Joe Dales's Blog – February 2016 Archive (1)

Ag Priorities Pile Up in Congress

Congress has multiple priorities to help farmers — year-round E15, a full farm bill, and $15 billion in direct aid — but lawmakers still lack a clear path to pass any of it despite bipartisan support and backing from key leaders. Members of the North American Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) organization met on Tuesday with the chair and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, along with two senior members of the House Agriculture Committee. The four lawmakers’ comments reflected strong bipartisan support for aiding farmers but little consensus on how to move key legislative priorities forward. The lion’s share of the commodity title, funding for conservation and crop insurance were cleared in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer. At the same time, the credit title, rural development and other USDA programs are operating on the latest extension passed by Congress. Credit, in particular, is seen as an area ripe for expansion to help farmers manage financial stress,

Operating farm equipment in Nova Scotia

14-year-olds can operate equipment with a Class 8 license

Province moves to exempt farmland from stormwater fees, addressing long-standing concern for farmers

 Ontario’s farmers are welcoming a regulatory change by the provincial government that will limit how municipalities apply stormwater fees, ensuring farms are not charged for services they do not use.

Ag included in new Canada-U.S. economic committee

Multiple members have ties to Canadian ag

Operating farm equipment in Quebec

If the equipment travels on public roads, a license is required