Morning Ag Clips

Home » You searched for land values » Page 239

NPSAS to host pollinator seminars

by

LAMOURE, N.D. — Northern Plains Sustainable Ag Society (NPSAS) is hosting “Bringing Back Pollinators to our Gardens and Farms” by Jim Eckberg, Plant Ecologist/Agronomist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. This seminar will be held in Sioux Falls, SD on Tuesday, July 11 at Southeast Tech Campus and in Fargo, ND on Wednesday, July 12 at the Baymont Inn & Suites and is free and open to the public. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers and presentation starting at 6:30 p.m.

Pollinators are essential to our environment and lives. Over 85% of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators along with more than two-thirds of world crops. The agricultural value of insect pollination is estimated to be at least $29 billion per year in the U.S. Unfortunately, bees, butterflies and other pollinators face many challenges today including habitat loss, pesticide use and introduced diseases. Scientists have documented precipitous declines in pollinator populations with many species that were once widespread now facing extinction. 

It is time to bring back the pollinators. Whether you are a gardener, farmer, rancher or enthusiast, this presentation will provide you with information to know who the pollinators are, why they are so important, and what you can do to conserve these important insects. Presenter, Jim Eckberg, will discuss how to create habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators as well as protect these areas from pesticides. This will cover step-by-step guidance to plan, prepare, plant and manage pollinator habitat. He will finish by discussing the ongoing initiative through General Mills – Cheerios Division to provide free flowering seed and technical support for farmers in North and South Dakota and Minnesota to establish pollinator habitat on their land.  

For more information on this or other events, visit our website at www.npsas.org or our Facebook page.

Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society is a nonprofit organization that is committed to the promotion of sustainable food systems through education, research and advocacy.

— Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society

For more news from North Dakota, click here.
For more news from South Dakota, click here.

Farmers to plant more cotton and peanuts

by

RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports Friday, showing North Carolina farmers intend to plant less corn and sweet potatoes, but more cotton and peanuts this year.

  • Corn plantings are expected to total 880,000 acres in 2017; down 12% from 2016.
  • Cotton growers intend to plant 360,000 acres in 2017; up 29% from last year.
  • Flue-cured tobacco growers expect to harvest 160,000 acres in 2017; down 5,000 acres from 2016.
  • Burley tobacco growers expect to harvest 900 acres in 2017; down 10% from last year.
  • Soybean plantings, at 1.7 million acres, are expected to increase 1% from 2016.
  • Peanut growers intend to plant 120,000 acres in 2017; up 19% from the planted acreage in 2016.
  • Sweet potato growers intend to plant 83,000 acres; 15,000 less acres than last year.
  • Hay producers expect to cut 715,000 acres in 2017; up 4% from 2016.
  • Winter wheat plantings totaled 470,000 acres; up 12% from last year.

“We work to provide accurate, timely and useful data to the agricultural community,” said Dee Webb, North Carolina state statistician. “We couldn’t do that without our farmers, and we recognize this is a hectic time, so credit for the acreage data goes to the farm operators who responded to the June Agricultural Survey. These data are important to farmers as they make marketing plans, to those agribusinesses supplying farmer’s inputs, and it helps North Carolina agriculture remain viable and capable.”

NASS gathered data for the June Agricultural Survey. Growers provided information on crop acreage, grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales. These surveys make available an objective snapshot of agricultural crop acreages, grain stocks, and other agricultural production in North Carolina.

All reports are available on the NASS website: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Calendar/reports_by_date.php.

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS North Carolina Field Office at (800) 437-8451, or visit https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/North_Carolina/.

— USDA, NASS, Eastern Mountain Regional Field Office

For more news from North Carolina, click here.

Concerns over using wastewater to irrigate

by

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The use of untreated wastewater from cities to irrigate crops downstream is 50 percent more widespread than previously thought, according to a new study published this week in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

The study relies on advanced modeling methods to provide the first truly comprehensive estimate of the global extent to which farmers use urban wastewater on irrigated cropland. Researchers analyzed data with geographic information systems (GIS) rather than depending on case study results, as in previous studies.

