Beef and agriculture groups generally welcomed a March 11 announcement by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack approving voluntary “Product of USA” labels.

Vilsack made the announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had finalized a rule regarding the labels’ use at the National Farmers Union Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. Labels are restricted to beef, poultry and egg products in which every step of production occurred inside the United States. The USDA said the policy “align[s] the voluntary ‘Product of USA’ label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means.”

Partial victory

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said in response, “NCBA has been committed to finding solutions to this problem ever since a producer-led NCBA working group raised the alarm, years ago, that imported beef could be mislabeled as a Product of the USA incorrectly at the end of the supply chain. We appreciate USDA’s effort to address this loophole. During the implementation period, NCBA’s focus will remain on ensuring that these changes result in the opportunity for producer premiums while remaining trade compliant.”

Because the label program is voluntary and not mandatory, as some cattle groups have been urging, reaction was mixed. Some groups said the move was only a positive first step toward the “mandatory country of origin labeling” they want. Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF, said, “While this is an important step in the right direction, Congress needs to pass MCOOL as quickly as possible to require all beef sold in grocery stores to be labeled as to where the animal from which the beef was derived was born, raised and slaughtered. Only then will consumers be informed as to which beef was produced by American cattle farmers and ranchers and which beef was produced under some foreign country’s food safety regime.”

The USDA’s final labeling rule allows the voluntary “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label claim to be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S.  The labeling move was supported by petitions, thousands of comments from stakeholders and data from a nationwide consumer survey.

Processors don’t need prior approval but must maintain documentation supporting their claims. Businesses seeking to use the label must comply with the rule by Jan. 1, 2026.

Public comments

The final rule also allows other voluntary U.S. origin claims on meat, poultry and egg products, but those claims will need to be supported on the labels and in documentation. The USDA has published updated labeling guidance, which will be open for public comment for 60 days after publishing in the Federal Register. Public comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.

“Today’s announcement is a vital step toward consumer protection and builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to bolster trust and fairness in the marketplace where smaller processors can compete,” Vilsack said. “This final rule will ensure that when consumers see ‘Product of USA’ they can trust the authenticity of that label and know that every step involved, from birth to processing, was done here in America.”

As reported in the High Plains Journal

According to the most recent Census data, “Reno County, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.36 times greater than any other conflict.” Today, there are 3,030 veterans living in Reno County. Of those, 1044 served in the Vietnam War.  Vietnam War Veterans Day is celebrated each year on March 29^th.  KS4Vets, formerly Central Kansas Veteran Community Partnership (CKVCP), hosted a dinner for local Vietnam Veterans, including a ceremony to remember those who were Killed in Action (KIA).

In all, 17 Reno County Vietnam Veterans were KIA.  One of those 17 was PFC Henry Lee Fisher.  Fisher was born on May 31, 1947 in Haven, Kansas to Kermit and Chlodine Fisher. He was the second oldest of four children. The Fisher Family are lifelong Haven residents and all four kids graduated from Haven High School with Henry graduating in 1965. Fisher’s father proudly served in the Army during WWII so both of his boys chose to follow in his footsteps and serve their country. Upon graduating high school, Fisher enlisted along with two high school buddies. Fisher was rejected the first time due to a hernia that was found during his physical. Perhaps he could have walked away right then but he chose to return to Haven, have the hernia repaired, and went back and enlisted. Fisher joined the Army and became part of the 16th Infantry 1st Infantry Division and was eventually sent to the frontlines of Vietnam. Sadly, he would never return home. He was just 20 years old.

