Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Friday, September 30, 2011

Restaurant Performance Index Fell to Lowest Level in 13 Months Amid Growing Operator Uncertainty

Restaurant Performance Index Fell to Lowest Level in 13 Months Amid Growing Operator Uncertainty
Less than one out of five restaurant operators expect economic conditions to improve in the next six months

( Washington, D.C.) Dampened by softer sales and traffic levels and continued uncertainty among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined for the second consecutive month in August. The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 99.4 in August, down 0.3 percent from July. In addition, August marked the second consecutive month that the RPI stood below 100, the level above which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators.

“The August decline in the Restaurant Performance Index resulted from softening of both current situation and expectations indicators, as well as Hurricane Irene,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. “Although restaurant operators reported net positive same-store sales results in August, their six-month outlook for both sales growth and the economy continued to deteriorate.”

“It is important to note that the industry’s August performance is a substantial improvement over the 2008-2009 period, but overall, the near-term health of the restaurant industry will depend heavily on the economy’s ability to create jobs and bolster consumer confidence,” Riehle added.

Watch a video of Riehle providing an industry update, including the July RPI and other economic indicators, plus the Association's new summer dining research.

The RPI is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, and index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. The RPI consists of two components, the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 99.3 in August – down 0.5 percent from July and the second consecutive monthly decline.

Although restaurant operators reported net positive same-store sales in August, the overall results were softer than recent months. Forty-five percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between August 2010 and August 2011, while 37 percent of operators reported lower same-store sales. In July, 48 percent of operators reported higher same-store sales, while 34 percent reported a sales decline.

Meanwhile, restaurant operators reported a net decline in customer traffic for the first time in three months. Thirty-four percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between August 2010 and August 2011, down from 40 percent of operators who reported higher traffic in July. In comparison, 42 percent of operators reported a traffic decline in August, up from 37 percent who reported lower traffic in July.

Overall, restaurant operators reported relatively steady levels of capital spending. Forty-four percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the last three months, roughly on par with 43 percent who reported similarly last month.

The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions), stood at 99.5 in August – down 0.1 percent from July and the lowest level in nearly two years. In addition, August represented the second consecutive month that the Expectations Index stood below 100, which illustrates restaurant operators’ uncertainty about business conditions in the months ahead.

Restaurant operators’ outlook for sales growth in the coming months continues to deteriorate. Thirty-three percent of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared to the same period in the previous year), down from 39 percent last month and the lowest level in 19 months. In comparison, 23 percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previous year, matching the proportion who reported similarly last month.

Meanwhile, restaurant operators remain generally pessimistic about the direction of the overall economy in the months ahead. Only 18 percent of restaurant operators said they expect economic conditions to improve in six months, compared to 17 percent who reported similarly last month. Meanwhile, 31 percent of operators said they expect economic conditions to worsen in the next six months, matching the proportion who reported similarly last month.

Restaurant operators are slightly more optimistic about capital spending in the months ahead. Forty-four percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, up slightly from 42 percent who reported similarly last month.

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor, and capital expenditures. The full report and a video summary are available online.

The RPI is released on the last business day of each month, and more detailed data and analysis can be found on Restaurant TrendMapper (www.restaurant.org/trendmapper), the Association's subscription-based service that provides detailed analysis of restaurant industry trends.

New crop of farmers

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Announces Assistance to Help Raise New Crop of Farmers and Ranchers

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011–Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded 36 grants totaling $18 million to organizations that will provide training and assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers to help them run successful and sustainable farms. As the average age of America's farmers and ranchers increases, and with traditional rural populations in decline, Merrigan said that now is a critical time to train the next generation of American producers.

“Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges, and these grants will provide needed training to help these producers become profitable and sustainable,” said Merrigan. “American agriculture supports 1 in 12 jobs in America, a critical contribution to the strength and prosperity of the country. The sheer productivity of our farmers has given Americans access to a cheap, wholesome food supply and provides us with more discretionary income than much of the rest of the world. But our farmers are aging, and more of our young people are looking outside of farming for their careers. It's time to reverse these trends, keep farmers on the farm and help beginning farmers and ranchers thrive in their careers.”

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). Under BFRDP, which was established through the 2008 Farm Bill, NIFA makes grants to organizations that implement education, training, technical assistance and outreach programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers, specifically those who have been farming or ranching for 10 years or fewer.

At least 25 percent of the program’s funding supports the needs of limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as well as farm workers who want to get a start in farming and ranching.

Projects were awarded in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Project highlights include:

• A project in New York to provide workshops, conferences, apprenticeships, online resources and mentoring services for more than 1,200 beginning farmers by 2014.
• A project in Montana to offer financial, credit and marketing training to beginning American Indian farmers.
• A project in Mississippi to develop and disseminate training materials and decision-making tools to high school and college students who plan to enter farming and ranching.
A full list of awardees can be found online at: www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2011news/beginning_farmer_awards.html.

BFRDP provided $18 million in funding this year, the third year of the program. Another $18 million will be made available in fiscal year 2012. For more information on the BFRDP program, visit: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/bfrdp/bfrdp.html.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

NCFC: farm bill priorities

Washington, D.C. (September 29, 2011)—The executive board of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives this week approved a set of priorities for farmer co-ops in the next farm bill. The action came during the semi-annual meeting of the Council.

