13 Aug 2012

Durant's Keppy Snags Double Honors in FFA Market Swine Competition

By Lori Chappell

DES MOINES, IA (08/13/2012)(readMedia)-- Jake Keppy of Durant captured the Grand Champion Market in the FFA Market Swine Show judged Thursday and Friday at the 2012 Iowa State Fair. Keppy's hog first won the Champion Purebred Market Pig banner on the drive to the championship.

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion title this year was Chelsea Schminke of Van Horne.

Alexis Delaney of DeWitt claimed the Reserve Champion Purebred Market Swine award.

The judge had his hands full selecting champions out of 547 hogs brought by 266 exhibitors vying for the Grand Champion banner.

Division winners in the FFA Market Swine Show included:

Light Weight Barrow Champion: Jacklyn Keninger, Ackley

Light Weight Barrow Reserve Champion: Kole Wilson, Newton

Medium Weight Barrow Champion: Austin Lane, Spragueville

Medium Weight Barrow Reserve Champion: Ben Jacobsen, Dows

Heavy Weight Barrow Champion: Chelsea Schminke, Van Horne

Heavy Weight Barrow Reserve Champion: Jacklyn Keninger, Ackley

Light Weight Gilt Champion: Callie Greiner, Keota

Light Weight Gilt Reserve Champion: Kolton Greiner, Keota

Medium Weight Gilt Champion: Ryan Schneider, Riverside

Medium Weight Gilt Reserve Champion: Chelsea Keninger, Ackley

Heavy Weight Gilt Champion: Jacklyn Keninger, Ackley

Heavy Weight Gilt Reserve Champion: Amanda Anderson, Algona

Bershire Champion: Brandon Reedy, Ottumwa

Bershire Reserve Champion: Austin Lane, Spragueville

Chester White Champion: Brandon Reed, Ottumwa

Chester White Reserve Champion: Brandon Reed, Ottumwa

Duroc Champion: Samuel Bair, Elkhart

Duroc Reserve Champion: Maggie Miller, Ames

Hampshire Champion: Kelsey Brecht, Marengo

Hampshire Reserve Champion: Kelsey Brecht, Marengo

Spotted Poland China Champion: Alex Umbaugh, Adair

Spotted Poland China Reserve Champion: Clara Goddard, Letts

Yorkshire Champion: Jake Keppy, Durant

Yorkshire Reserve Champion: Alexis Delaney, DeWitt

All Other Breeds Champion: Zach Caslavka, Muscatine

All Other Breeds Reserve Champion: Ashley Olson, Atkins

Keppy's and Schminke's title holders, as well as 12 other livestock champions, will be auctioned in the prestigious Sale of Champions on Saturday, August 18, at 2 p.m. in the Penningroth Media Center of the Cattle Barn. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement, a non-profit organization established to encourage the pursuit of agriculture-related careers by Iowa's youth.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines, and are open 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. each day of the Fair. Exhibit hours may vary. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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10 Aug 2012

USDA Unveils New Aggressive Tactics to Counter Fraud and Enhance SNAP Program Integrity

By USDA Office of Communications
Strengthened Measures Target Bad Actors in Nation's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

WASHINGTON, August 9, 2012– Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced a broad range of additional strategies to further improve program integrity in USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and hold those misusing benefits accountable. The measures include tougher financial sanctions for the small number of retailers that defraud the program and new requirements and tools for States to ensure benefits go solely to eligible individuals.

"USDA has a zero tolerance policy for SNAP fraud," said Concannon. "These additional measures reaffirm our ongoing commitment to ensuring these dollars are spent as intended-helping millions of people in need get back on solid economic footing."

The retailer sanctions proposal allows USDA to not only permanently disqualify a retailer who traffics, but also assess a monetary penalty in addition to the disqualification. Financial penalties would be proportional to the amount of SNAP business the store is conducting, which will help ensure that the financial punishment more closely fits the crime. Currently, when a retailer is found guilty of fraud or abuse, USDA can either disqualify the retailer from participating in SNAP, or issue a financial penalty, but not both.