The researchers also assessed for the first time ‘indirect reuse’, which occurs when wastewater gets diluted but still remains a dominant component of surface water flows. Such situations account for the majority of agricultural water reuse worldwide, but have been difficult to quantify on a global level due to different views of what constitutes diluted wastewater versus polluted water.

Considering consumer safety the foremost priority, study authors highlight the need to mitigate public health risks through measures taken along the entire food supply chain. This includes improved wastewater treatment, but also preventive steps on farms and in food handling, since capacity for water treatment is increasing only slowly in developing countries.

According to the study, farmers’ use of wastewater is most prevalent in regions where there is significant wastewater generation and water pollution. In these circumstances, and where safer water is in short supply, wastewater offers a consistent and reliable means of irrigating fields, including high-value crops, such as vegetables, which often require more water than staple foods. Where raw wastewater is available, farmers may tend to prefer it because of its high concentrations of nutrients, which can lessen the need to apply purchased fertilizers. In most cases, however, farmers’ use of this water is motivated by basic needs; they simply do not have alternatives.

“The de facto reuse of urban wastewater is understandable, given the combination of increasing water pollution and declining freshwater availability, as seen in many developing countries,” said Anne Thebo, a recent graduate at the University of California, Berkeley in the USA and lead author of the study. “As long as investment in wastewater treatment lags far behind population growth, large numbers of consumers eating raw produce will face heightened threats to food safety.”

Results show that 65 percent of all irrigated areas are within 40 km downstream of urban centers and are affected by wastewater flows to a large degree. Of the total area of 35.9 million hectares, 29.3 million hectares are in countries with very limited wastewater treatment, exposing 885 million urban consumers as well as farmers and food vendors to serious health risks. Five countries – China, India, Pakistan, Mexico and Iran – account for most of this cropland. These new findings supersede a widely cited 2004 estimate, based on case studies in some 70 countries and expert opinion, which had put the cropland area irrigated with wastewater at a maximum of 20 million hectares.

“Gaining a better grasp of where, why and to what extent farmers use wastewater for irrigation is an important step toward addressing the problem,” said second author Pay Drechsel of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), who leads the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems. “While actions aimed at protecting human health are the first priority, we can also limit the hazards through a variety of tested approaches aimed at safely recovering and reusing valuable resources from wastewater. These include the water itself but also energy, organic matter and nutrients, all of which agriculture needs. Through such approaches, we have been helping the World Health Organisation (WHO) respond to the wastewater challenge over the years.”

“We hope this new study will focus the attention of policy makers and sanitation experts on the need to fulfill Sustainable Development Goal 6, particularly target 3, which calls for halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe water reuse,” added Drechsel.

“One major challenges is to cultivate behavior change from farm to fork, especially where risk awareness is low. Another consists of larger scale efforts to put the recovery and reuse of resources from wastewater and other waste on a business footing to make its management more attractive for the public and private sectors. Safe resource recovery and reuse have significant potential to address the health and environmental risks, while at the same time making cities more resilient and agriculture more sustainable, contributing to more circular economies.”

–IOP Publishing
via EurekAlert!

For more articles concerning international issues, click here.

NRDs celebrate 45 years

by

LINCOLN — For 45 years, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) have been protecting lives, property and future of this beautiful state. July 1, 2017, marks the 45th Anniversary of the creation of the NRD system in Nebraska.  With the local public participation, Nebraska has made monumental progress in all 23 NRDs with soil and water conservation and protection efforts.

“Nebraska’s natural resources are precious and need to be protected,” said Jim Bendfeldt, president of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. “We commend the public for working with their local NRD to protect the natural resources for future generations.  They need clean water to drink, nutrient-rich soil to grow food to sustain Nebraska’s economic viability.”

The Nebraska Legislature enacted Legislative Bill (LB) 1357 in 1969 to combine Nebraska’s 154 special purpose entities into the Natural Resources Districts by July 1972.  The 23 NRDs were organized based on the state’s major river basins. Each District has a publicly-elected board that makes local management decisions to help conserve our valuable natural resources and groundwater. Throughout the decades, the NRDs have worked with landowners to protect natural resources, provided and protected public water supplies, assisted urban and rural areas with flood control, provided recreation opportunities and have planted more than 95 million trees throughout Nebraska.

