The purpose of the SPCC rule is to help facilities and farms prevent a discharge of oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. A key element of the SPCC rule requires farms and other facilities to develop, maintain and implement an oil spill prevention plan, called an SPCC Plan. These plans help farms prevent oil spill, as well as control a spill should one occur.

Federal Government declares drought disaster for 12 Colorado counties
Gov. John Hickenlooper was notified this week by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that 12 counties qualify for federal disaster relief because of drought conditions. Six counties were declared primary natural disaster areas due to a recent drought and an additional six were declared as contiguous disaster counties.

CFB Member Survey to showcase rural opinion – make your opinion heard!
Colorado Farm Bureau is polling our members to determine their opinions on issues of importance. This survey will also poll CFB members on their view of government. This polling will provide the first data into the views of rural Colorado, and we encourage you to take part in this poll. If you have not filled this out, please do so! To view this poll, click here or copy and paste this into your browser:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13hbR-kRZtrKO9Ky-0OUMiF5FTMTDIFUPx9uYCfENPYA/viewform

Farm Bureau and a large number of other ag groups sent a letter to House Ag Committee leaders on Monday urging them to oppose any attempts to include the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendment of 2013 in the farm bill.  “Such broad and potentially costly legislation should not be entertained as part of the farm bill, which is a must-pass bill for most agricultural producers,” wrote the groups. The legislation writes into federal law an agreement between animal rights activists and egg producers that requires the cages used for laying hens to nearly double in size.

AFBF has sent an FBACT “Action Alert” to state Farm Bureau staff and leaders encouraging outreach to members of Congress regarding farm bill support.  Additional information on the farm bill and the AFBF Action Center are available online. This includes messages developed for sharing across social media platforms.

National Journal article

“We are disappointed to see that Governor Hickenlooper was willing to sign a measure that will put an unnecessary burden on many Colorado farmers and ranchers in rural communities. This mandate will cost agricultural producers millions of dollars, and may put many family farms out of business,” said Don Shawcroft, Colorado Farm Bureau president.

Read more about this here

Fourteen Ag Groups Contact Gov. Hickenlooper about SB13-252
On June 7th, 14 agricultural groups, including Colorado Association of Wheat Growers, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Corn Growers Association, Colorado Dairy Farmers, Colorado Egg Producers, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Horse Council, Colorado Potato Administration, Colorado State Grange, Colorado Sugar Beet Growers Association, Colorado Wool Growers Association, Rocky Ford Growers Association, Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association and Rocky Mountain Food Industry Association sent a letter to Governor Hickenlooper explaining their disappointment with the signing of SB13-252.

Read more about this here

Governor’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board seeks 8 new members

The Governor’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board is looking for 1-2 representatives that work within the Agricultural Sector in Colorado. The Pollution Prevention Advisory Board is a governor-appointed board made up of 15 members and 2 ex-officio members who represent businesses, agriculture, environmental groups, academic institutions of higher education, community groups, and state and local governments. The board provides overall policy guidance, coordination, and advice to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on pollution prevention and sustainability activities. The board also awards recycling grants and rebates from the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Fund.

“We are disappointed to see that Governor Hickenlooper was willing to sign a measure that will put an unnecessary burden on many Colorado farmers and ranchers in rural communities. This mandate will cost agricultural producers millions of dollars, and may put many family farms out of business,” said Don Shawcroft, Colorado Farm Bureau president.

Now you do!!

Conservation Stewardship Program Applications Due June 14
The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program has announced it will provide about $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres of enrollment this year. Although applications are accepted all year, farmers, ranchers and forestland owners interested in CSP should submit applications by June 14 to their local NRCS office to ensure they are considered for this year’s funding. The deadline was extended from May 31.

USDA Investigating Biotech Wheat Detected in Oregon
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Wednesday that test results of plant samples from an Oregon farm indicated the presence of genetically engineered glyphosate-resistant wheat plants. Further testing by USDA laboratories indicated the presence of the same wheat variety that Monsanto was authorized to field test in 16 states from 1998 to 2005. APHIS launched a formal investigation after being notified by an Oregon State University scientist that initial tests of wheat samples from an Oregon farm indicated the possible presence of the biotech wheat plants. There are currently no biotech wheat varieties approved for sale or in commercial production in the U.S. or elsewhere.

The company’s outlook is the first to show the drought expanding to the east, contradicting the National Weather Service’s U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook. Both forecasts predict a dry and hot summer, especially in the Southwest.

Dairy Herd Network article

Beef Lamb New Zealand Ltd is the farmer-owned industry organization representing New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers.They invest farmer levies in programs to grow the sheep and beef industry to provide sustainable returns now – and for future generations.

Public Invited to Open Houses About High Speed Rail Study
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Division of Transit & Rail will be hosting five open houses in the coming weeks as part of an Interregional Connectivity Study (ICS). The study examines technology, alignment, and financial/funding options for implementing high speed rail along the Front Range.

Producers Plant 43 Percent of Corn Crop in One Week
The Agriculture Department reported 71 percent of the U.S. corn crop is planted as of Sunday, up from only 28 percent one week ago. This is record-setting progress, matching the 1992 record, and a 43 percent week-to-week jump. However, 95 percent of the crop was planted at this time last year and producers are also behind the 5-year average.

The petition requests FDA amend the milk standard of identity to allow optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk, such as chocolate flavoring, to be sweetened with any safe and suitable sweetener. The change would allow milk and certain milk products with non-nutritive sweeteners to not have to include a nutrient content claim, such as “low sugar,” in the products’ name. Non-nutritive sweeteners would still be included in the list of ingredients on the product label.

AFBF has submitted comments in support of the petition.

Wisconsin Ag Connection article