Today's announcement includes new requirements for States to take specific actions that would catch fraud and abuse on the front end and ensure that ineligible people do not participate in the program. The new standards strengthen integrity by giving States an additional tool to identify cases that may require further investigation and review when an applicant or recipient is found in a Federal database.

"These requirements will make us better at identifying potential fraud and abuse before it occurs, as well as help us hold bad actors even more accountable than in the past and discourage them from abusing the public's trust," said Concannon.

Concannon also today released third quarter, fiscal year 2012 results of USDA work in fighting fraudulent activity in SNAP retail stores, tallying final actions to sanction or disqualify retailers violating program rules. In that quarter, USDA staff took final actions to:

  • Impose sanctions, through fines or temporary disqualifications, on more than 574 stores found violating program rules; and
  • Permanently disqualify 1,016 stores for trafficking SNAP benefits (i.e. exchanging SNAP benefits for cash) or falsifying an application.

These announcements are part of the Obama Administration's ongoing Campaign to Cut Waste designed to fight fraud and abuse in Federal programs. For more information about USDA efforts to combat fraud, visit the Stop SNAP fraud website at www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fraud.

USDA continues to work with local, state and federal partners to root out fraud, waste and abuse in SNAP and ensure the integrity of our nation's most important food assistance program. Recent actions include :

  • Sending letters to the CEOs of Craigslist, Ebay, Facebook and Twitter to reiterate the need to help prevent the illegal sale or purchase of SNAP benefits online;
  • Proposing a rule to provide States the option to require recipients to make contact with the state when there have been an excessive number of requests for EBT card replacements;
  • Increasing documentation required for high-risk stores applying to redeem SNAP benefits;
  • Continuing to notify state social service agencies and federal agency partners about violators to better protect our public programs. This includes information on program recipients with suspicious transactions at stores that have been sanctioned for trafficking so that the recipients can be further investigated by States.

Reducing childhood obesity and improving the nutrition of all Americans are vital to achieve a healthy future for America. That's why the Obama administration and USDA are committed to promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles and to ensuring that all Americans have access to safe, nutritious, and balanced meals.

SNAP-the nation's first line of defense against hunger-helps put food on the table for millions of low income families and individuals every month. The largest of USDA's 15 nutrition assistance programs, it has never been more urgently needed than it is today. SNAP is a vital supplement to the monthly food budget of more than 46 million low-income individuals. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children and more than 40 percent of recipients live in households with earnings.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including school meals programs, that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. These programs work in concert to form a national safety net against hunger. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for information about FNS and nutrition assistance programs.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

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10 Aug 2012

Use Biodiesel and Improve the Air Quality on Your Farm

By United Soybean Board

By Jim Willers, United Soybean Board director and a soybean farmer from Beaver Creek, Minn.

I know how much time I spend around diesel-powered vehicles, equipment and machinery, and I'd bet that most farmers around the United States spend similar amounts. That's why I'm so alarmed at the recent news from the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer, which now considers diesel fuel exhaust to be a carcinogen as dangerous as secondhand smoke.

Farmers and ranchers make up the third-largest category of diesel fuel users behind truck drivers and heating oil users.

Thankfully, recent clean-diesel technology has cleaned up our emissions immensely, including significantly reducing some of the elements of diesel exhaust that prove to be so damaging to our health.

For example, in 2007, engine manufacturers began adding filters to trap soot. They added technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions starting in 2010.

You can reduce these harmful emissions even more by using biodiesel.

Petroleum diesel exhaust contains toxic fumes that you don't get from biodiesel. Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning fuel that's made from U.S.-grown, renewable and biodegradable sources, and doesn't have those toxins.

Soybean oil remains the primary feedstock for U.S. biodiesel production and our soy checkoff continues to support the U.S. biodiesel industry. For example, the checkoff funds research into biodiesel's performance, environmental and health benefits.