“When it comes to writing the next farm bill, many things are still very much up in the air from the impact that the Super Committee will have on the process, to the budgetary resources that will be available to the agriculture committees, to the timing of the bill itself,” said Chuck Conner, NCFC President & CEO. “I believe that NCFC’s member-led process of developing this farm bill framework positions the organization well to be as flexible as needed as the answers to these unknown variables become apparent.”

The framework urges that Congress build on the success of the 2002 and 2008 farm bill in achieving the goals of meeting the food, fuel and fiber needs of consumers worldwide, strengthening farm income, promoting rural development, and spurring job creation across the U.S. Going forward, NCFC identified four key themes to guide the organization’s policy throughout the process:
• Defending the Agriculture Budget Baseline: While Congress faces many challenges in the current budget environment, a farm bill cannot be written without resources. While NCFC recognizes that the budget deficit will require belt tightening across federal spending, farm bill spending should not be singled out for cuts out of proportion to its impact on the federal budget.
• Promoting the value of farmer cooperatives: Maintaining and strengthening the nation’s farmer cooperatives remains NCFC’s top priority, and in the context of the farm bill, this includes ensuring that farmer cooperatives remain eligible to participate in federal programs for the benefit of the farmer members.
• Ensuring an adequate farm safety net: A cornerstone of any farm bill must be ensuring that farmers, ranchers and growers continue to have access to as many tools as possible to help them mitigate the risk inherent in production agriculture. Specific to dairy, NCFC strongly supports H.R. 3062, the Dairy Security Act of 2011, introduced by Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and that draws on the Foundation for the Future proposal developed by the National Milk Producers Federation and their members.
• Promoting market access and U.S. agricultural exports: Programs such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program help achieve the goal of expanding U.S. agricultural exports while at the same time creating American jobs and boosting farm income. They are also both tremendously cost effective—MAP for example has a return on investment of 37 to 1.
“Another major piece of our framework reflects one concern that NCFC repeatedly heard from co-op producer-members from across the country—namely, that increased regulations from federal agencies threaten to add significant cost to their farms and cooperatives,” said Conner. “These comments led to NCFC’s recent proposal for a two-year moratorium on all significant, discretionary regulatory actions th

Monday, September 26, 2011

Postal Service to Honor Living Individuals on Stamps Invites Public to Offer Suggestions through Social Media

Postal Service to Honor Living Individuals on Stamps
Invites Public to Offer Suggestions through Social Media

WASHINGTON — Beginning next year, Americans will see acclaimed musicians, sports stars, writers, artists and other nationally-known figures on U.S. postage stamps — while they are still alive. The Postal Service is inviting the public to use social media to submit their ideas for individuals to honor.

The Postal Service is dropping a rule that currently requires an individual to have been deceased at least five years before being honored on a stamp. Under the new guidelines, living or recently deceased individuals will be eligible for commemoration on postage stamps.

“This change will enable us to pay tribute to individuals for their achievements while they are still alive to enjoy the honor,” said Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General. “These remarkable individuals — through their transformative achievements in their respective fields — have made enduring contributions to the United States of America. Honoring living individuals expands the interest in stamp topics and keeps our program timely, relevant and contemporary.”

Stephen Kearney, manager, Stamp Services, said, “Engaging the public to offer their ideas is an innovative way to expand interest in stamps and the popular hobby of collecting them. We are inviting our customers to submit the top five living individuals they would like to see on stamps through Facebook and Twitter. As always, you can mail your suggestions to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, c/o Stamp Development, Room 3300, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington DC 20260-3501.”

Stamp Selection Process
Each year, the Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) — composed of individuals whose backgrounds reflect a wide range of educational, artistic, historical and professional expertise — receives as many as 40,000 suggestions for stamp subjects. The Committee selects subjects of broad national interest for recommendation to the Postmaster General. Approximately 50 new subjects are recommended each year. Stamp selections are made with all postal customers in mind, not just stamp collectors. Visit the link for information on the committee and the stamp selection process.

2012 Stamps Previewed on Social Media
Using social media, the Postal Service began raising interest in stamp collecting by previewing select stamps from the 2012 commemorative program.

Customers can view the stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter@USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for back stories on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: uspseverywhere.com
usiness in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Carol’s Cuts Recalls Fresh Cut Cantaloupe and Cut Mixed Fruit

Carol’s Cuts Recalls Fresh Cut Cantaloupe and Cut Mixed Fruit
Containing Cantaloupe Because of Possible Health Risk
Distributed in KS, Mo, and NE



Contact:
Consumer:
Chris Ream
913-281-5200


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 23, 2011 - Carol’s Cuts LLC, Kansas food processor, is recalling 594 pounds of fresh cut cantaloupe packaged in 5-pound trays as chunks and as an ingredient in 8-ounce mixed fruit medley because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriage and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Carol’s Cuts Fruit Medley, packaged in 8-ounce individual serving clamshell containers (6 packages per case) and 5-pound bulk trays of cantaloupe chunks were distributed to institutional food customers, including restaurants, in Overland Park, Kansas, Kansas City and Maryland Heights, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. Institutional customers may have used the cantaloupe on salad bars and as fruit menu items. Some institutional customers may have placed the 8-ounce servings in retail venues. Carol’s Cuts has notified all institutional customers of the recall and asked that the contaminated cantaloupe be returned or destroyed.

