Nine potential Republican presidential candidates were asked their opinions on various agricultural issues at the Iowa Ag Summit in Des Moines on Saturday. Each taking a seat on a stage with agribusiness entrepreneur Bruce Rastetter for 20-30 minutes were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, South Carolina …
Coalition Tells Congress to Reject Farm Bill Cuts
A coalition of nearly 400 organizations, including the National Farmers Union (NFU), is calling for Congress to reject efforts to make additional cuts to the 2014 Farm Bill. The NFU and the coalition of groups, representing family farmers and ranchers, agribusiness, food banks, environmental and faith-based organizations, sent a letter to U.S. Senate and House leaders asking them to stop …
More Reaction to Proposed Dietary Guidelines
More comments are coming forward about the recently released Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Farm Bureau and some key politicians are not pleased about what they see as the committee’s overreach in the report that will be used for developing national nutrition policy by the federal government. Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation …
Pope Francis Calls Farming a Vocation
Pope Francis put agriculture in focus this weekend when he met with a group of managers from the National Confederation of Direct Cultivators. His comments reflected on two main areas, poverty and hunger and protection of the environment. BTW. I love this photo of him from the L’Osservatore Romano. Here are a few excerpts from his comments “There is no …
Election Aftermath Thoughts
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) may well speak for all of America with its statement following Election Day 2014 – Time to Get to Work! “Washington may look different come January, but fundamentally, things have not really changed,” said NCGA president Chip Bowling of Maryland. “There is no sign that the gridlock of the past few years will diminish. …
New Agri-Pulse Political Punch Series
Agri-Pulse has started a new six-part series called “Packing a Political Punch in Rural America.” Throughout this in-depth series, Editor Sara Wyant will look at some of the important demographic, economic and political changes taking place in American agriculture and discuss why it may be time for rural America’s political influencers to rethink their tactics and strategies, too. “In recent …
Ag Industry Dealt a Blow from EPA
The agriculture industry has been dealt a blow according to Adam Nielsen, director of legislation and policy development for the Illinois Farm Bureau. Nielsen, who spends a significant amount of time promoting the agricultural industry in Washington, D.C., said the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed 2014 reduction of the amount of corn ethanol blended as part of the Renewable Fuel …
Career & Technical Education Threatened in Missouri
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs such as the Missouri FFA strive to teach students valuable skills through leadership opportunities & hands-on learning in high school vocational classes. There is a proposal sent out by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) removing the priority for organizations like the FFA from a students high school education. CTE is not …
Former Ag Secretaries at NAFB
Three former secretaries of agriculture at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention in Kansas City on Wednesday had the opportunity to comment on the election results and what might happen now. Bob Bergland, who served under President Jimmy Carter, said the outcome of the election was no surprise to him, the question is where we go from here. “Majority …
Agri-Pulse Poll Favors Romney
A poll for election day shows way more farmers say they are voting Romney over Obama for president. According to the Agri-Pulse Farm and Rural Poll released today, 78 percent of farmers polled are voting for Mitt Romney in the presidential election and a majority blame Democrats for failure to pass a new farm bill. “We wanted to see not …