According to the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, using 100 percent biodiesel significantly reduces some of the emissions that prove harmful to our health, including:

  • A 67 percent drop in hydrocarbon emissions.
  • A 48 percent decrease in poisonous carbon monoxide.
  • A 47 percent reduction in particulate matter.

Additionally, the National Renewable Energy Lab says a B20 blend of biodiesel (20 percent biodiesel mixed with 80 percent petroleum diesel) drops particulate matter emissions by 25 percent in engines without clean-diesel technology and by 67 percent in engines with the new cleaner-burning attributes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes biodiesel's clean-air qualities in its regulation that requires the use of at least 1 billion gallons of biodiesel this year. Under this regulation, biodiesel remains the only commercially available fuel that qualifies as an Advanced Biofuel. It earned that distinction from the EPA because it reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared with petroleum diesel.

That regulation continues to improve biodiesel availability, which could make it easier for U.S. farmers to find and use the fuel.

To find biodiesel distributors or retailers in your area, visit www.biodiesel.org. To learn more about the soy checkoff's efforts to promote biodiesel as a way of increasing demand for U.S. soybean oil, click here.

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10 Aug 2012

Drought Webinar Looks at Grain Quality and Marketing Options

By Amanda Heitz
AMES, Iowa - Iowa crop and livestock producers are invited to attend an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach webinar Tuesday, Aug. 21 from 1 to 3 pm to learn about grain quality issues and marketing options related to drought. There is no charge to attend the webinar.

"As we near harvest, the attention has shifted to grain quality issues," said Virgil Schmitt, Extension Field Agronomist. "ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will talk about the quality issues farmers can expect, their marketing options, and how crop insurance will address reduced value. Just as important, livestock producers should be prepared for potential feeding challenges
of off-quality grain."

In addition, ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will look to the future and provide the outlook for crop and livestock prices. They also will discuss planning for the 2013 crop, including land lease considerations and the impact of drought on fall fertility decisions for the 2013 crop, Schmitt said.

Farm safety considerations during drought also will be discussed.

County extension offices around the state are hosting the webinar. In east central Iowa, the webinar can be viewed at the Durant Community Center, 606 5th Ave., Durant. Extension Field Agronomist, Virgil Schmitt will be facilitating the meeting along with Bob Owen, Regional Director for east central Iowa. The meeting is being sponsored by the Cedar, Clinton, Muscatine and Scott County Extension offices, and Kent Feeds.

Extension agriculture program specialists will facilitate the program at each site. Time has been allowed for questions and answers following the presentations. The webinar will be recorded and made available on the ISU Extension and Outreach website www.extension.iastate.edu/.

To find other hosting sites, contact your County extension office or go to the web site indicated above.

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08 Aug 2012

Loebsack to Tour Drought Stricken County

By Joe Hand

Will see firsthand affects of recent drought

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack will tour a Muscatine County farm TOMORROW, August 9th to see firsthand the affects of the recent drought.  He will be joined by local FSA officials and meet with farmers, community members and representatives from Farm Bureau.  Loebsack has been leading the fight in Congress to ensure Iowa's farmers have the resources they need to deal with the impact of the drought.  Media is invited to attend.  Details are below.

Tour of Drought Stricken Farm

Larry and Pam Schnittjer's Farm

1021 West Highway 6

West Liberty

11:30am

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08 Aug 2012

Iowa farmers support rural organizations through America's Farmers Grow Communities