This winter, Fisher’s family worked with KS House of Representatives to pass House Bill 2481 to dedicate the portion of K96 from the east to west borders of Haven, Kansas as the PFC Henry Lee Fisher Memorial. The family is responsible for raising the $12,000 necessary to complete this project.  To date, they have raised half of the funds needed.  While KDOT does all of the work and maintenance of the highway, the family must pay for the signage.  Together, with the help of Vieyra Honors Foundation (VHF), a fundraising event has been planned for Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 7-10 PM at the Baker Ballroom located at 17 E 22^nd in Downtown Hutchinson with proceeds going toward the PFC Henry Lee Fisher Memorial.   This event will feature a live performance by Hutchinson’s very own country music singer/songwriter Morgan Wilk, a full taco bar, and a silent auction that is packed with more than ten amazing items.  Tickets are just $35 and can be purchased online (vieyrahonorsfoundation.org/events) or phone (620.960.8215).  This event will not only honor PFC Henry Lee Fisher but all Reno County soldiers who were KIA in the Vietnam War to ensure that their ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms must never be forgotten.

VHF is a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to support veterans’ programs in Reno County by providing resources through fundraising and awareness initiatives.  Registration, VHF merchandise and more details about VHF can be found on their website:  https://www.vieyrahonorsfoundation.org/.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of an historic $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to invest in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting project proposals now through July 2, 2024, that will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. These projects in turn can save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity.

The investments in climate-smart agriculture that USDA has made since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, and will continue to make through the Inflation Reduction Act and Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, are estimated to support over 180,000 farms and over 225 million acres in the next 5 years.

Today’s investment is made available through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history, which has enabled USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to boost funding for RCPP. Additionally, NRCS is announcing progress on its effort to streamline and simplify RCPP and improve processes and implementation.

“We had unprecedented demand for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program last year, showing the robust interest in conservation from farmers and ranchers,” Secretary Vilsack said. “Through the increase in funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, we’re able to invest even more this year in this important program, increasing our impact across the landscape. We’re looking forward to seeing what the more streamlined and customer-oriented Regional Conservation Partnership Program can do to get more conservation on the ground in the coming months and years.”

There are two separate funding opportunities being announced today: RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). RCPP Classic projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities in collaboration with project partners. Through RCPP AFA, the lead partner works directly with agricultural producers to support the development of innovative conservation approaches that would not otherwise be available under RCPP Classic. NRCS will set aside $100 million for Tribal-led projects to be used between both funding opportunities.

The 2024 RCPP funding priorities are climate-smart agriculture, urban agriculture, conservation, and environmental justice. This funding advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Today’s action also advances President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative, a 10-year, locally led and nationally scaled conservation initiative that includes the voluntary efforts of farmers, ranchers and private landowners.

NRCS encourages proposals led by historically underserved entities or Indian tribes.

Project proposals for RCPP are being accepted through the RCPP portal. Details on the RCPP Classic and RCPP AFA funding opportunities are available on Grants.gov.

NRCS will be hosting webinars to provide additional information. Learn how to participate at the RCPP website.

More about RCPP

RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation.

In November 2023, NRCS announced more than $1 billion for 81 RCPP projects across the country. View the interactive map of awarded projects here.

Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, NRCS has invested a total of $1.8 billion in 256 RCPP projects covering 49 states and territories.

More about the RCPP Improvement Effort

Through a concerted effort in 2023 using feedback and expertise from partners, employees, leadership and stakeholders, NRCS identified several improvements to RCPP that the agency has implemented and will continue to implement in the months and years ahead. In fiscal year 2024, NRCS is:

• Streamlining RCPP agreement negotiation to allow simultaneous execution of program partnership and supplemental agreements;
• Updating policy and business tools to streamline the development of RCPP agreement deliverables and reducing the need for nationally approved waivers;
• Conducting annual comprehensive training for state program managers and support staff; and
• Delegating additional authority to State Conservationists to support locally led projects.

NRCS will continue to invest in creating a new business tool to support greater automation of RCPP agreement development, obligating funding to partners, and quicker processing of payments.

NRCS is working on model easement deeds to streamline implementation of RCPP easements that use common deed terms for specific land uses.

This year, NRCS aims to reduce negotiation time from 15 months to 6 months, with the goal to reduce the time even further in future years.

For the full list of RCPP improvements NRCS has identified, please visit our website.

In addition to improving RCPP, NRCS is also working to make improvements to its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and Conservation Stewardship Program to make them function better for producers, partners and staff.