The Carol’s Cuts Fruit Medley product was shipped to customers on August 26 and September 12, 2011 and can be identified by oval label stickers stating Fruit Medley and having Best if Used By dates of September 3, 2011 and September 19, 2011 respectively. The 5-pound bulk trays of cantaloupe chunks were shipped to customers on August 26 and August 29, 2011 and are identified with tray stickers showing a Lot # 72361 and a Best if Used By date of September 3, 2011; and shipped September 12, 2011 and are identified with tray stickers showing a Lot # 72700 and a Best if Used By date of September 19, 2011.

The Carol’s Cuts recall is part of a larger recall involving cantaloupe traced to Rocky Ford cantaloupes produced by Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo. The Food and Drug Administration confirmed that listeria was found in samples taken from a Denver-area store and the Jensen Farms packing facility. The melons were shipped to at least 17 different states across the U.S. between July 29 and Sept. 10. As of Thursday there were eight deaths and 55 illnesses related to the contaminated cantaloupe.

Jensen Farms earlier issued a voluntary nationwide recall of its cantaloupes after news of the multi-state outbreak. Jenson Farms has ceased production and distribution of the product while FDA and the company continue their investigations as to what caused the problem.

Consumers who may have the recalled Carol’s Cuts product in their possession should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or destroy it.

Carol’s Cuts LLC is located at 1247 Argentine Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66105. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (913) 281-5200, Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Peterson, Simpson Introduce The Dairy Security Act of 2011

Peterson, Simpson Introduce The Dairy Security Act of 2011

WASHINGTON – U.S. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., and Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, today introduced The Dairy Security Act of 2011. The legislation will replace current, outdated dairy programs with new risk management tools addressing the realities of today’s dairy industry, such as rising input costs and a growing export market.

“If we have another crisis like we had in 2009, when milk prices dropped and input costs skyrocketed, I fear we could lose half our dairies. The dairy safety net did not work then and it won’t work if similar events occur now. Producers cannot wait for another crisis or a new farm bill for Congress to fix the broken dairy safety net,” Peterson said. “Feedback from all sectors of the diverse dairy industry has been instrumental in drafting this bill and I look forward to continuing these conversations, as well as working with other members of Congress to advance dairy reform.”

“It’s been helpful to me to hear from Idaho’s dairy industry about changes that we can make to the dairy program to prevent another economic crisis like that the industry faced in 2009. I appreciate the cooperative spirit and contributions of the members of the dairy industry thus far and look forward to continuing this conversation as the legislation moves through the committee process. I am confident that the Dairy Security Act of 2011 will provide an effective economic safety net for the U.S. dairy industry while saving taxpayer dollars,” Simpson said.

The Dairy Security Act of 2011 consists of three main components – a Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program, a Dairy Market Stabilization Program and reforms to the Federal Milk Marketing Order system.

Changes to the previously released discussion draft include:
• Participation in the stabilization program is optional. Only dairy producers that elect to participate in the margin protection program will automatically be enrolled in the stabilization program.
• The basic margin program payment rate is increased to 80 percent.
• Funds collected when the stabilization program is in effect would be remitted to the Commodity Credit Corporation, which would then make all of the funds available to the stabilization program board.
• The proposed reforms to the Federal Milk Marketing Order system have been redrafted to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to amend the system through a hearing process. The language specifies the areas that the Secretary is to amend, and requires the Secretary to conduct a referendum of the proposed amendments before they can take effect.
• The Dairy Export Incentive Program is repealed.
• Annual administrative fees will be required for all basic margin protection program participants – $100 for producers marketing less than 10 million pounds of milk; $400 for producers marketing between 10 million and 40 million pounds of milk; and $1000 for producers marketing more than 40 million pounds of milk.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The National Grocers Association and FMS Solutions Release Results of the 2011 Independent Grocers Financial Survey

The National Grocers Association and FMS Solutions Release Results of the 2011 Independent Grocers Financial Survey
 Annual Survey Provides Benchmark for Independent Operators to Compare Their Operations Against The Grocery Industry As a Whole

Arlington, VA (September 21, 2011) - The 2011 edition of the Independent Grocers Survey, a joint venture between FMS Solutions and the National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) has been released and shows a mixed bag for independent grocers. Overall economic pressures have shifted gross margins downward to 25.68% from 26.28% last year. These reduced margins resulted in average net profit before taxes of 1.08% for all respondents, down 60 points. As the overall economic pressures on many consumers continue, shopping for price and value are a priority for lower and middle-income shoppers. While 2010 showed some shift to 'food away from home' from 'food at home' dollars, the continuation of the weak economy may cause a reversal of the trend.
When looking deeper at the results, the divide between the top 25% and the median of the operators is growing. The profit leaders showed an average 4.07% net profit before taxes versus an average of 1.08% for all respondents. As pressures mount on the consumer, the retailers will need to respond to the needs of their customers. The price pressure as a result of the economy and fierce competition in the market will continue to push margins down.
According to Robert Graybill, President, FMS "The marketplace is becoming for many a darwinistic environment. We are seeing many operators either growing or disappearing. One in five respondents reported negative profits, while the top 25% reported strong results with an average of 4.07%. Consumers are forcing operators to function at peak efficiency so that pricing will remain reasonable in their eyes. A sloppy operator who relies on price to offset high shrink won't survive nor will companies that are overloaded with administrative costs that don't contribute to servicing the customer, as the customer can no longer afford to pay for those costs with higher prices"
"Understanding relevant industry benchmarks and characteristics of best-in-class retailers greatly improves a grocers' ability to reduce costs and compete more effectively in today's environment" said Peter Larkin, President and CEO of the National Grocers Association. "Fiscal year 2010 was a tough year for independent grocery retailers; however the resilience of the independent operator is clear. Our industry has managed to push through one of the worst economic downturns in recent history and will continue to do so."

