Veterinary Practice

Congress Approves CR, Includes $31 Billion in Farmer, Disaster Aid and Farm Bill Extension

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:48:15 GMT

With little if any drama like the House, the Senate easily cleared the 118-page continuing resolution (CR) early Saturday morning with a vote of 85-11 (four members did not vote). The measure funds the government through March 14. The CR includes nearly $110 billion in disaster and farmer aid ($21 billion ag disaster and $10 billion in farmer aid), and a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Senate vote came hours after the House passed the measure on a 366-34 vote, well above the two-thirds majority threshold required under that chamber’s suspension of the rules procedure, with no Democrats voting no along with 34 Republicans. Texas Dem Rep. Jasmine Crockett voted “present”.

Debt Ceiling

GOP leaders dropped a two-year suspension of the statutory debt ceiling that was in a previous CR version and that helped push the bill through both chambers. Democrats opposed inclusion of the debt limit provision, arguing it would make it easier on Republicans next year to cut taxes and ram through other partisan priorities. Cutting the debt limit language was enough to convince Democrats to go along with the stripped-down bill, even though it excluded their priorities contained in an i nitial 1,547-page bipartisan measure .

One ag sector lobbyist said, “Ag groups need to start playing the game… those who always vote no on everything… why not actively oppose them… they don’t support farm bills anyhow.”

Breaking Down the Votes

Here is the list of House Republicans who voted no on the CR that contained $31 billion in ag sector assistance:

House no votes on CR

(House of Representatives)

Some notable representatives who voted against the CR include Nancy Mace (South Carolina), Thomas Massie (Kentucky), and Chip Roy (Texas). The reasons for voting against the CR varied among representatives, with some citing concerns about high levels of spending, lack of reforms, or opposition to giving the current administration additional funding.

Here is the list of Senate Democrats who voted no:

Senate no votes on CR

(U.S. Senate)

Farmer Aid in the CR

This is a breakdown of the $31 billion in farmer assistance via the CR:

Farmer aid breakdown

(House Ag Committee)

Possible Payment Amounts to Farmers

The farmer aid should be available 90 days after the legislation’s enactment. Farm CPA Paul Neiffer estimated per acre payment amounts via the Economic Loss Assistance program based on his knowledge of the provisions.

Possible payments as calculated by Farm CPA Paul Neiffer

(Lindsey Pound )

While USDA will make the final calculations, based on Neiffer’s estimates, producer payments look like this per acre, using the following calculation: (USDA’s Projected Cost of the Crop – National Projected Returns) x Eligible Acres x 26% = Total Payment.

Corn: $43.80
Soybeans: $30.61
Wheat: $31.80
Cotton: $84.70
Rice: $69.66

Neiffer says there is a payment limit of $125,000 dollars, which is down from the $175,00 originally proposed in the FARM Act. He says it’s also key to note with the updated relief, if 75% of your total gross income comes from farming, which includes wages and interest and dividends, then you qualify for the double payment.

Related Story: Poll Results: 71% of Farmers Say Congress Should Approve Economic Aid Before Year-End

House Ag Committee Fact Sheet Details Payments

The House Ag Committee released a fact sheet on the farmer economic assistance that is provided in the current Continuing Resolution (CR), modeled off of Rep. Trent Kelly’s (R-Miss.) FARM Act (HR 10045). There is a list of eligible commodities, a payment formula, administrative provisions, and estimated payment rates.

House Ag panel staffers say please keep in mind that the payment rates in this document are estimates and “almost certain to change slightly once implemented. These rates are the best approximation based on the data cited in text. This does incorporate the minimum payment rate provision. You’ll see that those crops receiving payments via the minimum payment provision have an asterisk.”

The House Ag panel had the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M analyze the impact of the economic assistance provided through this provision. Their findings suggest that the funds will improve ending cash position on their Representative Farm system by nearly 20% by the end of 2025.

Farmer aid

(House Ag Committee)

Your Next Reads:

Poll Results: 71% of Farmers Say Congress Should Approve Economic Aid Before Year-End

Ag Gets Potential Christmas Gift from Congress: Continuing Resolution Includes $31 Billion in Aid for Producers

Become a More Anticipatory Leader

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 02:21:54 GMT

Dave Mitchell uses his two-decade career in corporate HR to coach businesses on improving company cultures and reaching peak performance. And he says he’s not afraid to slay some dragons when it comes to tools many businesses may rely on, but don’t provide the service leaders are seeking.

“There are some things that we’ve adopted over the years that really aren’t particularly useful and I think in some cases even detrimental to our performance,” he says.

For example, he encourages leaders to stop using employee surveys.

“It’s just a waste of money. It’s offensive, and it does more harm than good,” Mitchell says. “Employee surveys don’t fix the problem. To be a great leader and reach peak performance, you have to get feedback in a more genuine and immediate way.”

He says today, leaders need to become more anticipatory managers—and identify and address problems much quicker.

“Leaders need to be plugged into what’s happening on a daily basis,” he says. “The people that have authority need to be better aware of what’s really happening and the people that know what’s happening have to have a conduit to educate those people that have the ability to make change.”

