CAC CAC Agricultural Regulations & Policy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for agricultural pesticides, what is the re-entry interval (REI)?
- The time before a pesticide label expires
- The period after pesticide application during which workers must stay out of treated areas (Correct answer)
- The minimum age for pesticide applicators
- The frequency of required safety training
Correct answer: The period after pesticide application during which workers must stay out of treated areas
The REI specifies how long workers must wait after pesticide application before entering treated fields without personal protective equipment.
Question 2: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) commodity loan program allows farmers to use stored grain as collateral for a loan based on the:
- Current futures price minus storage costs
- Government-set loan rate per bushel for that commodity (Correct answer)
- Farm's historical average yield
- USDA projected season-average price
Correct answer: Government-set loan rate per bushel for that commodity
Commodity loans are made at the posted county price (or loan rate), giving farmers liquidity while retaining ownership of stored grain.
Question 3: Under the Federal Crop Insurance Act, 'actual production history' (APH) is used primarily to establish:
- Market prices for insured commodities
- A farmer's approved yield for crop insurance guarantees (Correct answer)
- Land classification for property taxes
- Eligibility for USDA disaster payments
Correct answer: A farmer's approved yield for crop insurance guarantees
APH calculates a producer's approved yield from up to 10 years of production records, forming the basis of their crop insurance guarantee.
Question 4: The Clean Air Act's agricultural exemptions are particularly relevant to which type of farm operation?
- Orchards using pesticide sprayers
- Large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions (Correct answer)
- Grain elevators during harvest
- Irrigation pump engine exhaust
Correct answer: Large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions
CAFOs can be significant sources of air pollutants like ammonia and H2S, and EPA has debated whether CAFOs must report these emissions under CERCLA/EPCRA.
Question 5: A Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) required for CAFO NPDES permits must address application of nutrients to land at rates that:
- Maximize crop yield regardless of environmental impact
- Do not exceed the agronomic rate needed for the crop or forage grown (Correct answer)
- Comply only with state fertilizer dealer licensing
- Match neighboring farms' historical application rates
Correct answer: Do not exceed the agronomic rate needed for the crop or forage grown
NPDES permits require nutrient application at agronomic rates to prevent excess nitrogen and phosphorus from reaching water bodies.
Question 6: The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) requires disclosure to USDA when:
- A US farmer sells equipment to a foreign buyer
- A foreign person acquires, transfers, or holds an interest in US agricultural land (Correct answer)
- A US farm exports more than $1 million in commodities
- A foreign-owned company hires US farm workers
Correct answer: A foreign person acquires, transfers, or holds an interest in US agricultural land
AFIDA requires foreign investors in US agricultural land to report transactions to USDA's Farm Service Agency to track foreign land ownership.
CAC CAC Agricultural Regulations & Policy 2
Under the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for agricultural pesticides, what is the re-entry interval (REI)?