The term and others, such as agricultural products, commodities, non-essentials, perishables, and livestock, appear as legal language in the U.S. Code and various federal regulations. In each case (these terms are defined in at least 20 different places in the United States Code only), the term is intended to have a special or unique meaning, most commonly to exclude or include certain items/manufacturers from eligibility or coverage under a program or activity. A term may be relatively general and/or broad, as in the Foreign Food Assistance Authorization Act under P.L. 480 (7 U.S.C. 1732): “Agricultural products include, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all agricultural products or their products produced in the United States, including wood and processed wood products, fish and livestock, and value-added, fortified or high-value agricultural products.” Or it may be intentionally exclusive, as in the Agricultural Fair Practices Act of 1967 (7 U.S.C. 2302): “Agricultural products shall not contain cotton or tobacco or their products.” Agribusiness – Agricultural businesses that provide agricultural inputs (e.g. fertilizer or equipment) or are involved in the marketing of agricultural products (e.g. warehouses, processors, wholesalers, transportation companies and retailers). Farms are not normally included when the term agribusiness is used. Minnesota has large areas of poorly drained soils — for example, 66 and 59 percent of the soils in the Red River and Minnesota River watersheds, respectively. In recent years, Minnesota farmers have installed up to 100 million feet of underground drainage pipe each year. Allocation – In conjunction with commodity support programs, acreage allocations and marketing quotas have historically been used to limit a farm`s production or marketed volume.
For grazing on federal lands, an allocation is an area designated and managed for livestock grazing. The Land Management Bureau and the Forest Service determine the number of animals and the period of use (season) for each allocation under their respective jurisdictions. The complexity of federal agriculture and food programs has produced a unique vocabulary. A common understanding of these terms (new and old) is important for those involved in policy-making in this area. For this reason, the House Agriculture Committee asked CRS to create a glossary of agriculture and related terms (e.g., food programs, conservation, forestry, environmental protection, etc.). In addition to defining terms and phrases with specific meanings for agriculture, the glossary also identifies agriculture-related acronyms, abbreviations, agencies, programs, and laws that are of particular interest to staff and members of Congress. CRS publishes it for general use with the approval of the Committee by Congress. Veterinary drugs – drugs to diagnose, cure, relieve, treat or prevent disease in animals.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a comprehensive mandate under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321 et seq.) to ensure the safety and efficacy of veterinary drugs and their use in all animals, including farm animals. Before the FDA officially approves a veterinary drug, the drug`s sponsor or manufacturer must document in scientific testing that the drug has been found to be “safe and effective.” The test data also indicate that a method is available for the detection and measurement of residues in edible animal products. Producers and veterinarians who use drugs on farm animals must follow the guidelines for the time that must elapse before a treated animal can be slaughtered, as well as any other restrictions on use or warnings on the drug label. Animal biological substances (p. ex. Vaccines and tests) are regulated by APHIS. Agricultural purposes – The term agricultural purposes is sometimes used to categorize a set of activities covered by an act or set of regulations. However, the agricultural laws summarized in Title 7 of the United States Code do not contain a definition. A definition is found in the title Commerce and Commerce, Chapter of the Consumer Credit Code (15 USC1602(s)) which states: The term “agricultural purpose” includes the production, harvesting, display, marketing, transportation, processing or production of agricultural products by a natural person who grows, plants, propagates or cares for such agricultural products, including, but not limited to, the acquisition of agricultural land.
Real estate with a farm as well as personal property and services used mainly in agriculture. Small business means an agricultural operation subject to any of the requirements of this Part and on an ongoing basis, the average annual dollar value of the products (as defined in this section) that the farm sold during the previous 3-year period shall not exceed $500,000; And the farm is not a very small business within the meaning of this article. No. Nothing in this Order authorizes the “taking” of threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544) (i.e., harassing, wounding, wounding, stalking, hunting, shooting, injuring, killing, capturing, catching, gathering or attempting to engage in such behavior) of threatened or endangered species in violation of the Endangered Species Act. This Regulation shall not oblige covered holdings to take measures to exclude animals from open-air growing areas, to destroy animal habitats or to otherwise clear agricultural boundaries around cultivation areas or external drainage. (2) The average annual dollar value of all food (as defined in section 112.3) sold by the establishment during the three years preceding the applicable calendar year, adjusted for inflation, was less than $500,000. Abandoned wells – Abandoned drainage wells and abandoned water wells on empty farms are of particular importance to agriculture.
Abandoned wells can present both safety risks and a direct conduit through which groundwater can be contaminated by surface runoff. A number of states have incentive and/or regulatory programs to plug or seal abandoned wells.