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Poll: 64 Percent Favor Candidates Who Would Remove Judicial Powers from NLRB

Poll: 64 Percent Favor Candidates Who Would
Remove Judicial Powers from NLRB

September 20th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) today released a poll conducted by the polling company™, inc./WomanTrend showing 64 percent of registered voters favor candidates that support removing the quasi-judicial powers from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

"The results show that the more voters find out about the NLRB, and its powers to act as prosecutor, judge, and jury against private companies at the behest of big labor, the more they oppose it," ALG President Bill Wilson said.

Substantial majorities believe that the agency, founded in 1935, is antiquated (62 percent), has too much power "to officiate legal proceedings over private U.S. companies in its own court system" (66 percent) and to play "the roles of investigator, prosecutor, and judge in each of the cases that come before it" (63 percent), and opposed the Board's "power to dictate where, that is in which states, companies can locate their places of work or production facilities" (72 percent).

The NLRB has come under increasing scrutiny due to its decision barring Boeing from setting up a manufacturing facility in South Carolina, a right-to-work state, but Wilson said the agency's history of abuses went back to its inception.

Those include the controversial NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. (1939) decision that a company could not fire workers that staged sit-down strikes, and the BE & K Construction Co. v. NLRB (2002) decision that a company could not sue a union that was attempting to organize its employees, as noted in a recent Investor's Business Daily oped by Rep. Austin Scott (R-SC).

Both decisions had to be overturned by the Supreme Court.

Rep. Scott is expected to unveil legislation today that will rein in the agency's quasi-judicial powers, a bill that Wilson called "the most comprehensive effort in 75 years to rein in the one-sided decisions of an agency singularly designed to issue rulings in favor of labor unions."

Attachments:

the polling company™, inc./WomanTrend poll on behalf of Americans for Limited Government regarding National Labor Relations Board, Aug. 19-23, 2011 at www.getliberty.org/files/NLRBPoll8-19to8-23-11.pdf .

DELAURO ON CONFIRMATION OF CANTALOUPE LISTERIA OUTBREAK

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Education, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement today in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s confirmation of cantaloupes as the source of a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.

35 people 10 states have been sickened, and four people have died in this outbreak of Listeria, the first associated with cantaloupe. Jensen Farms of Colorado recalled all cantaloupes shipped between July 29 and September 10 to at least 17 states.

“This tragic outbreak is yet another example of how important it is to fully fund the FDA and support the Food Safety Modernization Act— we have charged them with the responsibility to protect the American public, and we must give them the tools to do so. House Republicans have made it clear that funding for food safety is not a priority, and have slashed funding for the FDA by millions of dollars. This is unacceptable.

“We know that it is possible to prevent these kinds of outbreaks, and to better protect American consumers. We should not be cutting funding for the FDA, and effectively tying their hands when it comes to food safety. This is a matter of life and death, and I urge my Republican colleagues to make the safety of American families a priority, and to fully fund the FDA.”

###

NSAC Releases Letter to the Super Committee and Farm Bill Budget Views

 NSAC Releases Letter to the Super Committee and Farm Bill Budget Views;
Comments on Obama Farm Budget Proposals

Washington, D.C. September 20, 2011 -- The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urged the congressional deficit reduction or super committee today to take a policy and reform-oriented approach to reducing total farm bill spending while renewing investments in underfunded areas including new farmers, rural development, conservation, renewable energy, agricultural research, and new market development.

The NSAC letter to the Committee urged them to resist further cuts to farm conservation beyond the $2 billion Congress has already cut since the 2008 Farm Bill, to place hard caps on farm commodity and crop and revenue insurance subsidies, to end subsidies for the conversion of prime grasslands, to renew funding for critical mandatory farm bill programs that have no secured baselines after the end of the current farm bill cycle in 2012, and to protect anti-hunger programs from cuts.

A more detailed nine page document accompanies the letter and includes the full scope of the NSAC farm bill budget proposal. 

NSAC Policy Director Ferd Hoefner contrasted the NSAC view with the farm bill cuts proposed by President Obama yesterday:
The Obama proposal holds promise, especially in the call for the end of direct payments.  The farm bill cuts the President offered, however, are disproportionate to the size of the farm bill budget relative to total federal mandatory spending.  In addition to the unfair size of the cut, the Administration proposal has three other problems. 

First, the Administration would cut direct payments without offering a new alternative safety net proposal, even while proposing to leave a largely failed disaster program in place at a very substantial total cost equaling roughly half of the total savings.  Disaster assistance should be built into the new safety net at a significantly lower cost, and eliminated as a free-standing program.

Second, all of the subsidies they do propose to leave in place are available without any effective limit on the size of the subsidy any one farm can receive.  As such, they would focus the cuts on small and mid-sized farms, while allowing the largest farms continued access to the loopholes currently written into law to largely avoid the cuts that apply to everyone else. 