By Rick Martin

Drought disaster areas receive additional funding

ST. LOUIS (August 8, 2012) - Farmers across the country work hard to build their businesses that help fuel their rural communities. For the third consecutive year, America's Farmers Grow Communities SM, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, will give farmers the opportunity to win a $2,500 donation for their favorite local nonprofit organization. This year, the program expands to 26 new counties and will provide an online platform to aid community involvement.                  
James Nahkunst, Grow Communities winner from Fremont County, Iowa, understands firsthand how $2,500 can impact a nonprofit organization.
"I think this is a very commendable program for the Monsanto Fund to be doing," Nahkunst said. "I've signed up for it every year since its beginning. It felt great to win and have a part in seeing those dollars reach out into communities and the non-profits serving them."
With more than 90 percent of the U.S. corn and soy production currently impacted by the drought, a farmer's ability to invest in his or her community is affected. To help, the Monsanto Fund will provide additional financial support. Winning farmers from counties that have been declared natural disaster areas by the USDA will have an opportunity to direct an additional $2,500 donation to a local non-profit to address community needs that have surfaced due to the drought. To date, nearly 700
counties have been declared disasters areas within the 1,271 eligible Grow Communities counties.
"We are committed to supporting farmers and the rural communities in which they live and work," said Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund president. "Through Grow Communities and the additional disaster relief funding, we hope to positively impact the people and places that are affected by this devastating drought."

Communities Can Plant Their Ideas with Farmers 
Since the inception of America's Farmers Grow Communities, thousands of farmers have nominated their favorite local nonprofit groups, such as FFA chapters, schools, fire departments, local food pantries or other civic groups.  This year, rural community members can suggest an idea or initiative that needs funding in their local community. Eligible farmers may review the ideas and consider them in their application. Community members who wish to plant an idea and encourage farmers to support their cause can do so at www.growcommunities.com.
Now through November 30, 2012, eligible farmers can apply online, and rural community members can submit their ideas at www.growcommunities.com or by calling 1-877-267-3332. The Monsanto Fund will select one winner at random from each of the eligible counties and announce winning farmers and recipient nonprofits in January 2013.        
All 99 counties in Iowa are eligible in Grow Communities.                   
America's Farmers Grow Communities is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make everyday to our society and to help them positively impact their communities. This program is part of the Monsanto Fund's overall effort to support rural America. Another program that is part of this effort is America's Farmers Grow Rural Education, giving farmers the opportunity to nominate their local public school district to apply for a grant up to $25,000. Winners of the first annual Grow Rural Education program will be announced on August 28.
For more information about these programs and to view the official rules, visit www.americasfarmers.com.

About the Monsanto Fund
The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the farm communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.
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07 Aug 2012

Pass the Farm Bill

By Amanda Bowman

by Bruce Braley

Two weeks ago, I visited with two farmers from Palo, Iowa, Gary and Vicki Owens, to see their farm and the drought conditions affecting their crops and crops across Iowa. I saw the dry ground and struggling corn and soybeans that the family is hoping will be able to survive the relentless heat and dry weather. Gary and Vicki told me how concerned they are that the lack of rain in July will doom their harvest this fall.  Despite the difficult summer, the Owens remain hopeful that wetter and cooler weather will grace their fields soon.

The drought is bad enough.  But adding to the uncertainty is a hardening political stalemate in Congress over the 2012 Farm Bill.  The current Farm Bill is set to expire on September 30th - along with modern crop insurance programs, disaster relief, conservation programs, nutrition programs and more -- unless a new bill is signed into law.  Some disaster assistance programs have already expired, adding insult to injury for many agricultural producers just in time for the drought.

And the hits keep coming.  The House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm Bill more than three weeks ago in a bipartisan vote - a critical test of support for the bill - but leaders have continued to block the full House from voting on the bill.  Then, this week, House leaders pulled a one-year Farm Bill extension, preventing a vote on that.  In a final coup de grace, despite members voting against adjournment, leaders sent Congress home for a month-long recess on Thursday, leaving the Farm Bill unresolved and the clock running out before its September 30th expiration date.

Here's what I can't figure out.  What exactly is Congress taking a vacation from?  Any Iowan who's worked a day in their life knows that to get time off, you actually have to put time in.  Congress certainly hasn't done much of anything this year.  Farmers don't get a vacation from the drought, and Congress shouldn't get one either.

Political gridlock over the Farm Bill strikes me as incredibly childish.  There are real folks back home hurting, but Congress can't get beyond petty feuds and personal differences.

Congress needs to grow up, act like adults, and get the job done on the Farm Bill.

There are members of both political parties out there who agree that producers need the financial stability and protections provided in the Farm Bill.  Farm families and agricultural producers in Iowa certainly agree.

