USDA forecasts a down year for many farmers - AgMinute for February 28, 2014

A USDA report that predicts net farm income will drop 26.6 percent this year demonstrates the volatility faced by those whose fortunes are tied to agriculture. Click here for the full story

Lawmakers lash out at GIPSA again

The U.S. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration's proposed restrictions on livestock and poultry marketing have never been very popular in Congress. Now 147 House of Representatives members -- including more than a dozen from the West -- are calling on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to withdraw the proposed rule, which was introduced almost a year ago.

From the National Chicken Council:

More than one-third of the members of the House of Representatives have called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to go back to the drawing board with a rule on the marketing of livestock and poultry proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

“Withdrawing the June 22, 2010, proposed rule and re-proposing a revised rule once the Department completes its economic analysis would allow stakeholders the opportunity they deserve to comment on what we hope will be substantial changes to the proposed rule more consistent with the intent of Congress outlined in the 2008 Farm Bill,” said a letter signed by 147 members.

“I am grateful for the action taken by so many members of Congress in urging the Secretary of Agriculture to withdraw and re-propose the GIPSA rule,” said Mike Brown, president of the National Chicken Council. “This would allow dialogue to resume between affected industries and the USDA, a dialogue that was cut off by the end of the comment period in November. The GIPSA rule clearly needs more careful review in light of its impact on economic growth, jobs, and the Administration’s stated goal of doubling exports.”

The rule proposed by GIPSA would make profound changes in the relationship between ranchers and farmers who produce cattle, swine, chickens, and turkey and the companies that bring meat and poultry products to market. GIPSA wrote the proposed rule in response to four specific mandates in the last Farm Bill after debate in which several other proposed mandates were rejected.

“Congress provided a narrow set of issues for the Department to address,” the letter said. “It is troubling that the Department appears to be using the rule-making process to accomplish objectives specifically rejected by Congress, and we are confident any such rule will not be looked upon favorably by Congress.”

USDA published the proposed rule last year with only a cursory economic analysis, and Vilsack has agreed to conduct a more detailed analysis before a final rule is published.

“Particularly in a climate in which additional scrutiny is being applied to regulations seen as overreaching or overly burdensome, we urge the Department to proceed in a transparent manner that allows for those most impacted by this action a chance to comment on not only pending changes to the proposal but the accompanying economic analysis as well,” the letter said. The members also asked for an update from Vilsack on the timeline for completion of the economic analysis and further action on the proposal.

Those signing the letter include both Republicans and Democrats and a majority of the members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Dairy Livestock, and Poultry.

The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors, the companies that produce and process chickens. Member companies of NCC account for more than 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.

For my story on reaction to the letter and an update on where the process stands, check CapitalPress.com early next week.

Low approval ratings for Vilsack, Salazar

From Rasmussen Reports:

With gas prices soaring, the pressure's on the Obama administration to increase the number of permits for deepwater oil drilling. Right now, just 16% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the man who'll grant those permits, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, with a scant one percent (1%) who regard him Very Favorably.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 27% view the former Colorado senator unfavorably, including 11% with a Very Unfavorable view of him. But like many of his fellow Cabinet members, Salazar is an unknown commodity to many voters: 57% don't know enough about him to venture any kind of opinion. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Rasmussen Reports has been regularly asking voters in recent weeks what they think of the president's Cabinet members. Despite the importance of many of their positions and the actions they take, most of these political appointees are little known to voters in general. A list of these findings is available here. With 60% favorables, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is the best-known and most popular member of the Cabinet.

By contrast, only 20% of voters have a favorable opinion of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, with two percent (2%) who view him Very Favorably. The former Iowa governor is seen unfavorably by 17%, including seven percent (7%) with a Very Unfavorable impression. However, 63% don't venture any kind of opinion of Vilsack.

