The National Ag Day Meet & Mingle Lunch took place in Washington D.C. drawing attendees to the Dirksen Senate Building for lunch and to once again hear from the legendary Orion Samuelson, WGN, who served as the events emcee. Chad Garone took to the mic representing the Outstanding Farmers of America (OFA) and the 2015 class of Outstanding Young Farmers. …
Golden Plow Awarded to Rep Mike Conaway
The Golden Plow award was given to Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) during the Farm Bureau Advocacy Conference that took place last week. AFBF President Zippy Duvall presented the award to the Chairman of the House Ag Committee- the highest honor given to members of Congress. Conaway was nominated by the Texas Farm Bureau who noted his dedication to the ag …
2016 Politics and Agriculture at CIRB
With Presidential Elections on the horizon, it isn’t surprising many are wondering how a new administration will affect the agriculture industry. Jim Wiesemeyer, Senior Vice President of Informa Economics delivered a message to the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting entitled Policy Forecast for 2016 and Beyond. AgWired had the chance to talk to him about the candidates and …
Ag America Wants Candidates to Support Agriculture
A coalition of agricultural leaders is calling on the presidential candidates to commit to publicly support U.S. agriculture. Ag America has developed a set of “Principles for Our Ag Future” that “outline the path forward to ensure that American agriculture continues to be the envy and leader throughout the world.” “Ag America is calling on all of the fine men …
Our Important Voice
From the time Roger Rickard was 13 years old he was driven by causes and has been politically minded ever since. His experiences along the way lead him to start Voices in Advocacy and write a book, “7 Actions of Highly Effective Advocates.” He brought his expertise to the stage addressing attendees of the 2016 National Young Farmers & Ranchers …
Emerging CIRB Leaders Build Future of Crop Insurance
Sheri Bane kicked off the 2016 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting with her opening remarks. When Chuck Zimmerman caught up with her later he was able to learn more about the organizations first year with the Emerging Leaders Program. “We had company representatives nominate up and coming leaders within their organizations,” Bane explains. “Those six people began the program late last …
Trump a Future Farmer?
Donald Trump was “honored” that he placed second in the Monday caucuses in Iowa and expressed his love for the state during his speech to supporters last night, with a parting note that he could become a farmer. “Iowa, we love you, we thank you, you’re special,” said Trump. “We will be back many, many times – in fact, I …
Trump Tops @AgriPulse Poll of Farmers
As Iowa voters gather to caucus today, a new Agri-Pulse poll shows most farmers support Donald Trump for president. In the most extensive poll of how U.S. farmers and ranchers plan to vote for president, respondents overwhelmingly say they’ll support a Republican, and 40 percent of those are Trump supporters. That compares to 15 percent for Sen. Ted Cruz, 11 …
Ethanol, Farmers and Politics in Iowa
With the Iowa caucuses coming up on Monday, agriculture and renewable fuels finally got some attention in the Republican debate last night, as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was asked about his position on the Renewable Fuel Standard. “We should be developing oil and gas and coal and nuclear and wind and solar and ethanol and biofuels but I don’t …
USDA Pledges $9M Towards Wetlands
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the establishment of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Mitigation Banking Program, made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The program will provide $9 million to help states, local governments or other qualified partners develop wetland mitigation banks that restore, create, or enhance wetland ecosystems, broadening the conservation options available to farmers and …