“The Natural Resources Districts are celebrating this amazing milestone,” said Bendfeldt. “Other states are struggling with water and soil management because they do not have a local NRD system to provide opportunities for local citizens to protect natural resources.  Without the NRDs, Nebraska would be in the extremely tough situation we see so many other states dealing with right now. With the NRD system, we have clean water, good soil and wonderful, hardworking people who believe in this state’s success and future.”

Here are several facts about the Nebraska’s natural resources as we look back on the last 45 years of success:

Groundwater

  • Nebraska is #1 in irrigated acres while maintaining groundwater levels at pre-developed levels.
  • Nebraska’s center pivot manufacturers work closely with the NRDs and help lead the charge by creating and manufacturing more efficient irrigation systems.
  • Nebraska farmers and ranchers work with the NRD on water quality and quantity management to protect this valuable resource for future generations.
  • Wise management of the water resources also helps Nebraska agriculture lead the nation in several categories.  We are #1 in cattle on feed and commercial red meat production, #2 in ethanol production, #3 in corn production, #5 in soybean production and # 6 in swine production.
  • Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts work with private landowners to monitor thousands of wells across the state each year for groundwater quality and quantity.

Flood Control

  • There are hundreds of effective NRD flood control programs and activities across Nebraska directed at keeping our floodplains safer and reducing the potential for loss of life and property.
  • Districts construct and maintain watershed structures or dams to help reduce the effects of flood damage during large rain events.
  • Levee systems are also operated and maintained by the districts to protect property and lives.
  • By installing this structures, thousands of homes and businesses have been removed from the federal floodplain maps saving those millions in federal flood insurance premiums and liability.

Forestry

  • NRDs have planted more than 95 million trees since 1972.
  • Trees shade and shelter homes, reduce energy costs, protect and increase crop yields, reduce soil erosion caused by water and wind, improve water quality, control snow and preserve winter moisture, protect livestock, provide food and cover for wildlife, control noise, capture atmospheric carbon, raise property values, and add beauty to our landscape.
  • Check out http://www.nrdtrees.org for more information on tree planting and species available for purchase by each NRD. 

Soil

  • NRDs assist landowners to make implement conservation practices to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health and improve surface water quality.
  • NRDs work with state and federal agencies to modify programs to fit local resources needs.
  • Best management practices, terraces, waterways, filter strips, and buffer strips all help to improve the quality of surface water in a watershed.

Recreation

  • There are over 80 recreation areas across the state run by the NRDs.  These areas include public access lakes, trails, and wildlife areas.  There’s something for every outdoor enthusiast to enjoy!
  • Please visit http://www.nrdrec.org for more information on the amenities and recreation opportunities in your area!

Education

  • The NRDs work closely with the University of Nebraska Research and Extension to help improve farming and ranching practices that save soil, protect grass lands and protect water resources.
  • The NRDs work with local schools, 4-H, FFA and local natural resources science clubs to provide additional natural resources education and information programs.

Visit https://www.nrdnet.org/nrds for more information about local NRDs and programs to protect natural resources.

Visit http://www.nrdstories.org for more information on important individuals critical to the history and formation of the NRDs.

— Nebraska Association of Resources Districts

For more news from Nebraska, click here.

Economic development forums held

by

FRANKFORT — Three economic development forums held across Kentucky last week aimed to expand the stream of agricultural products into Kentucky’s manufacturing sector, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said.

The Linking Agriculture for Networking & Development (LAND) forums were held Tuesday in Owingsville, Wednesday in Shelbyville, and Thursday in Princeton. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) and the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) facilitated the forums with the financial support of the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund and other regional sponsors.

“These forums brought together various agricultural and manufacturing interests to talk about how they can work together,” Commissioner Quarles said. “We will continue this discussion going forward as we seek to expand agriculture’s role as an economic development tool that will generate income and jobs in all parts of Kentucky.”

“We are proud to be a part of this initiative,” said Greg Higdon, president and CEO, Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. “Using raw agricultural products to develop value-added products downstream can produce new economic opportunities to help support and grow both individuals and communities in Kentucky’s rural areas.”