Governor calls for GIPSA withdrawal

From the National Chicken Council:

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal is right to recommend that the U.S. Department of Agriculture withdraw its proposed rule on the production and marketing of poultry and livestock because it would be “costly and disruptive” and goes beyond the intent of Congress, the National Chicken Council said today.

“Governor Deal’s comments are right on target and should be considered seriously by the Agriculture Department,” said NCC President George Watts. “The proposed rule should be withdrawn and reworked.”

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deal said the rule proposed by USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) would “drastically change” the long-standing contractual relationships between poultry companies and the farmers who work with them to raise birds.

“Such a change would undoubtedly create a very costly and disruptive situation in Georgia and across the country where poultry is grown,” Deal wrote.

Deal, an attorney who served in Congress for 18 years before being elected Georgia’s governor last fall, said the GIPSA rule “goes well beyond” the intent of Congress when it directed the agency to make certain changes in its regulations as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. He said Congress had already considered the issue of what is called “competitive injury” and decided that it was being handled appropriately by the courts.

“It would be not only inappropriate but an action exceeding the Department’s regulatory authority to not honor Congress’ mandate on this issue,” Deal said. He said USDA should craft a final rule that “more closely adheres” to Congressional intent.

“Permit me to suggest that the best way to do this is to withdraw the current proposal and reissue a much more acceptable, pragmatic rule,” he wrote.

USDA is in the processing of considering the thousands of comments that were filed on the proposed rule. The agency has set no deadline for finalizing its process.

The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors, the companies that produce and process chickens. Member companies of NCC account for more than 95 percent of the chicken sold in the Unite

Vilsack pressed on GIPSA rule

From the California Cattlemen's Association:

Last week, during a House Agriculture Committee hearing about the state of the U.S. farm economy, Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC) questioned United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack about a timeline for completion of an economic analysis regarding the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule.

Vilsack responded by saying that he did not have a definite timeframe in place for completion of the economic analysis of the proposed rule, being conducted by USDA Chief Economist Joseph Glauber, Ph.D., and that the more than 60,000 public comments submitted were still being "categorized and reviewed" by the department which is "interested in getting this process completed as appropriately and quickly as possible."

Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) also asked Vilsack if the department would go through a notice and comment period on a completed economic analysis before moving forward on a final rule. Vilsack replied that he would need to consider the request internally before responding.

CCA was among a number of industry groups and more than 100 members of Congress who asked USDA to conduct a more thorough economic analysis prior to considering advancement of the proposed rule and will continue to monitor the situation closely to support CCA’s position opposing the insertion of additional government intervention between willing buyers and willing sellers in the cattle market.

Prune breeders get on the FasTrack

...

[ Photo caption: Horticulturist Ralph Scorza (right) and technician Mark Demuth inspect ripe HoneySweet plums. Scorza discussed the plums today during a workshop in Red Bluff, Calif. ]

Researchers discussed the latest in pest-fighting and other technologies during a University of California Cooperative Extension workshop on prune production today at the Elks Lodge in Red Bluff, Calif. About 70 local farmers attended the workshop.

Among the most newsworthy items:

-- Ralph Scorza, a USDA Agricultural Research Service horticulturist who flew in from West Virginia to attend the meeting, reported that scientists have developed a way to more quickly breed plum trees used for prunes, which are dried plums. The method, dubbed FasTrack, allows growers to get 12 years of plant development work done in about three years.

-- Rich Peterson of the California Dried Plum Board is optimistic about the future of prunes grown in the Golden State despite declines in bearing acreage and in prices paid to farmers. He outlined the board's efforts to market the fruit worldwide.

For more details about these issues, check CapitalPress.com soon.

USDA: GMO alfalfa is safe

Here is the news release from the USDA regarding genetically modified alfalfa:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2010 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced its decision to grant non-regulated status for alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commercially known as Roundup.

