Sen. Coons welcomes participants at UD poultry program

Senator Coons visited the University of Delaware on Monday to welcome participants at the Emergency Poultry Disease Response Certificate Program (EPDR). The program runs from June 18 to June 21 and features a consortium of local and international scientists and policy makers.

“This program involves cooperation among all levels of government, as well as commercial producers, backyard flock owners and top-flight research universities,” Chris said. “This is how we get things done in Delaware, and I’m proud we are working to share our knowledge and experience with poultry growers in other countries around the world.”

Chris is an outspoken supporter of Delaware’s poultry farmers. Last week, he joined with Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to introduce an amendment to the farm bill currently being considered by the Senate that would commission studies on the practicality of insurance policies for farmers in case of a catastrophic event like a poultry company bankruptcy or poultry disease outbreak.

The EPDR Certificate Program is a four-day certificate course taught at the University of Delaware. Participants have the opportunity to learn about emergency procedures developed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, University of Delaware faculty and agriculture industry professionals for outbreaks of poultry disease. The program also works to help foster closer ties between the United States, foreign officials and poultry industry professionals. This year’s attendees include a global roster of attendees representing countries such as Uganda, Bolivia, Israel and Japan.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on agriculture.

Click here to learn more about the University of Delaware’s EPDR program.

Senator Coons recognizes 150 years of USDA

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which he called “The People’s Department.”  At the time, nearly half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with only about 2 percent today.  However, agriculture continues to be a cornerstone of our American heritage and a major driving force in our economy, with more than 2.2 billion acres of farmland across the United States and one in twelve jobs linked to agriculture or forestry.

One hundred and fifty years later, the USDA remains a department of the people.  The department’s work on a broad range of issues – from international trade and economic development, next generation energy development and technological innovation, natural resource conservation and recreation, food safety and nutrition, to research and science – touches nearly every aspect of American life.

Agriculture is a vital force in Delaware’s economy and remains an integral part of our community.  In 2008, agriculture in Delaware contributed nearly $8 billion to the economy and supported roughly 30,000 jobs.  Sussex County, the birthplace of the modern poultry industry, produces more chickens than any other county in the United States.  Delaware also has the highest percentage of preserved, productive farmland of any state in the nation.  In addition, the University of Delaware, which was designated as one of the nation’s historic Land Grant colleges in 1867, is conducting cutting edge research, providing critical services, and participating in vital partnerships with Delaware’s agriculture sector.

Senator Coons congratulates the USDA on a fantastic first 150 years and looks forward to continuing to work together to address our nation’s agricultural challenges.

Meeting with the Delaware Farm Bureau

Senator Chris Coons met with members of the Delaware Farm Bureau on Tuesday to discuss the past, present, and future of Delaware’s agricultural sector. Senator Tom Carper and Representative John Carney were also in attendance.

During the meeting, Chris highlighted some of his current work to advance Delaware’s agriculture, including his support for reauthorization of the farm bill. Chris is very supportive of conservation programs in the farm bill, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and is working to protect funding for them. He is also a cosponsor of Senator Debbie Stabenow’s Grow it Here, Make it Here Biobased Manufacturing Act, which would help expand the advanced biofuels and bio-based manufacturing industries, using agricultural goods to make value-added products and create jobs.

Additionally, Chris discussed his recent visit to Cuba and Colombia in February with several other members of Congress where he promoted Delaware products, including poultry, soybeans, and soft red winter wheat.

The Farm Bureau meeting occurred on the same day as an announcement by the White House to sharpen efforts to protect the U.S. poultry industry and ensure fair trade policies with India. Chris was a leader in the Senate on this issue, leading a bipartisan group of 19 senators on a letter to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk urging him to resolve India’s longstanding, non-scientifically based restrictions on American poultry.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work for supporting and expanding Delaware agriculture.

Video: Senator Coons on the nomination of Michael Scuse

Senator Coons introduced Delawarean Michael Scuse at a hearing for his nomination to be the Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and his nomination to serve on the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation at the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry earlier today.

Senator Coons checks out solar-powered farm

BRIDGEVILLE, Del. — In a visit Tuesday to the T.S. Smith & Sons’ farm in Bridgeville — the only solar-powered Century Farm in Delaware — Chris reiterated his commitment to helping small agricultural businesses integrate renewable energy into their operations. Senator Coons has introduced legislation that would extend the federal renewable-energy program that financed part of the T.S. Smith & Sons solar project.

“T.S. Smith & Sons is a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and a leader in Delaware’s farming community,” Chris said. “I’m sure Thomas Sterling Smith would be proud of the investments his great-grandsons have made to ensure that their farm remains a profitable, sustainable, and environmentally sound business. That’s why I feel so strongly about supporting the extension of the successful 1603 Treasury Grants Program to help businesses finance alternative energy resources. Without this kind of program, farms like these would have much greater difficulty financing clean energy investments.”

