even when gas and diesel come back down, freight never goes in reverse,” said Dallas County farmer Wendy Yeager. She and husband, Jamie, began farming in 2007.

That year, they paid 40 cents per bushel for freight, or the cost to truck commodities to market. It’s now more than doubled to 95 cents per bushel.

“Truckers have bills to pay, too. We get it,” Wendy said. “As a producer, it’s very frustrating because our input costs across the board go up, but nothing comes back down.”

Diesel is a significant slice of freight costs. For the week ending May 27, U.S. diesel prices averaged $3.76 per gallon. That’s down 3.1 cents from the previous week and 9.7 cents below the same week last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service.

Quick Clicks

• The Liaison Information Report notes that criminals are posing as heavy equipment vendors on websites and social media marketplaces. Criminal actors leverage the inherent anonymity of the internet to create fictitious profile accounts or fictitious websites to post advertisements for heavy equipment such as utility tractors, construction vehicles and shipping containers. Click here to read more.

• The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation released its newly updated contact map by region. Click here to view.

• National Agriculture in the Classroom is hosting a one-day complimentary virtual professional development conference July 18. Registration is required. Click here to learn more.

Simply Southern TV

• June 15 - Alabama Extension Wiregrass Weed Tour in Headland

• July 17-19 - Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Savannah, Georgia.

• July 31 - Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center Row Crops Field Day in Madison

• Aug. 1-4 - Farm & Land Conference in Montgomery. The ticket deadline is July 26.

• Aug. 1 - Central Alabama Crops Tour in Shorter

• Aug. 2 - Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center Row Crops Field Day in Fairhope