"After conducting a thorough and transparent examination of alfalfa through a multi-alternative environmental impact statement (EIS) and several public comment opportunities, APHIS has determined that Roundup Ready alfalfa is as safe as traditionally bred alfalfa," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "All of the alfalfa production stakeholders involved in this issue have stressed their willingness to work together to find solutions. We greatly appreciate and value the work they've done so far and will continue to provide support to the wide variety of sectors that make American agriculture successful."

After releasing a final EIS in December 2010, USDA took another step to ensure that this issue received the broadest examination before making its final decision. USDA brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss feasible strategies for coexistence between genetically engineered (GE), organic, and other non-GE stakeholders. The stakeholders helped to identify areas of consensus; issues where the group disagreed and opportunities for further dialogue exist; and areas where USDA could – or should – play an important and helpful role.

In response to the request for support from its stakeholders, USDA is taking a number of steps, including:

* Reestablishing two important USDA advisory committees - Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, and the National Genetic Resources Advisory Committee. These two committees will tackle a broad range of issues, from ensuring the availability of high quality seed, to helping ensure that growers have access to the best tools available to support their production choices, to whether risk management and indemnification options can play a role;
* Conducting research into areas such as ensuring the genetic integrity, production and preservation of alfalfa seeds entrusted to the germplasm system;
* Refining and extending current models of gene flow in alfalfa;
* Requesting proposals through the Small Business Innovation Research program to improve handling of forage seeds and detection of transgenes in alfalfa seeds and hay; and,
* Providing voluntary, third-party audits and verification of industry-led stewardship initiatives.

More information on these areas of support USDA will provide outside of the regulatory arena is available online .

APHIS' deregulation of Roundup ready alfalfa will become effective upon publication of the Agency's determination of nonregulated status in the Federal Register. USDA's Record of Decision on RR alfalfa is available to the public at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

Cattlemen like Obama's 'newfound' commitment

... to eliminating what they call "growth-killing" regulations.

From the National Cattlemen's Beef Association:

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association welcomed news that President Obama today, Jan. 18, 2011, signed an Executive Order titled “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review” that seeks to review all federal regulations and eliminate job and growth-killing regulations.

“If there were one word to describe the first two years of President Obama’s Administration, it would be regulation,” NCBA President Steve Foglesong said. “From the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration’s (GIPSA) proposed livestock and poultry marketing rule to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulatory rampage – this Administration’s regulatory agenda to-date won’t just stymie growth in the U.S. beef cattle industry, it could kill the industry as we know it.”

According to a Jan. 18, 2011, article appearing in The Wall Street Journal, President Obama said the Executive Order calls for “a government-wide review” of federal regulations and “to remove outdated regulations that stifle job creation and make our economy less competitive.” Additionally, the President said this Executive Order will help ensure the federal government avoids “excessive, inconsistent and redundant regulation” and directs “federal agencies to do more to account for — and reduce — the burdens regulations may place on small businesses.”

Foglesong said this action from the President is reassuring but needs to happen immediately. Specifically, Foglesong said EPA’s dust regulation would essentially make it illegal to drive a truck down a dirt road. He said USDA’s rule on livestock marketing is a perfect example of government overreach into the private marketplace.

“This Executive Order is a step in the right direction for this Administration. NCBA supports common sense regulation based on sound-science that will encourage growth in the industry,” Foglesong said. “Unfortunately, many of the regulations that have been proposed over the past two years will have detrimental impacts on cattle producers’ ability to do their jobs. We look forward to working with the Administration on this new initiative to eliminate job and growth-killing regulations and to move the U.S. economy and the cattle industry in the right direction forward.”

Count me as skeptical of any talk of easing regulatory burdens when the USDA is doing an end-around of Congress by teaching farmers to participate in carbon markets that don't even exist yet.

Vilsack offered to quit over Sherrod flap

Fox News' Kristin Brown reports:

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack reportedly said that he offered to resign over the department's handling of former employee Shirley Sherrod - furthering Vilsack's insistence that the blame lies with him, despite Sherrod's assertion she was told that the White House was behind the decision to have her fired.

