Friday, September 17, 2021
CapitalPress.com 5
What’s the latest $3.5T proposal got to do with ag?
By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN
Capital Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nego-
tiations over a $3.5 trillion budget
reconciliation bill have been heat-
ing up in Congress this week.
The package would pump fund-
ing into education, healthcare, envi-
ronmental programs and various
industries, mostly paid for through
tax increases.The budget reconcili-
ation plan also includes $66 billion
for agriculture, forestry and rural
development.
While many farm groups say
the bill has some measures favor-
able to agriculture, such as research
funds, others warn that it includes
proposed changes to the estate tax
exemption.
Republicans and moderate Dem-
ocrats say the spending package
could increase the nation’s infl a-
tion rate and debt, while progres-
sive Democrats say the spending is
a critical long-term investment.
It isn’t clear yet whether the
bill will pass Congress, as it faces
resistance from centrist lawmak-
ers, including West Virginia Dem-
ocratic Sen. Joe Manchin.
If the bill does pass, what does it
have to do with agriculture?
Members of the House Agri-
culture Committee Monday voted
along party lines to advance nearly
$66 billion in spending — $40 bil-
lion for forestry programs, $18
billion for rural development
and $7.75 billion for agricultural
research initiatives.
Debate continues over a poten-
tial additional $28 billion for “cli-
mate-smart” agriculture programs.
The $40 billion earmarked for
forestry includes $14 billion in
funding for hazardous fuels treat-
ments, forest restoration, vegeta-
tion management and fi refi ghting.
It also includes millions of dollars
in payments to forest owners and
operators for implementing “cli-
mate-smart practices.”
The rural development section
includes investments in rural elec-
tric co-ops, renewable energy, bio-
fuels and the Rural Energy for
America Program, or REAP, which
provides farmers with grants and
loans to make energy effi ciency
improvements.
The agricultural research por-
tion includes scholarships, grants,
USDA program funding and invest-
ments in land-grant universities.
Farm groups initially had serious
concerns about the bill, which origi-
nally included proposals to tax cap-
ital gains at death and to eliminate
the stepped-up basis.
If a farmer decides to sell prop-
erty he inherited, a stepped-up basis
allows him to pay capital gains
taxes only on a property’s increase
in value since it was inherited rather
than from the time it was purchased
by a parent.
“This would be devastating to
American agriculture,” Oregon
Farm Bureau said prior to the vote.
“Now is not the time to impose a
massive new tax that could put fam-
ilies out of business.”
Farm groups across the nation
joined the outcry, calling on Con-
gress to protect the stepped-up
basis.
Two serious viruses detected in Oregon horses
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
At least six horses in four coun-
ties scattered across southern and
eastern Oregon have tested posi-
tive for West Nile virus in recent
weeks, according to state agricul-
ture offi cials.
None of the infected horses —
two in Klamath County, two in
Malheur County, one in Umatilla
County and one in
Baker County —
had been recently
vaccinated against
the virus, said Ryan
Scholz, state veter-
inarian for the Ore-
gon Department of
Dr. Ryan
Agriculture.
Scholz
Three of the
horses were euth-
anized, while the other three are
recovering, Scholz said. One addi-
tional suspected case in northeast
Oregon is still under investigation.
“We’re seeing a lot of West Nile
virus right now,” Scholz said. “It’s
always unvaccinated horses that get
infected.”
Wild birds are the primary hosts
for West Nile virus, though it can
be transmitted to both humans and
horses by mosquitoes. The eff ects of
the disease in horses can range from
mild fl u-like symptoms to infl am-
mation of the brain, which is fatal in
Lawmakers Monday debated the
topic for hours. In the end, the pro-
posal failed.
Ag groups, though happy the
stepped-up basis was preserved, are
still concerned over other tax lan-
guage, particularly a proposal to
shrink the current estate tax exemp-
tion — potentially tripling the num-
ber of Americans paying the estate
tax.
“We are very pleased to see
that the House Committee did
not include the elimination of
stepped-up basis within its ini-
tial text,” National Corn Growers
Association president John Linder
said in a statement. “However, we
are concerned with the provisions
on the estate tax in the commit-
tee draft that could impact family
farms.”
Seed company charged
with misprision of a felony
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
Capital Press File
Oregon offi cials have reported two serious viruses infecting horses.
approximately one-third of all cases.
ODA encourages horse owners
to vaccinate their animals to prevent
further infections.
“It is an easily preventable dis-
ease,” Scholz said.
Three horses on a farm in Linn
County were also diagnosed with a
diff erent contagious disease called
Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencepha-
lopathy, caused by the virus EHV-1.
The farm, which was placed
under quarantine, had fi ve horses
exposed to EHV-1, Scholz said.
Three of the horses tested positive
on Sept. 9, and two were later euth-
anized. One is recovering, and the
other two were not infected.
EHV-1 is highly transmissi-
ble between animals. However,
Scholz said a preliminary investiga-
tion shows none of the fi ve horses
were moved off the farm or in con-
tact with other horses within the past
four weeks.