Third, they do not take account of the dire need to put money into farm, food, and rural programs that create jobs, new business opportunities, and new healthy food options but that have shrinking or soon to be non-existent budgets.

The NSAC proposals by contrast would keep farm bill cuts at more equitable levels, target cuts so that the largest and wealthiest farms would actually have to contribute to deficit reduction, and align spending policies with widely supported public values with respect to increasing farm and rural economic opportunity, conserving natural resources and protecting the environment, and improving access to healthy food.
NSAC members from around the country will be contacting the Joint Select Committee and the House and Senate Agricultural Committees over the coming weeks to push for smarter budget cuts and real reform.

Lucas & Roberts Respond to the President's Debt Plan

Lucas & Roberts Respond to the President's Debt Plan
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's debt plan.

"The agriculture community remains willing to do its part in getting our fiscal house in order, but, in essence, President Obama’s plan for economic growth and deficit reduction is not credible. 
"The President’s policy priorities reveal a lack of knowledge of production agriculture and fail to recognize how wholesale changes to farm policy would impact the people who feed us.  For example, cutting $8 billion from the crop insurance program puts the entire program at risk. We have heard again and again from producers that crop insurance is the best risk management tool available. In jeopardizing this program, the President turns a deaf ear to America’s farmers.  Meanwhile, SURE has not worked as intended for most crops, but the President proposes extending it.  The President only proposes a $2 billion cut, roughly three percent, to conservation despite his claim that conservation spending has increased 500 percent through the years.  And, the President does nothing to address waste, fraud, abuse, and other integrity issues within nutrition programs, which account for 80 percent of USDA spending.
"Ultimately, cuts to agriculture must reflect its diversity across the country, respect the challenges producers face, and preserve the tools necessary for food production."

Monday, September 19, 2011

ANLA Testifies Before Congress on Failed Worker Program Hearing Underscores Lack of Legal Worker Options for Farm, Seasonal Employers

ANLA Testifies Before Congress on Failed Worker Program
Hearing Underscores Lack of Legal Worker Options for Farm, Seasonal Employers


Washington, D.C.— Joe Bailey, of Bailey Nurseries, St. Paul, MN, testified on September 13 before the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Worker Protections. His testimony, presented on behalf of the American Nursery & Landscape Association, briefed Congress on the labor situation confronting U.S. specialty crop agriculture and the nursery industry just as the House Judiciary Committee is taking up a bill that would make the federal E-Verify program mandatory for all employers.

Bailey described how his 106 year-old nursery has survived through the worker shortages of World War II, immigration audits and a raid, attempts to use H-2A, and E-Verify. He described in detail how with the unresponsive H-2A program, workers often failed to show up when needed for a highly seasonal business where six spring weeks are crucial. He also explained extensive efforts in 2011 to recruit American workers for seasonal jobs. The nursery needed 500 seasonal workers, yet was only able to hire 350, many of whom didn’t stay through the season.

Bailey wasn’t the only hearing witness critical of H-2A, and the Department of Labor’s (DOL) hostile administration of the program. Libby Whitley Fulton, who runs a private Virginia company that assists employers in using the program, described the startling results of an
-- more --
extensive research project commissioned by the National Council of Agricultural Employers.  Even though H-2A only supplies between three and five percent of U.S. farms’ labor needs, users reported losses totaling $320 million due to failures and limitations of the program. Grower appeals of arbitrary DOL denials have skyrocketed from a long-term annual average of 18, to nearly 450 in 2010. When challenged, DOL lost 90 percent of these appeals. A summary of the research can be found at http://www.ncaeonline.org/files/ALRP2011_brochure.pdf

Education and Workforce Committee chairman John Kline (R-MN) states, as he questioned DOL’s official witness, “You are having a worse than chilling…a freezing effect,” on those trying to use the program to ensure a legal workforce. Kline went on to say that DOL’s administration of the program is not only hurting H-2A workers, but also their American counterparts. In Bailey’s case, a seasonal workforce of 900 supports 500 full-time, year-round American jobs that will disappear if seasonal labor needs are unmet. 

The hearing came just as House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) announced that his committee will take up his E-Verify legislation on September 15. He also plans to take up H.R.2847, legislation that would make some improvements to H-2A. However, producer groups including the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform believe that improvements to H-2A will be woefully inadequate to meet their labor needs if E-Verify screens out 50 to 70 percent of experienced agricultural workers. “Even a vastly improved H-2A cannot bridge the chasm between the current legal workforce, and the workforce needed to keep American-produced food on American tables,” said Craig Regelbrugge, ACIR national co-chairman. Offshoring of production, jobs, and economic activity to foreign countries will result, he added. 

Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) plans to offer an alternative approach, H.R.2895, or the Legal Agricultural Workforce Act. It would create a new agricultural worker visa program that is considerably more flexible and market-based than the flawed and outdated H-2A model. “If a company like ours, one of the largest and most sophisticated in our industry, cannot make H-2A work, something is very wrong,” said Bailey. “Agriculture needs a legal labor safety net program that actually works.”  Bailey’s full written testimony can be viewed at www.ANLA.org. 