Sherrod was removed from her position as the Georgia state director for rural development at the USDA after a video surfaced of her giving a speech in which she said she once refused to help a white farmer because of his race. It soon became clear the comment was taken out of context. Sherrod was in fact illustrating a point about overcoming racial challenges - and in the end, Sherrod had, in fact, gone on to help the farmer.

Vilsack told Politico that he made a hurried decision to put Sherrod on administrative leave,after an aide showed him a few lines of Sherrod's speech shortly after it appeared online.

Vilsack recalled his reaction. "Good Lord, this is not going to help the department." He said he realized later that there was a lot more to the story than those few sentences.

Vilsack said once he realized his mistake, he spoke with both White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and White House senior counselor David Axelrod and offered to resign. He says he learned "there was no appetite for resignation at the White House."

USDA to offer more NAIS listening sessions

From the National Cattlemen's Beef Association:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released details for six additional public listening sessions on the implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). For information, visit: www.usda.gov/nais/feedback.shtml.

All beef producers, regardless of size, location or type of operation, will be affected by this program. In order to ensure NAIS works for the beef industry and accomplishes the goal of improved animal disease response and surveillance, without harmful unintended consequences, it is vital that individual producers and operations share their concerns and ideas for improvement with USDA. NCBA encourages all interested parties to attend the listening sessions or submit comments. Individuals may pre-register for the sessions at: NAISSessions@aphis.usda.gov or submit comments at: www.regulations.gov.

NCBA has talked to Secretary Vilsack about this issue and we're encouraged by his efforts to maintain an open and constructive dialogue with stakeholders. We look forward to continuing to work closely with USDA on the development of an animal identification system that makes sense for producers. NCBA advocates a voluntary animal identification system that is workable, affordable and able to move at the speed of commerce to enable state and federal animal health officials to respond rapidly and effectively to animal health emergencies, such as foreign animal disease outbreaks or emerging domestic diseases. We continue to stress that animal ID is not a food safety tool. There are already multiple firewalls and inspection procedures in place to keep our beef supply safe. The NAIS will not enhance food safety, nor was it intended for that purpose.

NCBA has led a number of producer education and outreach efforts to encourage participation in animal identification systems, and many of our members already participate voluntarily in a variety of these programs as one of many tools to improve their herds, monitor disease, and better market their cattle. The private sector plays a tremendous role in the administration of these voluntary programs, and NCBA believes that private sector involvement and the resulting competitive market forces benefit producers while maintaining the objectives of the NAIS.

USDA answers FAQ's about swine flu

From the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Frequently Asked Questions Swine and Human Cases of Swine Influenza A (H1N1)

Do any swine have the virus that has infected humans?
There is no evidence at this time that swine in the United States are infected with this virus strain.

Can I get this new strain of virus from eating pork or pork products?
According to USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food so you cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills all viruses.
The USDA suggests, as it has in the past, cooking pork and pork products to the proper internal temperature and preventing cross-contamination between raw and cooked food is the key to safety. You should:
Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw pork;
Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw pork away from other foods;
After cutting raw meat, wash cutting board, knife, and countertops with hot, soapy water;
Sanitize cutting boards by using a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water; and
Use a food thermometer to ensure pork has reached the safe internal temperature of at least 160 °F to kill foodborne germs that might be present.

Can I get this flu by touching pork that is not yet cooked?
There is no evidence at this time that the virus is in swine or that touching uncooked pork could infect someone with the virus.

What is this flu that people are talking about in the news?
It is a new strain of flu that consists of a mixture of genetic material from swine, avian and human influenza viruses.

Is USDA testing and monitoring to make sure swine are not infected with the virus and if so, how?
A network of Federal veterinarians, state animal health officials and private practitioners are regularly involved with monitoring U.S. swine for signs of significant disease.
To date, there have been no reports that the influenza virus currently causing illness in humans is circulating anywhere in the U.S. swine herd.
As a proactive measure, USDA is reaching out to all state animal health officials to affirm they have no signs of this virus type in their state.
USDA has put U.S. pork producers on a high alert for safety.