“We just want to reassure people
that we do not know of any exposure
risk at this point,” Scholz said.
Herpesviruses are common in
horses, Scholz said. Normally,
EHV-1 results in a mild respira-
tory disease, though it can mutate to
develop potentially serious neuro-
logical symptoms, such as a lack of
coordination, hind limb weakness,
inability to urinate and inability to
rise, among others.
Scholz said it appears this muta-
tion happened in one horse at the
farm in Linn County before spread-
ing to the other two. No other ani-
mals appear to be at risk.
Federal prosecutors have
charged an Oregon grass seed
company with misprision of a
felony for allegedly concealing
bogus commissions and price
mark-ups.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce
alleges that Proseeds Market-
ing of Jeff erson, Ore., helped
the head of another grass
seed dealer commit fraud that
recently landed him behind
bars.
Misprision of a felony
occurs when someone knows a
felony has been committed but
does not inform the authorities
about it.
Proseeds would buy grass
seed from the Jacklin Seed
facility in Albany, Ore., and
then immediately sell it back to
the company at a higher price,
according to court documents
fi led by the federal government.
Most of the profi t was then
sent to Chris Claypool, Jack-
lin’s general manager who lived
in Spokane, the government
said. Earlier this year, Claypool
pleaded guilty to fraud charges
for these and other schemes,
for which he was sentenced to
three years in prison.
The mark-up scheme was
committed a dozen times
between late 2018 and mid-
2019,
generating
nearly
$475,000 in ill-gotten gains,
the prosecutors allege.
As a salaried employee,
Claypool wasn’t eligible to
receive commissions from
Jacklin, so he relied on Pro-
seeds’ help to get around this
limitation, the government said
in court documents.
Proseeds acted as an
“unnecessary middleman” for
Claypool, serving as an inter-
mediary for sales of Jacklin’s
grass seed to foreign buyers at
marked-up prices, the govern-
ment alleged.
The company then paid
“fraudulent commissions” to
Claypool through “straw cor-
porate entities” he’d set up
to look like independent seed
brokers and consultants, the
government said.
If convicted, Proseeds Mar-
keting could be sentenced
to fi ve years probation and a
$500,000 fi ne. The company
refused to comment on the
allegations.
To Recommend or Not To Recommend—
A Crop Consultant’s Internal Debate
Teraxxa™ Seed Treatment suggestion hits the mark
It’s someone’s crop—their livelihood. No crop
consultant makes recommendations lightly.
But sometimes, after watching farmers continuously
battle a devastating insect like wireworms, a
crop consultant will decide enough is enough and
recommend a new solution.
Brandon Vining, owner of ProGro Consulting, had one
such farmer—Russell Schwendiman from Ririe, Idaho—
who he watched struggle with wireworms, a devastating
insect that feeds on the roots of healthy wheat plants.
“Russell farms quite a bit of wheat and had encountered
severe wireworm damage,” Vining said.
Over the years, Brandon and Russell tried several
solutions, ranging from neonic seed treatments to various
in-furrow insecticide applications.
“
He’d lose 10- to 15-acre areas
at a time due to wireworms.
- Brandon Vining, owner of ProGro Consulting
”
Brandon attended a BASF
Teraxxa Seed Treatment meeting,
and, after gathering some
information, he decided to
take a different approach with
wireworms. He called Russell
and suggested he give Teraxxa
Seed Treatment a try.
WHERE’D THEY GO?
In years past, Brandon would dig and see live
wireworms feeding on roots. This year, after trying
Teraxxa Seed Treatment, his observations were
quite different.
“We’ve pulled plants and haven’t seen any live or dead
wireworms on the roots,” Vining said. “Wireworms
work from deeper in the soil profile to the roots. I don’t
know if they are dead in the soil and we got them early,
but they aren’t there.”
It’s not to say wireworms have disappeared from their
geography. In fact, they have some untreated acres.
“Those acres look as they always did—areas of stand loss,”
Vining said. “Early stand evaluations were as good as they
can be. From what I’ve seen on Teraxxa treated spring
wheat acres, I would recommend winter wheat growers
consider Teraxxa F4 Seed Treatment.”
EXPERIENCE TERAXXA F4 SEED TREATMENT
IN WINTER WHEAT
As you prepare for winter wheat planting this fall, consider
using Teraxxa F4 Seed Treatment. Wireworm damage
isn’t limited to spring wheat or wheat grown in the Pacific
Northwest. Wireworm damage occurs in nearly all wheat-
growing geographies. Experience better stand quality
and reduced wireworm pressure with Teraxxa F4 Seed
Treatment, designed specifically for winter wheat growers.
Find out more at TeraxxaF4.com.
Untreated
Treated with Teraxxa F4 Seed Treatment
Always read and follow label directions. Teraxxa is a trademark of BASF. Teraxxa is not registered in all states. © 2021 BASF. All rights reserved.
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