First introduced as part of the American Recovery Act of 2009, the U.S. Treasury Department’s 1603 Program is used to reimburse eligible businesses for a portion of the cost of installing specified energy projects. A one-year extension of the 1603 Program is a key part of Senator Coons’ Job Creation Through Innovation Act, which he introduced in April.

After meeting with representatives from Solair Energy at the University of Delaware’s 2010 Agriculture Week, the Smith family decided it wanted to pursue investments in solar energy on its farm. In May 2011, the farm publicly unveiled 178 ground-mounted Solair solar panels that were manufactured at Motech Solar’s plant in Newark. The solar panels produce around 43 kw of power, drastically reducing the farm’s $25,000 annual electric bill.

“The fact that T.S. Smith & Sons is running on solar panels that were manufactured in Delaware is a great testament to the strength of the renewable energy sector in our state,” Chris said. “I look forward to continuing my work with members of Delaware’s energy community to encourage more businesses powered by clean energy to set-up shop in the First State and bring good-quality jobs to our communities.”

Founded in 1907 by Thomas Sterling Smith, T.S. Smith & Sons is an 800-acre farm that grows a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, selling them to retail locations and restaurants in the surrounding area. The current, fourth-generation owners are: Matt, Charlie and Tom Smith and Susan Hayes. In addition to solar power, the farm makes a conscious effort to employ technologies that conserve water and soil.

Click here to learn what’s new at T.S. Smith & Sons.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work for Delaware’s agriculture community.

Bipartisan agriculture research bill will drive American agricultural innovation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined eight of his colleagues in introducing the bipartisan   Charitable Agricultural Research Act, which will spur new agricultural research, leveraging private dollars to create charitable partnerships between universities and private entities to strengthen and improve American agriculture. The bill amends the tax code to allow for the creation of a new type of charitable, tax-exempt organization, agricultural research organizations, similar to medical research organizations which have been in existence since the 1950s

“In order for our rural communities to remain vibrant and sustainable, we must invest in agricultural research,” Chris said. “Partnering university research with private sector innovation allows both our institutions and industries to work collaboratively to grow our economy. I am pleased that I could join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to fight for the future of one of America’s most important economic sectors, our farming industry.”

Over the last 60 years, agricultural research has expanded food production significantly. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, farm productivity has risen 158% since 1948; this increase can be largely attributed to research, through the implementation of improved farming practices and the use of new agricultural technologies. Today, the United States produces $312 billion in agricultural products and exports $108 billion annually.

However, agricultural scientists warn that failing to invest in agricultural research could spell disaster for the future of American food security and safety. Agricultural research funding has become stagnant and has fallen far behind other federal agencies since the 1970s. The Charitable Agricultural Research Act seeks to address these challenges by creating agricultural research organizations (AROs) that would work in conjunction with agricultural and land-grant colleges and universities to conduct research in the field of agriculture. To accomplish this, a new section allowing for donations to agricultural research would be added immediately below the portion of the current tax code that provides for charitable contributions to medical research organizations.

Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Thune (R-SD) are the lead sponsors of the bill. Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is a cosponsor.

To learn more about Senator Coons’ work to protect America’s agriculture, click here.

Working to create sustainable, profitable jobs in rural communities

Senator Chris Coons offered his support today for a series of initiatives unveiled by President Obama this week to grow the economy and create jobs in rural communities. 

“Washington can and must do more to help America’s businesses create jobs,” Chris said in a statement to the press. “The initiatives the President unveiled this week to help rural businesses are consistent with what I’m hearing from Delaware’s small business owners, who need better access to capital to grow and expanded health care services in their communities to keep costs down.” 

To help small businesses get better access to capital, President Obama this week proposed to double the Small Business Administration’s investment funds for rural small businesses over the next five years as part of its Startup America Initiative. The President is also launching a series of conferences nationwide to connect private equity and venture capital investors with rural start-ups. 

To help out-of-work Americans find jobs, President Obama announced a partnership between the Department of Labor and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase access to existing job search and job training opportunities by making them available at USDA’s 2,800 field offices nationwide.

This initiative by the White House coincides with this week’s announcement of more than $48,900 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to four agricultural producers and small businesses in Kent and Sussex counties. The grants are designed to encourage the integration of renewable energy sources and implementation of energy efficiency measures in their operations to reduce dependence of foreign oil, promote job creation, and spur the economic competitiveness of rural communities.

“By investing in clean energy technology, Delaware’s rural businesses are investing in a sustainable, profitable future that will help them compete on a global level,” Chris said in a statement to the press. “Encouraging farmers and small businesses to increase their energy efficiency can have a positive ripple effect for the entire country. I congratulate the winners of these grants and applaud the President for leading in this effort to strengthen our agricultural communities.”

To read Chris’ statement on the White House rural economy initiative, click HERE. 

To read Chris’ statement on the USDA grant to Delaware farms and rural small businesses, click HERE.

To read more about Chris’ work for Delaware’s agricultural community, click HERE  

To read more about President’s Obama’s rural tour, click HERE.