How will the public be notified if the government finds that people should not eat swine?
Delivering factual, timely information is a priority for USDA. Should there be a detection of influenza in the U.S. swine herd, those results would be shared with the public in a timely fashion.

Can you get this flu from being around or touching swine?
The CDC says that the spread of swine flu can occur in two ways:
Through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with swine flu viruses.
Through contact with a person with swine flu. Human-to-human spread of swine flu has been documented also and is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

Is my potbelly pig in danger? Can I get it from my pet?
There is no evidence at this time that the virus is in U.S. swine.
Swine owners should learn the warning signs of swine influenza. Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed. If your pig is showing any of these signs, call your veterinarian.
Buy your animals from reputable sources and ensure that you have documentation of your new pet's origin. Be sure that you get your new animals checked by a veterinarian.
Keep your pigs and areas around them clean. If you have been around other animals, make sure that you clean your shoes, clothing, and other items. And don't forget to wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling your pet.

How do we ensure that we take the appropriate measures to protect our swine?
We encourage commercial pork producers to intensify the bio-security practices they've long had in place. They should not loan equipment or vehicles to or borrow them from other farms. Swine from outside sources, such as live bird markets should not be brought back to the farm.
They should permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm. Swine workers should disinfect their shoes, clothes and hands. They should thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles entering and leaving the farm and avoid visiting other poultry farms without proper cleaning and disinfection.
Also, they should report sick animals immediately. The industry understands the importance of eradicating the virus as quickly as possible to protect the industry.

Is there a vaccine for humans for this new strain?
The CDC should answer any questions about a vaccine. According to the CDC, there is no vaccine to protect humans from this new variant swine flu. Go to www.cdc.gov for more information.

A counting of American agriculture

In case you missed it, the National Agricultural Statistics Service released its massive Census of Agriculture report on Wednesday. You are more than welcome to pour through all the data yourself, but if you are interested in the highlights of what's happening in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, the Capital Press staff and our sources did some of the pouring for you.

You can find our main story here, with links to others. Or if you prefer to read that in print, we'll have those stories for you in the Friday, Feb. 6 edition.

Or if you just want the quickest of quick summaries, here it is: There are more farms in the U.S. and most of the four Western states, but they are smaller than they were in 2002. And the average age of farmers continues to climb.

It's official: Vilsack and Salazar head USDA, Interior as of today

In case you missed in all the hubbub of Inauguration Day, the U.S. Senate confirmed Tom Vilsack today as secretary of Agriculture and Ken Salazar as secretary of Interior. Click here for the story.

Ag secretary nominee questioned by Senate Ag Committee

Have you heard that members of Congress now have their own YouTube channels? It's true. You can watch part of President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack's testimony from earlier today on the YouTube channel by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Of course the portion in the video relates to Leahy's questions to Vilsack about organic agriculture.

See the video here (Leahy, or his staff, or Congress) disabled embedding, so I can't put it here.

C-SPAN has the whole hearing if you want to watch it (although the did not broadcast it live). Be forewarned, it's two and a half hours.

You can also watch the archived webcast from the Senate Committee Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Tomato scare hurts farmers

As the nation once again tries to pinpoint the source of salmonella-tainted food, the agricultural industry in the West probably let out a collective sigh of relief that this time the problem did not originate here.

However, as investigations into the source of the problem continue, Western vegetable growers will remain cautious about how to better prevent this from happening here. They will also analyze how this latest scare with consumers will impact their upcoming sales season.

Fresh and processed tomatoes are worth more than $2 billion in annual farm cash receipts: Fresh-market tomatoes are grown in every state, and commercial production is in 20 states, according to the USDA.

California had the most to win — and lose — as the complicated investigation continues into what caused more than 227 people in 23 states to be sick by June 17, up almost 50 from a week earlier. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had first been alerted of people being ill from salmonella bacteria on May 30.