Friday, September 16, 2011

Registered Dietitians Learn About Grapes from California

FRESNO, California – More than 50 registered dietitians from major supermarkets
across the U.S. attended a webinar held by the California Table Grape Commission.
It was presented by Courtney Romano, registered dietitian, and Cindy Plummer,
commission vice president of domestic marketing.
Key message points included:
 California grapes are America’s local grapes.
 Grapes of all colors contain a mix of polyphenols and antioxidants, including
resveratrol.
 99 percent of primary shoppers prefer grapes from California.
 Grapes are a healthy snack.
The webinar titled, “Straight from the Vine – A Healthy Cluster of Nutrition Research,
Consumer and Retail Strategies,” complements the annual What’s in Store event for
supermarket dietitians that the commission is co-sponsoring on September 24 in San
Diego.
“Working with supermarket health professionals is a good way to reach consumers at
the retail level,” said Plummer. “It also helps build relationships and credibility with
retailers.”
The webinar included an overview of the California table grape industry, a look at the
importance of grape health benefits and a review of the commission’s health and
consumer research. The dietitians received continuing education credit for attending
the webinar.
The California Table Grape Commission was created by the California legislature in
1967 to increase worldwide demand for fresh California grapes through a variety of
research and promotional programs.

ANLA Testifies Before Congress on Failed Worker Program Hearing Underscores Lack of Legal Worker Options for Farm, Seasonal Employers

Washington, D.C.— Joe Bailey, of Bailey Nurseries, St. Paul, MN, testified on September 13 before the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Worker Protections. His testimony, presented on behalf of the American Nursery & Landscape Association, briefed Congress on the labor situation confronting U.S. specialty crop agriculture and the nursery industry just as the House Judiciary Committee is taking up a bill that would make the federal E-Verify program mandatory for all employers.

Bailey described how his 106 year-old nursery has survived through the worker shortages of World War II, immigration audits and a raid, attempts to use H-2A, and E-Verify. He described in detail how with the unresponsive H-2A program, workers often failed to show up when needed for a highly seasonal business where six spring weeks are crucial. He also explained extensive efforts in 2011 to recruit American workers for seasonal jobs. The nursery needed 500 seasonal workers, yet was only able to hire 350, many of whom didn’t stay through the season.

Bailey wasn’t the only hearing witness critical of H-2A, and the Department of Labor’s (DOL) hostile administration of the program. Libby Whitley Fulton, who runs a private Virginia company that assists employers in using the program, described the startling results of an
-- more --
extensive research project commissioned by the National Council of Agricultural Employers.  Even though H-2A only supplies between three and five percent of U.S. farms’ labor needs, users reported losses totaling $320 million due to failures and limitations of the program. Grower appeals of arbitrary DOL denials have skyrocketed from a long-term annual average of 18, to nearly 450 in 2010. When challenged, DOL lost 90 percent of these appeals. A summary of the research can be found at http://www.ncaeonline.org/files/ALRP2011_brochure.pdf

Education and Workforce Committee chairman John Kline (R-MN) states, as he questioned DOL’s official witness, “You are having a worse than chilling…a freezing effect,” on those trying to use the program to ensure a legal workforce. Kline went on to say that DOL’s administration of the program is not only hurting H-2A workers, but also their American counterparts. In Bailey’s case, a seasonal workforce of 900 supports 500 full-time, year-round American jobs that will disappear if seasonal labor needs are unmet. 

The hearing came just as House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) announced that his committee will take up his E-Verify legislation on September 15. He also plans to take up H.R.2847, legislation that would make some improvements to H-2A. However, producer groups including the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform believe that improvements to H-2A will be woefully inadequate to meet their labor needs if E-Verify screens out 50 to 70 percent of experienced agricultural workers. “Even a vastly improved H-2A cannot bridge the chasm between the current legal workforce, and the workforce needed to keep American-produced food on American tables,” said Craig Regelbrugge, ACIR national co-chairman. Offshoring of production, jobs, and economic activity to foreign countries will result, he added. 

Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) plans to offer an alternative approach, H.R.2895, or the Legal Agricultural Workforce Act. It would create a new agricultural worker visa program that is considerably more flexible and market-based than the flawed and outdated H-2A model. “If a company like ours, one of the largest and most sophisticated in our industry, cannot make H-2A work, something is very wrong,” said Bailey. “Agriculture needs a legal labor safety net program that actually works.”  Bailey’s full written testimony can be viewed at www.ANLA.org. 

SECRETARY VILSACK TELLS FARMERS AND RANCHERS TO GET NOTICED


SECRETARY VILSACK TELLS FARMERS AND RANCHERS TO GET NOTICED


INTRO: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed a gathering of farmers and ranchers in Washington, D.C. and told them to get lawmakers’ attention. The USDA’s Bob Ellison has more. (1:46)

AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TOM VILSACK SAYS FARMERS AND RANCHERS HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET NOTICED IN TODAY’S AMERICA. MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL FARMERS UNION AT U-S-D-A HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON D-C, VILSACK ANSWERED A QUESTION ABOUT HOW TO GET LAWMAKERS TO PAY ATTENTION TO RURAL AMERICA.

Morgan Hartman, Farmer, New York: How can we kick the shins to grab the attention better of our elected representatives to let them know they work for us?

Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary: The first thing we have got to do is we have to educate the rest of the country about the significance and the importance of what farm families do and what rural communities do for the entire country.

VILSACK SAID THERE IS A LACK OF APPRECIATION IN THE U-S FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

Vilsack: America has an extraordinary, extraordinary advantage over the rest of the world because we have the capacity to produce everything we need to feed ourselves. That’s not true of very many other countries in the world. Whenever people walk out of the grocery store in this country they walk out with more money in their pockets as a percentage of their paycheck than virtually anybody else in the world.