Mitchell has noticed a large trend of too much distance between managers and the work being done. This has created a dangerous gap for problems to linger, grow larger and cause major issues.

“As such, leaders must build in systems in their culture that reconciles that distance,” he says. “The fact that leaders don’t know what’s going on, doesn’t mean they don’t have plenty to do, so they often wait until they hear something.”

Mitchell uses “people preventative maintenance” a method to identify problems while they are still small—before they are exacerbated.

“We have a tendency just to wait until something becomes so obnoxious to the employee that they’re willing to storm into someone’s office and complain about it, and by that time, this is probably beyond the tipping point,” he says.

He says more and more organizations are using this method and building in the mechanisms to make problems known earlier.

Hear more in The Scoop Podcast:

Horizon Award Honors Husband-and-Wife Team for Their Drive and Focus

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 16:59:42 GMT

Each year, Top Producer recognizes a producer under the age of 35 who demonstrates excellence in the business of farming, specifically marketing, finance, technology and family and employee relations. Congratulations to Martin Angus, the 2022 recipient of the Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award. Brendan and Elaine Martin were recognized at a ceremony held Feb. 14 during Top Producer Summit in Nashville.

Brendan Martin learned early on that cows equal cash flow. He started building his herd in high school with the goal of one day owning his own farm.

Growing up in the Shenandoah Valley near Mt. Solon, Va., Brendan began building equity and his farming dream through heifers, custom hay bailing and hard work. His reputation attracted the attention of a neighbor who was looking to slow down. The neighbor wanted a young, energetic farmer to purchase his cow herd and lease his 280-acre farm. Brendan stepped up to the plate.

Today, Brendan’s diversified and multi-faceted operation is a team effort with his wife, Elaine. In addition to their 280-acre home base, they lease around 600 acres of pasture and farmland. They raise corn, alfalfa, small grains and hay, and their cattle operation includes a registered Angus and commercial Angus herd, 210 fed cattle and 1,030 feeder calves. In the past couple of years, they have invested in their cattle facilities to increase cow comfort and feeding efficiency.

In 2019, the Martins added Blue Cedar Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef business. They ship beef all over the nation every week of the year. They also do custom mowing and litter spreading and recently added a trucking business. Their team includes two full-time and two part-time employees. Brendan also owns a large animal mobile veterinary practice, Valley Herd Health. Elaine specializes in record keeping, payroll and financial management for the farm, as well as keeping a close eye on the cattle herd.

As the Martins look toward the future, their goal is not to have the most cows or acres. They are motivated by their return on investment and creating generational impact in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

Take a trip to Martin Angus with this video from AgDay.

The Horizon Award is sponsored by Corteva and Pioneer. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Top Producer Summit; virtual mentoring sessions from Kristjan Hebert, the 2020 Top Producer of the Year; and a DJI Phantom 4 Drone, courtesy of Corteva.

The Online Top Producer Summit is set for Feb. 22-23 and will include live, on-demand and recorded sessions from the event in Nashville. Register now!

Business Reset: What To Do Before You Reopen

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

COVID-19 has reset “normal” at your business. For the last six to seven weeks, you have been forced to reimagine how you do business and deliver customer satisfaction. You’ve had to focus on both team and financial health.

“You’ve made many of the toughest decisions in your entire business career, maybe in your entire life. Maybe you had to let employees go,” says Mel Kleinman, president of Humetrics, a human resource consulting firm.

Now, you must answer an extremely important decision before you reopen: Who do you bring back?

“When it comes to your employees, bring back only the best—period,” Kleinman says. “You’ll need to run lean and mean, so each and every one of them must be an A-player you can count on to do their job with excellence while following the systems and procedures that make protecting public health their A#1 priority.”

Why is this so important? Because that’s what it’s going to take to make your customers trust you enough to return, he says.

As you assess how you and your team spend time, look for ways to improve your processes.

“When it comes to the tasks that need to be done, now’s the time to find better, faster and cleaner ways to do them and to consider if they even need to be done in the first place,” Kleinman says. “Now is the perfect time to streamline systems and redefine responsibilities.”

Whatever “normal” looks like in the future, your business will need to adapt.

“Let’s face it, when it comes to cleanliness, public health, and customer service, ‘good’ will no longer be good enough,” Kleinman says. “To have any hope of winning back your customers’ confidence, ‘business as usual’ will mean your people, your products, your services, and your location will need to be cleaner and safer in every obvious way possible.”

As you start to think about what your business will look like going forward, Kleinman says, you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to push the reset button and come back better and stronger than ever.

Read More

9 Reasons Your Best Employees Quit https://www.agweb.com/article/9-reasons-your-best-employees-quit

Tips To Reduce Employee Turnover https://www.agweb.com/article/tips-reduce-employee-turnover

Are You the Boss No One Wants to Leave? https://www.agweb.com/article/are-you-the-boss-no-one-wants-to-leave

10 Tips for Finding Allstar Employees https://www.agweb.com/article/10-tips-for-finding-allstar-employees

Use Emotional Intelligence to Tackle The Tough Stuff

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 16:04:57 GMT

As a leader, you are looked to for your reaction in many tough situations. And your reaction sets the tone for how the rest of the team will proceed through the situation themselves.

