Farm Bill Workshops Underway

Jul 21, 2014

The 2014 U.S farm bill is being rolled out, and it’s bringing changes for farmers and ranchers - especially dairy and grain producers. To help adjust to some of these changes, farmers are encouraged to participate in a series of workshops that are being held in their home states.

Attending the education workshops will help prepare American farmers to make informed decisions about participating in farm bill programs. The purpose of the workshops are to provide producers with a better understanding of the new programs, and what decisions they’ll need to make for their farming business.

Changes for grain farmers: farmers will have to choose between obtaining agriculture risk coverage or price loss coverage income support programs. One program is based on revenue, while the other one is based on commodity price. Previously, grain farmers got direct payments, regardless of yield or price of acreage. The biggest change for dairy farmers is the new insurance program.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has already announced that it plans to host its farm bill workshops through the month of August. The cost to participate is $10, which also covers lunch. More information about the workshops can be found on the University of Maryland Extension office website at extension.umd.edu/locations.

Workshops are sponsored by: the Missouri Department of Conservation Private Land Services, Quail Forever, Natural Resource Conservation Services, Farm Service Agency and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The farm bill is a five-year piece of legislation that deals with food and farm programs. The bill passed the U.S. House and Senate in February 2014. President Barack Obama signed it into law Feb. 7, 2014. The previous farm bill was signed in 2008 and expired in 2012. The 2014 bill expires in 2018.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.