AND VILSACK SAID WITHOUT THE PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY OF U-S AGRICULTURE THAT EXTRA MONEY WOULD NOT BE SPENT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE ECONOMY.

Vilsack: So if we want our folks, our political leaders to understand the significance of what you all do and to support it adequately the ninety nine percent of us who don’t understand what you all do have got to understand how important that one percent is.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

FDA warns consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupes shipped by Jensen Farms

FDA warns consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupes shipped by Jensen Farms
09/14/2011 11:49 PM EDT

 The FDA is warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms and to throw away recalled product that may still be in their home. • Jensen Farms is voluntarily recalling Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped from July 29 through September 10, 2011, and distributed to at least 17 states with possible further distribution.  The recalled cantaloupes have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria and may be linked to a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis. The CDC reports that at least 22 people in seven states have been infected with the outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes as of September 14.  Patients reported eating whole cantaloupes they purchased from grocery stores marketed from the Rocky Ford growing region of Colorado.  While all people are susceptible to Listeria, older adults, persons with weakened immune systems and pregnant women are at particular risk.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NRA seeks innovation entries

National Restaurant Association Seeks Cutting-Edge Equipment for 2012 Kitchen Innovations Awards
Award recipients to be recognized in exclusive pavilion at NRA Show 2012

( Chicago) The National Restaurant Association (www.restaurant.org) is calling on foodservice equipment manufacturers to apply for its 2012 Kitchen Innovations™ Awards. Selected by an independent panel of experts, the award recipients represent the most groundbreaking equipment on the market that will cut costs and improve productivity and food quality in restaurant operations. They will be featured in the Kitchen Innovations Pavilion at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® (May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place).

As the global restaurant and hospitality industry’s premier trade show, the NRA Show brings together more restaurant and hospitality buyers and equipment manufacturers than any other industry event. Previous Kitchen Innovations award recipients have received national and international attention for their revolutionary products.

“Our previous Kitchen Innovations Award recipients have gained recognition as industry-leading manufacturers of foodservice equipment that significantly helps restaurant operator profitability and efficiency, so we are excited to see this year’s award submissions,” said David Gilbert, Chief Operating Officer of the National Restaurant Association. “Product innovation is an important driver toward restaurant sales growth and cost management. By identifying back-of-the-house equipment that is truly cutting edge, we hope to help the nation’s nearly one million restaurants grow and succeed.”

Award recipients will be showcased in the Kitchen Innovations Pavilion in its new central location on the exhibit floor. Throughout the four-day NRA Show, there are countless opportunities to interact with U.S. and international dealers, distributors and chain, multi-unit and independent operators, corporate decision-makers and news media during one-on-one, interactive demonstrations.

All applications are judged by an independent, expert panel of industry leaders. New this year to the judging panel is Jim Krueger, Jr., chief F&B research and development, Headquarters, of the Air Force Services Agency HQ AFSVA. Krueger will be joining  other notable panelists including Dan Bendall (principal, FoodStrategy, Inc.), Martin Cowley (senior manager design and standards, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), William Eaton (chairman of the board, Cini-Little International), Robert Forrester (principal, Restaurant Industry Solutions), Foster F. Frable Jr. (founding partner, Clevenger Frable LaVallee), Aaron LaMotte (director, Sodexo Performance Interiors), Robert Marshall (vice president, U.S. operations, McDonald's Corporation), and Kathleen H. Seelye (managing partner, Ricca Newmark Design).

The deadline to apply for the 2012 Kitchen Innovations Awards is December 21, 2011. Award recipients will be announced in February. Companies interested in applying or receiving more information should visit www.restaurant.org/show, or call Eric Rude at 312-853-2525.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2012 will be held May 5-8, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The event attracts 58,000+ attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcases the latest products, services, innovative ideas, up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues and other growth opportunities than any other industry event. For more information, visit the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show.

U.S. Must Commit to Sustainability to Overcome Mounting Economic and Ecological Strains

U.S. Must Commit to Sustainability to Overcome Mounting Economic and Ecological Strains

Worldwatch report assesses U.S. sustainability record and calls for renewed innovation and leadership
Washington, D.C.---Entire sets of assumptions, beliefs, and practices will need to be overturned if the United States is to build a sustainable economy in the decades ahead, according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute, Creating Sustainable Prosperity in the United States: The Need for Innovation and Leadership. The report assesses the country's environmental record and calls for a broad range of policy innovations in the areas of renewable and non-renewable resource use, waste and pollution, and population that would help boost the sustainability of the U.S. economy while maintaining people's overall well-being and quality of life.

"Creating a sustainable U.S. economy will require a thoughtful and strategic set of national, state, and local policies that would remake the economic playing field under a new set of principles," said Worldwatch Senior Fellow Gary Gardner, the report's author. "Unfortunately, the window for shifting to a sustainable economy relatively painlessly is closing, and each year of inaction makes the eventual shift potentially more jarring and costly for a growing number of Americans."
 