During the 2021 Top Producer Summit Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry, co-founder of Institute for Health and Human Potential and NY Times best-selling author, gives tips on how to reframe hard situations so they aren’t happening to you but rather happening for you.

Pawliw-Fry has worked with the NFL, NBA, Navy Seals and Olympic athletes. He says the most common barrier to success is our reaction to challenges, which can be managed through using emotional intelligence.

He shares in hard to have conversations, hard to make decisions and hard to do tasks, people can easily navigate the first 92%, but it’s the final 8% of completing one of those three that falls victim to one of two predictable behaviors—avoidance or making a mess of it.

“If you can manage these moments, the world is yours,” he says. “By our data, most people are avoiders, and if you know your patterns, you can manage around it.”

He shares there are two risks to not completing that final 8%. There can be a loss of external reputation from your team, and there’s also a loss of internal reputation within yourself.

“When we choose to avoid a situation, or take an off-ramp or make a mess of something, it effects how we are seen and how we view ourselves,” he says. “If you manage through that last 8% it means you don’t burn up energy in anxiety, you’re managing intentions, and you stay in relationship with those who are you having the tough conversation.”

Our brains our designed to make us feel before we think. If you can hijack that natural process to allow yourself to stay engaged in a challenge rather than react emotionally, you can chart a course for success.

As a tool to assess yourself, Pawliw-Fry shares these three ways to know when you are reacting on emotion:

How you feel physically. For example, heat in your face/head, tightness in your chest, or butterflies in your stomach.
Having a sense of certainty. This is when the world becomes very black/white or right/wrong. It results in being closed off from the conversation at hand.
Urgency. If you feel like an event demands action right now, it means you are overlooking the value of analyzing the situation.

As a tool to help leaders start their day with mindfulness, movement and mental training, he has a free podcast, The Last 8% Morning. Click here to learn more.

And you can see his full presentation, The Calm Person in The Boat: Leverage the Power Of Emotional Intelligence, from the 2021 Top Producer Summit. You can still register for access to the full event’s presentations through March 31. Use the code “ONDEMAND” to take $25 off your registration fee.

Read more coverage of the Top Producer Summit

Conflict Resolution Strategies For Real Life

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:26:13 GMT

It’s the little things in life that make it worth living … and make you want to pull out your hair, quit your job or fire your family. Seemingly small matters can morph into emotional trials or even worse outcomes. The solution is to diffuse conflicts quickly and build a culture in your business where people learn to work small things out and let them go.

I was reminded of this when I received a call from “Jerry.” He was debating whether to fire one or both employees involved in a conflict about break times. This small issue was causing all kinds of problems, including a wrecked grain cart and a broken wrist.

The two long-feuding employees, Ashley and Justin, took their disagreement public. They were seen arguing at the local elevator and then took it to Facebook, calling each other names and denouncing each other’s work ethic, ability, smarts and more.

Jerry was appalled, embarrassed actually, that such as simple matter had gone to extremes. The thing about petty conflicts is they undermine trust and respect. Worse, these nagging issues make the workplace unpleasant and people lose productively.

Remember, while most of us don’t like conflict, it can be productive, and it doesn’t have to last. Here are a few tips to quickly diffuse small conflicts and prevent them from brimming over:

Consider the topic of disagreement. Is it something to discuss? Could there be a problem with a system or process that needs fixing? In Ashley and Justin’s case, the break times weren’t clearly delineated and the two had different views about what that meant. Fixing this situation early on may have solved the problem and provided clarity for everyone.

Take action quickly, but never instantly. As a leader, your essential function is avoiding escalation. Breath and evaluate. Set a time to address the issue and let all parties know when it will be discussed. Often, talking in the morning is best.

Let everyone involved know when and where and exactly what will be discussed. This is not the time for secrets. Be direct and clear and set that expectation for all. Ask them to prepare and come ready to clearly explain what happened.

During the discussion, ask each party to explain their position and role in the conflict. No one gets a free pass. Even if one person appears to be clearly in the wrong, the other may have reacted poorly causing the problem to expand like hot air in a balloon. This is the time for behavioral change to begin, if people are willing.

Come to an agreement about what change is needed. Instead of acting as a judge, invite the individuals involved to determine the best path forward.

Take decisive action if no improvements are made. In Jerry’s situation, he had waited several weeks before getting involved and the two parties behaved poorly. He acknowledged his biggest downfall had been waiting for the issue to clear up on their own. Ultimately, once the expected change was clear, Ashley left the organization. Justin stayed on but had to rebuild trust and respect with fellow employees, as well as Jerry.

Sarah Beth Aubrey and Dairy Strategies’ Bob Milligan will be sharing tips to motivate your farm team during Farm Journal Field Days. Register to attend at FarmJournalFieldDays.com.

Sarah Beth Aubrey’s mission is to enhance success and profitability in agriculture by building capacity in people. She provides executive coaching as well as peer group and board facilitation.