John Duarte of California is fighting the government over normal farming practices for planting wheat. Duarte planted 450 acres wheat in a field in Tehama County in November 2012. In February 2013, he received a letter from the Army Corps of Engineers to “cease and desist” those operations alleging damage to wetlands. Duarte with the Pacific Legal Foundation filed a …
#AFBF Workshops Discuss Popular Issues
Trade agreements, commodity prices, GMO labeling, government regulations, farm succession planning, dealing with the media, drones, and food safety were just a few of the many workshop topics at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention in Orlando this week. One popular session offered tips for working with the media from NAFB West Region Vice President Sabrina Hill of AgNet …
“Shark Tank” Comes to #AFBF16
She calls herself the “shark with a heart” from the hit television show “Shark Tank” and investor Barbara Corcoran stole the hearts of farmers and ranchers at the closing session of the 97th American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show this week. Corcoran shared her tips for creating a brand and taking charge of your image. “One …
Farm Bureau: Winter is Beautiful for Photo Contest
There’s a unique beauty of farm country in winter. And Farm Bureau is reminding shutterbugs of that fact for the American Farm Bureau Federation and American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s 2015 Farm Bureau Photo Contest, open to all state and county Farm Bureau members and staff above 18 years of age at the time of entry, including professional photographers. …
#AFBF16 Awards Rural Entrepreneur of the Year
AccuGrain of Rose Hill, Iowa was named the Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year, announced at AFBF’s 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show on Monday. The AccuGrain team, led by founder Ryan Augustine, received a total of $30,000 in prize money to implement his business idea, which is X-ray technology to inventory flowing grain in real time. “This is …
Winners of @AFBFYFR Contests at #AFBF16
Winners of the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Agriculture competitions were announced today at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 97th Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. William and Cala Tabb of Mississippi won the Achievement Award. They are the winners of either a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado or 2016 GMC Sierra, courtesy of Chevrolet. They …
Candidates Contend for @FarmBureau President
It may not be as crowded as the Republican presidential field, but there’s a good crop of four candidates running to become the next president of the American Farm Bureau Federation this week. Left to right pictured here are the candidates – current AFBF Vice President and Oregon Farm Bureau president Barry Bushue, Georgia Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall, Arizona …
#AFBF16 Town Hall with Secretary Vilsack
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman at the 97th AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show Sunday for their second town hall style meeting, taking questions from members on a variety of topics. In his opening remarks Vilsack thanked Farm Bureau members for their help in securing the 2014 farm bill and passing trade …
Vote for #AFBF16 Final Four Entrepreneurs
You have until 9:00 am Eastern time to vote for the top Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneur. The Final Four gave their presentations on Sunday at the AFBF convention and then came to the media room to tell reporters about their innovations. The challenge, now in its second year, provides opportunities for individuals to showcase business innovations being developed in rural …
Ag Trade Rep Gives #TPP Details at #AFBF16
The chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative gave a detailed explanation of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention on Sunday. “The TPP is an agreement that unites 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific in a comprehensive trade agreement, with 40 percent of global gross domestic production on the table,” Vetter said. “It …