Maybe I'm an optimist, but I think that if allowed to cast a vote on the Farm Bill, a majority of the House would support it.  It's the political games of leaders looking to score the most insignificant of political points against their opponents that is standing in the way.

So, I've launched an effort that could short-circuit the political games.  If a simple majority of representatives sign on to a petition I'm circulating, the Farm Bill must immediately come up for a vote before the House.  And I've been encouraged by the early positive response - I'm working with two Republicans (Rick Berg of North Dakota and Chris Gibson of New York) and a Democrat (Peter Welch of Vermont) to recruit signers.

It's a drastic step and maybe a long shot , but we need to do everything we possibly can to help Iowa farmers through the worsening drought.  And the best way to help right now is to give farmers the certainty that the Farm Bill will bring.

The Farm Bill deserves a vote, not the obstruction that's become all too typical of Washington. Folks like Gary and Vicki Owens are depending on it.

06 Aug 2012

IOWA FARM BUREAU PARK WILL BE "FARM STRONG" AT 2012 IOWA STATE FAIR

By Rick Martin

Farm Bureau members, visitors can test their farm strength, win great prizes

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Aug. 6, 2012 - Iowa State Fair visitors can flex their "Farm Strong" strength and ag knowledge at Farm Bureau Park each day of the fair. Whether it's finding out if pigs can get sunburn or discovering how many farms are in the state, fairgoers can talk to Iowa farmers about agriculture and play a free high-striker game to earn prizes.

The strength of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) comes from its members who will enjoy a number of "Farm Strong" perks at the fair. They can redeem a member coupon for a free prize and register to win a free John Deere Gator utility vehicle provided by the Van Wall Group and Barker Implement, which are premier John Deere dealers.

All park visitors can enter a drawing to win $1,000 in groceries and learn more about Farm Bureau benefit partners and special member discounts on services and products including Morton Buildings, Case IH tractors and utility vehicles, Van Wall Energy and Ford and Lincoln vehicles. In addition, people who join their county Farm Bureau at the fair may register to win a John Deere lawn tractor.

Young fairgoers will also find free entertainment at Farm Bureau Park as the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Advisory Committee members offer a variety of free kids' activities and prizes from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11.

The park will also emphasize the importance of conservation with a unique mobile unit called the Conservation Station, provided by the Iowa Learning Farms and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The station features a rainfall simulator and offers activity modules for all ages.

The IFBF is again promoting the importance of healthy lifestyles by featuring a number of free blood pressure, glaucoma, cancer and other health screenings on select fair days. Other special activities at Farm Bureau Park on select fair days include :

  • Saturday, Aug. 11
    • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Conservation Station learning activities sponsored by the Iowa Learning Farms and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
    • 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Free blood pressure screenings provided by Des Moines University.
    • 4 p.m., Governor's Charity Steer Show at the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. The show promotes beef and raises money to aid families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses.
  • Tuesday, Aug. 14 - Farm Bureau Day at the Fair
    • 9 a.m. - noon, 49th annual Farm Bureau Cookout Contest on the Grand Concourse. Free samples available. Judging begins at 10 a.m.
    • 9 a.m., Century and Heritage Farm Awards presented at the Budweiser Stage, south of the Varied Industries building.

Farm Bureau Park is located next to the Varied Industries Building, right off the Grand Concourse. For a complete listing of Farm Bureau activities at the fair, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.

06 Aug 2012

Braley Statement on Agriculture Disaster Program Extension

By Jeff Giertz

Legislation includes Protections for Crops and Livestock 

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement today after voting for a Republican-proposed extension of agriculture disaster programs to help farm and livestock producers suffering from the summer drought. The Agriculture Disaster Assistance Act extends several disaster relief programs from the 2008 Farm Bill that expired in the fall of 2011 and have not been renewed. The bill is similar to legislation first proposed by the five members of the Iowa delegation last week.

"The drought assistance bill passed today is a step forward for Iowa farmers struggling through this summer's drought, but it's no Farm Bill.

