In Case You Missed It: June 17, 2011

Ag in the News Our Opinion: Improving Food Choices Eat healthy. Eat smaller portions. Make sure that half the plate includes fruits and vegetables. These are some tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help us become a healthier nation. The federal agency has replaced the previous Food Pyramid with a new food icon, MyPlate. We urge Gov. Rick Scott to get behind the federal effort in Florida by signing the Healthy Schools for Healthy Lives Act. The bill, which passed the Legislature with scant opposition, will help shore up Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's drive to connect Florida's farmers with school districts. The goal is to get more farm-fresh fruits and vegetables served in school cafeterias. Specifically, the bill moves the management of the school nutrition programs from Florida's Department of Education to its Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. (Tallahassee Democrat, 6/11) Putnam: Crucial Issues Looming As a third-generation citrus grower from Bartow, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam knew he was speaking to a friendly audience Thursday evening at the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in Bonita Springs. "When I come here, it always feels like a family reunion," he told about 470 people as the keynote speaker at the conference banquet. Putnam asked his fellow citrus growers for help in reaching out to the state's far larger urban population, who will play a crucial role in forming policies vital to agriculture, including immigration reform, water policy and pest and disease control. (The Ledger, 6/16) Sources Available To Help Check Citrus Trees For Canker Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne in 2004 completely changed the State of Florida’s procedure for handling citrus canker. Where once eradication of trees in areas neighboring a known cankerous tree was standard policy, it is no longer done that way. “The hurricanes that year spread the bacteria that causes the disease all over the place so fast we have no idea where it might show up,” said Denise Feiber, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Department of Plant Industry in Gainesville in a telephone interview last week. “Homeowners need to keep an eye on their own trees, and if they see something suspicious, report it themselves and have it checked.” (Observer News, 6/16) Forestry Workers Specialize In Dealing With Disaster The same people who have been battling wildfires in South Florida in past weeks might end up saving your life, should a hurricane hit.  With little fanfare, they’ve helped scores of people in past storms. These are the firefighters, foresters and other key personnel who work for the Florida Division of Forestry. When Florida was slammed by a barrage of hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, they toiled side by side with the Florida National Guard, the American Red Cross and other rescue organizations. (Sun Sentinel, 06/16) EPA Will Wait For Florida To Adopt Pollution Limits Before Withdrawing Federal Standards The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday told Florida that it won't take action on the state's request to withdraw federal water quality standards until after it reviews Florida's proposed standards. And that will require the state to adopt them, as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has proposed doing in early 2012. (The Florida Current, 6/13) Florida's Tax Collector May Get In The Middle Of Online Travel Tax Fight Prodded on by Attorney General Pam Bondi, the state agency responsible for collecting taxes may wade a bit further into the ongoing debate over the taxes paid by online travel companies. Bondi said on Thursday it’s time that someone force a resolution on whether or not online travel companies should pay taxes based on what they charge customers or what they pay the hotels to book the rooms. Lisa Vickers, the executive director of the Department of Revenue, conceded on Thursday that her agency has tried to sit on the “sidelines” and has avoided taking a stance on the issue. She said the problem is that the state's sales tax law is more than 60 years old and was not written in a way where it takes into account modern technology. Putnam suggested that DOR as well as the Cabinet may want to avoid the entire controversy. He said that the matter should be left up to the Legislature. “This is not a technical clarification of a statute,’’ Putnam said. “This is a significant policy matter that one way or the other the Legislature has to speak to.” (Florida Current, 6/16) Global Report Predicts Prolonged High Food Prices, More Pressure To Feed The Needy High food prices are likely to rise even further over the next decade, putting the poor at an increasing risk of malnutrition and hunger, a world food report warned Friday. The joint report of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said the risk of price volatility that has hurt farmers across the globe remains high. The OECD leader came out to back France’s demand for increased transparency and more regulation and public information in the farm commodities markets as a key measure to stabilize prices. (Washington Post, 6/17) A Tough Day For Farmers As Lawmakers Look For Cuts The House approved large cuts in food aid for the poor and various agriculture programs on Thursday after a steely weeklong debate that pitted Democrats against Republicans, and farm-state members against those within their own party who vehemently oppose certain types of farm aid. At the same time, the Senate voted 73 to 27 to end tax credits and trade protection that benefit the corn-based ethanol industry, with broad bipartisan backing. As a practical matter, the measure ending federal ethanol benefits will probably not become law because it is part of a larger measure that is likely to fail. But the lopsided ethanol vote showed that Congressional support for ethanol is eroding and signaled that many Senate Republicans who voted to kill the tax credits might favor some measures that reduce the deficit by ending a tax break. (New York Times, 6/16) Commissioner Spotlight From Sunday to Wednesday, Commissioner Putnam joined 16 other Commissioners of Agriculture in Greensboro, NC, who are members of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA). At this year’s meeting, topics discussed include disaster recovery efforts, federal regulations, farm bill priorities and immigration reform. Commissioner Putnam was elected by his colleagues to serve as Secretary and Treasurer of the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA). Thursday, Commissioner Putnam attended the twice monthly meeting of the Governor and Cabinet. Later that day, Commissioner Putnam delivered remarks at Florida Citrus Mutual Industry’s Seventh Annual Conference in Bonita Springs, FL. At the Department The Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) is a division of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) comprised of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and fourteen states in the Southern United States. SASDA’s mission is to support and promote the American agriculture industry. The annual meeting, which Commissioner Putnam attended this week, provides an opportunity for these state agriculture leaders to share ideas and discuss policies about issues affecting the region. Each year, SASDA holds an annual meeting hosted in the home state of the current SASDA President. The annual meeting provides an opportunity for SASDA's membership to discuss pressing issues within each state and develop positions on federal issues of importance to the industry. It is also customary for the host state to provide tours and briefings on the agricultural commodities produced in their respective states. A Look Ahead ·         Wednesday, June 22: Commissioner Putnam will deliver remarks at the Florida Cattleman Association President Reception, Marco Island, FL ·         Thursday, June 23: Commissioner Putnam will speak at the Florida Association of Broadcasters, Miami, FL

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