Each forum featured presentations from Commissioner Quarles, Higdon, regional agricultural leaders, and industry management discussing successful collaborations and referencing resources to foster additional development. Each program included a Kentucky Proud lunch with locally sourced farm ingredients.

— Kentucky Department of Agriculture

For more news from Kentucky, click here.

Farm Bureau lauds more accurate CAUV

by

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s farmers and rural communities will benefit from reforms to the state’s farmland tax policy, culminating a three-year effort led by Ohio Farm Bureau. The reforms were included in the new state budget signed by Gov. John Kasich.

“It’s taken three years of grassroots action to fix the flaws in the CAUV formula, and our members should be proud of this significant accomplishment,” said Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Adam Sharp. “We also want to thank the legislators who listened to our Farm Bureau members.”

The budget legislation contains changes to the Current Agricultural Use Value formula, which in recent years has caused farmland owners to experience tax increases of 300 percent or more. These unsustainable increases have come at a time when farm incomes have fallen dramatically.

Sharp cited the “thousands of phone calls, emails and personal visits” Farm Bureau members made to help legislators understand the critical need for reform.

It is estimated that these changes, coupled with previous Farm Bureau-led reforms, will result in average savings of 30 percent for 2017 reassessments. This will help farmers stay on their land and continue their contributions to the local economy and community.

The reform also removes the penalty on farmers who place land in conservation practices that protect water quality.

The reforms are phased-in over two reassessment cycles (6 years) in order to assist local communities and schools to transition to the more accurate CAUV formula.

Under CAUV, farmland is taxed at a rate that reflects its value for agricultural purposes instead of its value as development property. It was enacted by Ohio voters in 1973 as a means to preserve farmland.

Sharp expressed gratitude to Gov. Kasich, Senate President Larry Obhof and House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, as well as Senators Cliff Hite and Bob Peterson and Representatives Brian Hill and Kirk Schuring for their leadership.

The reforms will begin in the 2017 valuations, which farmers in 41 counties will receive in January 2018, and will be fully implemented for all counties after the 2022 reassessment.

— Ohio Farm Bureau Federation

Ky. soybean plantings at a record high

by

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports Friday, showing soybean planted acreage is a record high.

“Planting conditions were relatively normal, allowing farmers to put in the crops they had planned,” said David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “Corn acreage fell to the lowest level since 2010, but soybean planted acreage is a record high, exceeding the 1.84 million acres in 2015. Economic conditions favor soybeans over corn this year, and crop rotation decisions also led to more soybeans acres, following larger corn acreage last year.”

Soybeans planted in Kentucky were estimated at 1.9 million acres; up 110,000 acres from 2016. Acres harvested for grain, at 1.89 million acres, was 110,000 acres above acres a year ago. U.S. soybean planted area for 2017 was estimated at 89.5 million acres, up seven percent from last year. Area for harvest, at 88.7 million acres, is up seven percent from 2016.

Acreage planted to corn in Kentucky was estimated at 1.35 million acres, down 150,000 acres from 2016. Acres harvested for grain was estimated at 1.26 million acres, down 140,000 acres from last year. The U.S. corn planted for all purposes in 2017 was estimated at 90.9 million acres, down 3 acres from last year. Growers expect to harvest 83.5 million acres for grain, down 4 percent from last year.

Farmers in Kentucky intend to set an estimated 60,000 acres of burley tobacco for harvest. This was down 1,000 from the 2016 level. Dark fire-cured tobacco acreage set was estimated at 10,000 acres, up 500 acres from the previous year. Dark air-cured tobacco acreage was estimated at 5,000 acres, up 200 from a year ago. Burley producing states acreage for harvest was estimated at 80,500 acres, one percent above last year.

“Tobacco acreage has been hovering around 60,000 acres the past three years as farmers and buyers contract acreage consistent with demand,” Knopf said. “The first production forecasts for corn, soybeans and tobacco will be published August 10. A sample of farmers will be surveyed during the first week of August to gather yield expectations.”