"It's a shame that politicians in Congress are behaving like little children.  Instead of taking another recess to go out and play politics, Congress needs to grow up, act like adults, and get the job done.  Iowa farmers aren't getting a recess from the drought and Congress shouldn't get one either until the Farm Bill is passed.  Rather than take a month long break, Congress should get to work."

The Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act will extend the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Livestock Disaster Forage Program (LFP), Tree Assistance Program (TAP), and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) temporarily through 2012.

 

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06 Aug 2012

Braley Leads Bipartisan Coalition to Launch Farm Bill Discharge Petition Effort

By Jeff Giertz

Group of four urges colleagues to commit to signing discharge petition

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) today led a bipartisan coalition of Rick Berg (R-ND), Chris Gibson (R-NY), and Peter Welch (D-VT) to launch an all-out effort to recruit members to sign a discharge petition that could force a House vote on the 2012 Farm Bill in September.

Rep. Braley said, "Producers battered by this summer's drought are counting on the Farm Bill to help them through this tough time.  It's time to get this important bill moving forward.  Rural America is depending on the Farm Bill for our future and can't wait forever to know the path forward."

In a letter sent to House colleagues, the bipartisan group urged a commitment to signing the discharge petition as quickly as possible:

"Please join us in committing to sign a discharge petition to bring H.R. 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act to the House Floor for a vote," the letter reads.  "As you know, the Farm Bill has yet to be brought up and it is unclear whether it will come up prior to the Farm Bill's September 30th expiration date."

A bill must receive an up or down vote in the House if at least 218 members sign a document known as a "discharge petition."  On July 24th, Braley took the first steps to initiate a discharge petition on the Farm Bill by introducing a resolution outlining a process to circumvent House leaders' hold on the bill.

Because House rules require a waiting period between the time a bill is referred to a committee and when members can sign a discharge petition on it, Braley's Farm Bill petition won't be officially opened for signatures until after members depart for an August recess.

The Farm Bill is critically important for America's farmers and the economy and would provide certainty and a safety net for farmers struggling through this summer's drought.  The hot weather and lack of rain have left farmers vulnerable to weak crops and struggling livestock.  Over half of the counties in the United States have been declared disaster areas due to the drought.

Text of the letter follows; a scanned copy can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/GXD

--

Commit to the Farm Bill; Commit to Discharge Petition

Dear Colleague:

Please join us in committing to sign a discharge petition to bring H.R. 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act to the House Floor for a vote. As you know, the Farm Bill has yet to be brought up and it is unclear whether it will come up prior to the Farm Bill's September 30th expiration date.

The House Agriculture Committee approved the FARRM Act by a vote of 35-11 with bipartisan support, but it has yet to be reported. We have heard from various agricultural groups and their message is loud and clear - they want and need a five-year Farm Bill.

According to House Rules, for unreported legislation a discharge petition cannot be filed until 30 legislative days after it has been referred to the committee of jurisdiction. In the case of the House Farm Bill, it was referred on July 9th, so the discharge petition will be able to be filed on or around September 13th, since pro forma days during the August work period will count towards the 30 day requirement.

This petition will move to discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of H. Res. 739 entitled, a resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 6083).

Because the discharge petition cannot be filed until after the August work period, we are taking the step of simply seeking commitments from those who are willing to sign it once it becomes available at the Clerk's desk.

The need to extend assistance for farmers gets more urgent every day, given the worsening drought that is blanketing more than half the country. Just like millions of small businesses across the country, farmers need certainty and confidence in the federal programs that affect their lives. Failure to provide certainty will have a devastating impact on the agriculture industry.

Please show your support to our nation's farmers by committing to sign on to this discharge petition. Feel free to contact todd.wolf@mail.house.gov in Rep. Braley's office if you have any questions or your boss would like to commit to signing this discharge petition. Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,                    

Bruce Braley               

Member of Congress                      

 

Rick Berg                          

Member of Congress

Chris Gibson                        

Member of Congress                      

 

Peter Welch

Member of Congress

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