Don't Leave Dollars on the Table: Weather Recovery Programs for Nebraska producers, farmers, ranchers, and landowners.

As a lifelong Nebraska resident, I have learned that Nebraska is a place of extremes. We have twenty below temperatures in the winter and one hundred degree temperatures in the summer; we love the Big 10 and we hate the Big 12; we have rolling sandhills and we have flat plains; we worship Bo Pelini and we despise Bill Callahan.

The year of 2010 has only confirmed the extreme nature of our state. This past year brought devastating blizzards and killer floods. As a result of these harsh weather conditions the USDA Farm Service Agency is offering a number of emergency programs that should be considered by farmers, ranchers and landowners. These programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Emergency Livestock Assistance Program. This program is applicable to flood victims that have met risk management crop insurance requirements or obtained NAP coverage. The program will cover losses of purchased or mechanically harvested feedstuffs or forage intended for eligible livestock that was destroyed in the flood. The program will also cover grazing losses for up to 90 days.

Livestock Indemnity Program. This program is applicable to eligible livestock owners that lost livestock due to flooding. This program pays producers 75% of the value for the livestock losses that exceed normal mortality.

Emergency Conservation Program. This program provides assistance to producers to rehabilitate farmland and conservation facilities damaged by flooding, tornadoes, and other acts of god, whether the damage is of such magnitude that it would be too costly for the producer to rehabilitate without federal assistance. Eligible practices include debris removal, grading, shaping, releveling, restoring permanent fends, restoring conservation structures, and field windbreaks.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. This program is eligible to farmers whose crops are damaged through hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind, flood or any combination of these losses. The program was designed to reduce financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a catastrophic loss of production or prevented planting of an eligible crop by providing coverage equivalent to Catastrophic Crop Insurance.

If you have additional questions about any of these programs, I encourage you to contact your local FSA Office. Please be aware that there are numerous filing restrictions imposed. If the government is offering these benefits, a person should not leave dollars on the table especially during difficult economic times such as these.

Batter Up: Is the US ready to hit a home run?

It is time for the United States to step up to the plate and ratify a free-trade agreement with South Korea. If the United States fails to act quickly, South Korea will simply go elsewhere and our livestock industry will be severely damaged.

South Korea has established itself as a trustworthy partner for US agricultural trade. For example, South Korea purchased over 130,000 tons of pork in 2009 and ranked 5th among US agricultural export customers in 2009. South Korean officials say that these figures will drop if Congress fails to ratify the trade agreement.

The US/South Korea free-trade agreement has languished in Congress since the two governments completed negotiations in 2007. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley has labeled this trade agreement as a “litmus test” for support of free trade. It appears that the Obama administration is waiting on the legislation because it is bundled in the trade battles over automobiles. Why anyone can’t look outside the box and untangle these industries is past the understanding of this farm girl.

The expansion of the US export market is the key to the success of the agricultural industry. If we fail to act now, we will put the US out in left field with only a few straw balls to be caught.

Another Legal Victory for the Employees

The U.S. Department of Labor and Tyson Foods, Inc. recently reached a settlement agreement that provides the poultry industry (along with other agricultural industries) with guidance about how workers are to be paid.

The Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against Tyson alleging that Tyson was violating federal law by not paying their workers overtime for putting on and taking off sanitary and protective gear before and after their shifts. Tyson denied any wrongdoing.

In hopes of avoiding further litigation, Tyson has agreed to provide 8 or 12 minutes of extra pay per shift to certain hourly processing line workers. Moreover, by December 2012, Tyson has agreed that it will allow all employees to clock in before they put on certain gear and clock out after taking if off.

The question remains - what type of activities are compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act? Based on this recent settlement, it appears that the federal government will continue on its mission to squeeze every dollar out of a corporation.