Other Kentucky Estimations

Winter wheat seeded acreage in Kentucky was estimated at 460,000 acres, 50,000 acres below the previous year. Acreage harvested for grain was estimated at 340,000 acres, 60,000 acres below 2016. The U.S. winter wheat planted area was estimated at 32.8 million acres, down nine percent from 2016. Area harvested for grain was forecast at 25.8 million acres, down 15 percent from last year.

Alfalfa hay acreage in Kentucky was estimated at 150,000 acres, unchanged from the 2016 crop. All other hay was estimated at 2.10 million acres, also unchanged from a year ago. The U.S. All hay acreage was estimated at 53.5 million acres, up slightly from 2016.

“We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers, but the information they provide helps Kentucky and U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable,” Knopf said.

NASS gathered data for the June Agricultural Survey earlier this month. Growers provided information on crop acreage, grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales. These surveys make available an objective snapshot of agricultural crop acreages, grain stocks, and other agricultural production in Kentucky.

All reports are available on the NASS website: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Calendar/reports_by_date.php.

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Kentucky Field Office at (800) 928-5277, or visit https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kentucky/.

— USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office

For more news from Kentucky, click here.

Kinnard Farms wins sustainability award

by

CASCO, Wis. — The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®, established under the leadership of dairy farmers, announced its sixth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards in a June 28 Chicago ceremony. The program recognizes dairy farms, businesses and partnerships whose practices improve the well-being of people, animals and the planet. Kinnard Farms, Casco, won a national award for Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability. The farm was one of three national winners in their category.

Award winners represent the U.S. dairy community’s voluntary efforts towards continuous improvement in sustainability. “This year’s winners devised new ways to protect our land, air and water. And they’re proactive about building strong relationships with their communities and employees,” said Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “Throughout the dairy value chain, all sizes of dairy farms and companies use sustainable practices because it’s good for the environment, good for their community and good for business.”

Judges evaluated nominations based on their economic, environmental and community impact. The independent judging panel — including experts working with and throughout the dairy community — also considered learning, innovation, scalability and replicability.

The award announcement recognized the Kinnard Family for their innovative ways to maximize water, soil and cow comfort while supporting their rural community. “They retain the area’s young, college-educated residents by employing them to innovate farm technology. The Kinnards are often on the cutting edge; they made a first-of-its-kind sand recycling center—one that uses no freshwater in the process—to separate, wash and dry sand for repeated use. Sand is this farm’s preferred bedding material because it provides comfort and sure footing for cows and is bacteria free, keeping udders healthy.”

“The Kinnard family is dedicated to continuous improvement in cow comfort and soil health, allowing them to grow the farm sustainably and preserve their rural community’s agricultural roots,” said Chad Frahm, senior vice president, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “We commend them for their impressive practices.”

According to Nathan Nysse, a senior agronomist with Tilth Agronomy, who nominated the farm for the award, “Kinnard Farms takes a responsible approach to farming, keeping social, economic and environmental impacts top-of-mind. The Kinnard Family remains focused on maintaining soil quality and health and keeping their land in crop production for a long period of time, while protecting our surface and groundwater. The family owners have strong values, personal integrity and a willingness to exceed regulations to make sure their dairy farm is good for the people and the planet.”

The additional winners in the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability category were SwissLane Farms, Alto, Michigan, and Rickreall Dairy, Rickreall, Oregon. Additional winners in other categories included:

  • Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability

Glanbia Nutritionals, Evanston, Illinois

  • Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship

Kellercrest Registered Holsteins, Inc., Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

  • Outstanding Achievement in Community Partnerships

Oakland View Farms & Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, Caroline City, Maryland

Honorable Mentions included:

  • Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, The Kroger Co. of Michigan, Michigan Milk Producers Association and Michigan State University Extension, Novi, Michigan

  • U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium Extension, College Station, Texas
  • Mercer Vu Farms, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

About the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment

The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program is supported by generous sponsors. This year’s sponsors are: DeLaval, Elanco, Syngenta and World Wildlife Fund.

The 2016 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report is the sixth progress report published by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to update stakeholders on the progress of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, an industrywide effort to measure and improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the dairy community.

To learn more, visit USDairy.com/Sustainability.

— Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®

For more news from Wisconsin, click here.

Brewers, farmers, KSU collaborate on beers

by

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Kentucky brewers, Kentucky Proud producers, and Kentucky State University (KSU) will produce craft beers infused with locally grown ingredients that will be released this fall.

In a news conference today in Georgetown, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles joined representatives of the Kentucky Guild of Brewers, the Kentucky Hop Growers Alliance, and KSU to announce the project. The craft beers will be released Oct. 12-14 during Kentucky Proud Beer Week.

“This collaboration will produce agricultural products that add value to the individual ingredients,” Commissioner Quarles said. “This is a great example of Kentucky Proud farmers and small businesses helping each other. We were pleased to play a role in bringing this project together.”

“This venture will support small family farms and small businesses in new economic activity, as well as bring a unique Kentucky fruit, the pawpaw, and blackberry, the Kentucky state fruit, to consumers in new value-added products,” said Dr. Kirk Pomper, director of Land Grant Programs at Kentucky State University.

The Kentucky Proud ingredients and the brewers that will be using them include:

· Pawpaws – Rooster Brewing, Paris, and Rock House Brewing, Lexington; West Sixth Brewing and Ethereal Brewing, both of Lexington;

· Blackberries – Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and Great Flood Brewing Co., both of Louisville; Jarfly Brewing Co., Somerset, and Paducah Beer Werks;

· Hops – Country Boy Brewing, Georgetown, and Monnik Beer Co., Louisville; Mile Wide Beer Co. and Falls City, both of Louisville.

The pawpaws will be sourced from multiple Kentucky growers. The blackberries will come from KHI Foods in Burlington. The hops will be provided by members of the Kentucky Hop Growers Alliance.

Kentucky State’s Fruit and Vegetable Mobile Processing Unit will be used to process the fruit into a form that the brewers can easily use in their craft beers. Processing will be completed at the KSU research farm near Frankfort.

To find the dates and times when the craft beers will be released, watch the Kentucky Guild of Brewers website, kygbrewers.org.

— Kentucky Department of Agriculture

For more news from Kentucky, click here.

Farmers address questions about livestock

by

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) members brought their livestock to the Boston Common on June 20 to answer legislators’ and consumers’ questions about the care and management of livestock.

During these interactions, farmers and MFBF staff discussed bills of importance that they are supporting this session. Those bills included:

HB 3323 – An Act to establish estate tax valuation for farms, Representative Hogan

SB 1584 – An Act to establish estate tax valuation for farms, Senator O’Connor-Ives

  • Massachusetts has an estate tax that is levied when the value of an inherited estate exceeds $1 million. The estate tax is based on the “highest and best use” of the land – typically the development value, rather than the ag value.
  • This has proven to be a challenge for many farmers inheriting farmland, who want to continue to farm the land rather than develop it. Often, they do not have cash on hand to pay the estate tax and are forced to sell some or all of the land to do so.
  • This bill would value farmland at agricultural value for estate tax purposes. The land would need to remain in agriculture for at least 10 years to fully enjoy this benefit. If the land is developed within 10 years, back-taxes would need to be paid as well as an Elevated capital gains tax.

HB 441 – An Act to promote the care and well-being of livestock, Representative Kulik

  • Creates a Board within the Department of Agricultural Resources consisting of farmers, local humane organizations, veterinary organizations and relevant state agencies.
  • The Board will be charged with ensuring livestock is treated humanely, and will be given the ability to create relevant regulations, guidance, etc.
  • The bill is intended to ensure that future policy regarding the humane treatment of livestock is based on science and broad consensus.

“We are pleased that this annual event was well received,” said MFBF President Ed Davidian, who farms in Northborough. “The farmers who attended helped disperse our message to the crowds in Boston. Through events like this one, we are educating legislators and the public about bills that are critical to maintaining farm profitability in the Commonwealth.”

Ice cream that was served during the day was provided by Davidian Bros Farm in Northborough and Cooper’s Hilltop Farm in Rochdale.

To learn more about MFBF’s policy priorities, please visit: http://www.farmbureau.co/legislative-priority/.

—Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation

For more articles out of New England, click here.