Weekly Digest: 10/29

Your NYFB Advocacy Matters!

Recently passed legislation by both the State Assembly and Senate could impact your farm. Please take the time to contact the Governor asking him to veto these bills:

• Ban on Glyphosate on State Lands
• Regulation of Class ‘C’ Streams

Deadline Nears to Submit Farm Labor Wage Board Testimony

A coalition of agricultural groups is reminding members that letters and videos can still be submitted to the NYS Department of Labor regarding the Farm Labor Wage Board that is looking at the 60-hour overtime threshold. A 2019 state law created the three-person board at the Department of Labor to determine if 60 hours or something less than 60 hours per week is the right number of hours before overtime starts for farmworkers in the state.

The Wage Board wrapped up a series of virtual hearings last week, but if you could not attend or have not submitted testimony, it is not too late. The board will continue to receive letters and videos with your input until this Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020.

Farm employees have the choice to submit something as well. Here are some suggested ways:

1. Create a video message for the Wage Board . Use your smartphone to create a short video message that can be sent to the Wage Board. Employees could ask someone on the farm to record them or they could do it themselves.
2. Send a letter to the Wage Board . If you would rather write a letter to the Wage Board, it can be sent directly to the Wage Board.

For employees, these are suggestions they can include in the video or written message:

• Your name
• Type of farm (vegetable? fruit? dairy?)
• How many years have you been working on New York farms?
• If you are a guest worker or migrant worker, where does your family live?
• Do you think the overtime limit of 60 hours per week should be lowered or kept the same?
• Why?
• Do you get some overtime pay?
• What will you do if you cannot get enough work hours in New York?

Your written or video message can be sent to the Wage Board through the following email address: wageboard@labor.ny.gov. Handwritten letters can be scanned and attached to emails. Videos can be attached to the email also. Send your email to wageboard@labor.ny.gov.

The deadline for submitting letters or videos is Oct. 31, 2020

State Annual Meeting Update

Planning for the all-virtual 2020 State Annual Meeting is progressing nicely. As reported previously, the business meeting and delegate session will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 8, beginning at 9 a.m. The meeting will be conducted on Zoom with the voting process administered by a third-party contractor, eBallot. Open Resolutions will be held on Monday, Dec. 7, on Zoom. The Young Farmers and Ranchers and the Promotion and Education business sessions and elections and the district caucuses will also be held on Monday on Zoom.

Meeting details will be sent to county Farm Bureau leaders early next month. Later in November, voting delegates, alternates and county Farm Bureau leaders will receive a detailed agenda with specific instructions on how to register and participate in the meeting. Other members will also be able to register and view the session. There will also be a FAQ document that will provide answers to common questions about the meeting.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2): What Specialty Crop Producers Should Know Webinar

Please join Farm Credit East and the USDA Farm Service Agency for a discussion of CFAP 2 focused on specialty crop producers, including floriculture and nursery crops, fruit and vegetable growers, aquaculture producers, maple and others. The webinar will take place on Friday, Nov. 6 from 11 a.m. to noon.

Many specialty crop producers may be eligible for relief funds through CFAP 2. In this webinar, Farm Service Agency program specialists will review key details applicable to your operations, such as eligibility requirements, payment limitations, records required, application procedures, and payment rates for each commodity. Time will be provided for Q&A. CFAP 2 is open for applications now through Dec. 11, 2020.

Click here to register for the webinar.

EPA Announces 2020 Dicamba Registration Decision

The EPA has announced it is approving new five-year registrations for two dicamba products and extending the registration of an additional dicamba product. All three registrations include new control measures to ensure these products can be used effectively while protecting the environment, including non-target plants, animals and other crops not tolerant to dicamba.

The EPA approved new registrations for two “over-the-top” (OTT) dicamba products, XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology and Engenia Herbicide, and extended the registration for an additional OTT dicamba product, Tavium Plus VaporGrip Technology. These registrations are only for use on dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybeans and will expire in 2025.

To view the final registration of the dicamba products, visit docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0492 at www.regulations.gov.

___________________________________________________________

NYFB has created a Farmworker Relief Program, a database whereby a farmworker seeking work can complete a form to be included in the database, and a farmer seeking workers can use the database as a recruiting resource

NY FarmNet is Open

Please keep these numbers and websites available to call or share should you, a family member or friends need someone to speak with in these uncertain times. Support is available at 1-800-547-3276 and www.nyfarmnet.org.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255 (TALK), www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Crisis Text Line Text

“GOT 5” to 741-741, www.crisistextline.org