The challenge has been that people have gotten sick in restaurants as well as homes, and unlike packaged or canned fruits, vegetables or meats, tomatoes don’t have bar code labels and are often placed in big lots from several farms and suppliers. According to a Los Angeles Times story, this is the 13th time since 1990 that an outbreak of salmonella was traced to tomatoes.

The Times quoted Rep. John D. Ingell (D-Mich.) as criticizing FDA and the Bush administration for being so slow to act on FDA’s Food Protection Plan, introduced in November 2007 but which still hasn’t been fully implemented.

“We face yet another food crisis,” the Times quoted Ingell. “It has sickened people, devastated an entire industry and cost consumers, producers and retailers millions of dollars.”

Why was it so important for California to identify the source of the crisis?

California shares with Florida that distinction of being one of the top producers of fresh-market tomatoes, with each state producing 40,000 acres, and together they supply two-thirds to three-fourths of the total U.S. fresh-tomato acreage.

California is the top producer of all tomatoes, with 95 percent of the U.S. fresh processing and one third of the fresh market, reports USDA.

Meanwhile, imports of fresh tomatoes — mainly from Mexico — have grown to be one-third of the tomatoes consumed in the country. Imports increased as tomatoes have grown to be the fourth most-popular fresh-market vegetable.

While those searching for the cause of the salmonella were still searching this week and strongly suspected Mexico and the central and southern parts of Florida, there were fears the exact problem source may never be found.

As long as the sources of salmonella elude investigators, consumers may unfairly and irrationally remain nervous about buying all types of fresh-market tomatoes, no matter how and where they are grown, marketed or prepared for a meal.

Commissioner for Food and Drugs Andrew von Eschenbach in his online commentary last week said the FDA can do better in its programs of “prevention, intervention and response.” This included implementing programs under last November’s food protection plan. While he praised facilities such as the new Pacific Regional Lab Southwest in Los Angeles, for its major food-testing and research capabilities thanks to its “sophisticated scientific tools,” he also stressed the need for Congress to approve more FDA funding “so we can address these emerging new challenges and opportunities.”

Laboratories that rely on state funding also yearn to have more money budgeted this year to deal with food safety concerns.

The next few months will be critical as federal and state legislators decide priorities in preparing to fight future safety issues, and they are urged to ensure the tools and manpower are available to track down salmonella and other food dangers quicker.

Hopefully this latest tomato scare will help squeeze out more money before more problems happen and FDA is forced to play catch-up yet again as consumers’ physical health and farmers’ financial health suffer.

Schafer confirmed as agriculture secretary

The U.S. Senate confirmed Ed Schafer, a former governor of North Dakota, as the next secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Read the story here.

Early reviews less than glowing for Bush's ag secretary nominee

Is President Bush's nominee for secretary of agriculture, former North Dakota governor Ed Schafer, a good choice for western farmers and ranchers?

Most West Coast growers wold probably prefer to see someone from west of the Rockies in there, as U.S. agriculture policy already has a decidedly Midwestern slant.

Schafer, as an unconfirmed nominee, probably won't have much influence on action on the 2007 Farm Bill, which is currently warming up in the bullpen in the Senate.

But here's some of the reaction to Schafer's nomination circulating online:

Philip Brashear, a Washington, D.C., correspondent for the Des Moines Register shares some insight into what the relationship between Schafer and Senate ag committee chairman Tom Harkin may be like. In Brashear's blog post, it is apparent that Harkin isn't overwhelmed with Bush's choice.

"Nuke Gingrich" over at Nuke's News and Views credentials, but does point out the nominee's , didn't have anything to say about Schafer's resemblance to a Montana rancher who made a name for himself down Atlanta way.

Rob over at Say Anything Blog, comments that Schafer should be ag secretary, at least in part because of a comment he attributes to radio talk show host Ed Schultz, who took issue Schafer apparently.