The concept of "sustainable development"- the idea that we can generate clean prosperity today while preserving resources and ecological functions for use by future generations - entered the mainstream more than 25 years ago. Yet U.S. leaders have failed to embrace the full measure of the needed changes, according to the report. Although the technological and policy tools needed to create sustainable economic activity have advanced rapidly around the world,U.S. output continues to be bolstered by unsustainable practices such as linear flows of materials, heavy dependence on fossil fuels, disregard for renewable resources, and resource use that is strongly connected to economic growth.

As a result, the United States ranks poorly in many environmental indicators, including:
•    The United States is an ecological debtor, consuming some 207 percent of its ecological capacity, according to the Global Footprint Network. It ranks as the 46th greatest ecological debtor worldwide out of 151 countries evaluated.
•    Studies show that the average U.S. citizen uses 11 times as many resources as the average Chinese, and 32 times as much as the average Kenyan.
•    In 2010, the United States was a net importer of 67 non-fuel minerals and metals out of the 92 tracked by the U.S. Geological Survey.
•    Over the past three decades, average temperatures in the continental U.S. rose five times more than for the century-long period since 1901.
•    The United States scores a 38 out of 100 in "global stewardship" and a 27 out of 100 in "reducing stresses," reflecting its minimal support for global environmental institutions and treaties and its poor performance in mitigating air pollution and water and ecosystem stresses, according to Columbia University's Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI).
•    In a 2010 survey of consumers in 17 developed and developing countries undertaken by National Geographic, Americans ranked last in green consumption habits.

Historically, the United States has risen to meet new challenges with innovation. The report notes that the country has a long tradition of environmental leadership, dating back to Teddy Roosevelt, and became a world leader in environmental policy in the 1960s and 1970s when it established a series of progressive laws and institutions. Yet the United States has lagged behind many other countries, including in Europe and Asia, in developing more sustainable economic processes and energy infrastructure.

"The United States once set the world standard in confronting its environmental problems --protecting wild lands, establishing an environmental protection agency, and acting assertively to limit pollution of all types," noted Robert Engelman, Executive Director of Worldwatch. "Americans benefited economically and in many other ways from these efforts. Yet today the country's government plays at best a very limited role in domestic or global efforts to create sustainable societies. We need a powerful citizens' movement to help policymakers see that any efforts to make the United States enduringly prosperous are doomed to fail so long as we forget that we are living on a finite planet and cannot change the laws of physics and biology to suit our ambitions."

The report outlines a series of cogent and practicable policy measures that can be instituted today to put the United States on a more sustainable path. These include shifting from an income tax to a progressive consumption tax, creating more standard eco-labeling for products, encouraging more producer "take-back" opportunities, and promoting a more feasible renewable energy market. A deceleration of population growth will also make the creation of a sustainable economy far easier, the report notes.
    
Key Policy Principles in the Report Include:
•    Make sure the true ecological cost of environmental degradation is felt in the market
•    Promote efficiency and reduce waste by creating a circular economy
•    Decouple economic growth and reliance on material use, and emphasize services over goods
•    Shift from an income tax to a progressive consumption tax
•    Implement targeted fiscal tools to shape sustainable consumption
•    Focus development less on ever-higher levels of consumption and more on increased quality of life
•    Create more standardized eco-labeling to encourage smart purchases of efficient goods
•    Encourage producer responsibility laws and "take-back" opportunities
•    Promote a renewable energy market

"America's long 'maybe' in response to history's invitation to sustainable prosperity is no longer viable," said Gardner. "The choice is not between the status quo and sustainability. A sustainable America is inevitable. The question is whether the United States builds sustainable prosperity through prudent choices now, or declines into sustained impoverishment because it failed to steward its assets when it had the choice."

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

National Restaurant Association to Sponsor CFI Food System Summit in Chicago Oct 25-26

National Restaurant Association to Sponsor CFI Food System Summit in Chicago Oct 25-26

(Washington, D.C.) – Showcasing its leadership within the food industry, the National Restaurant Association is partnering with the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) to host the 2011 CFI Food System Summit in Chicago October 25-26, 2011.

The 2011 CFI Food System Summit, “Food Choices – Challenges – Realities,” will bring together industry experts and key stakeholders to take an in-depth look into issues surrounding consumer food choices, the evolving challenges of those choices and their effect on our food system and supply.

“The National Restaurant Association works closely with the Center for Food Integrity, and this year’s Summit gives us a great opportunity to reach influential audiences throughout the food system,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, for the National Restaurant Association. “On behalf of our members, we will continue to play an active role in these important issues.”

“Having the National Restaurant Association involved in hosting this year’s Summit is a tremendous avenue for us to reach those restaurant owners and operators who can help build consumer trust in the food system,” said Terry Fleck, Executive Director of CFI.

The 2011 Food Summit is designed to help companies gain new insight and resources into moving toward a more sustainable, balanced and successful food system. To that end, the summit will include four breakout sessions: Technology and Innovation; Food Safety; Food Animal Well-Being; and Nutrition and Health. In addition, CFI officials will share results from the 2011 CFI Consumer Trust Survey.

Dr. Jason Clay, Senior Vice President, Market Transformations with the World Wildlife Fund, will present a keynote address during the Summit. Joe Quinn, Senior Director, Issue Management and Strategic Outreach for Wal-Mart Corporate Affairs, will provide the closing keynote address.

The 2011 Food Summit will take place Tuesday, October 25, and Wednesday, October 26, at the InterContinental Rosemont Hotel, Rosemont, IL. For more information and to register, click here.