Twelve individuals from across the country involved in the agriculture industry were honored Monday in Washington DC as “White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture.” The diverse group of farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators were recognized for their exemplary leadership in supporting change in their communities through innovation in agricultural production and education. The Champions were chosen …
AgCatalyst Award Winners
While we were busy with koalas and kangaroos last week in Australia, the first AgCatalyst Awards were being handed out in Kansas City. One of the inaugural honorees was our very dear friend Al Johnson, who started his career more than four decades ago with a traditional print magazine, Dakota Farmer, and continues to innovate and lead the ag media …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Sen. Kent Conrad
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Sen. Kent Conrad. As a former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee the North Dakota Democrat is well versed on the country’s challenging fiscal policy. In this week’s interview Senator Conrad discusses the appropriations deadline, the debate over the debt ceiling, the advantages to a two-year budget and secure long term funding for the …
USDA Safety-Net Payments Going Out to Farmers
Farmers hit by market downturns will see relief in the form of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) payments. The agency announced about half of the 1.7 million farms that signed up for either the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will receive safety-net payments for the 2014 crop year. “Unlike the old direct payments program, which …
Bipartisan Bill Helps Farmers & Machinery
U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced bipartisan legislation, supported by both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, to help farmers purchase new equipment and replace worn-out machinery by amending the U.S. tax code to permanently set a five-year depreciation schedule for certain agricultural equipment. The current tax code sets a seven-year …
Soybean Board Appoints 17 Farmer-Leaders
Tom Vilsack has appointed 17 farmers from across the country to serve as directors on the United Soybean Board (USB). The appointees will be sworn in at the upcoming annual meeting in St. Louis. Five of the directors are newly added, 12 are returning members. The USDA has also announced that the USB will be increasing their farmer-leaders from 70 to …
Cotton Industry Wants No More Trade Constraints
The National Cotton Council is calling for an end to constraints on U.S. cotton policy in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) December Ministerial in Nairobi, Kenya. The group’s president and CEO Gary Adams testified before the House Agriculture Committee that U.S. trade negotiators need to maintain a firm commitment not to accept any further concessions to U.S. cotton policy. He …
New Holland Tractor Could Change Face of Farming
A new video produced by CNH Industrial, parent of global agricultural machinery brand New Holland Agriculture, looks at its prototype Methane Power tractor, and what it is capable of achieving during the the Sustainable Farm Pavilion at the 2015 Expo in Milan, Italy. The alternative fuel technology powering that tractor is a promising cue towards the future of agricultural mechanization, …
Vilsack Announces Sorghum Checkoff Board Members
Four new members have been appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the United Sorghum Checkoff Program board of directors. Boyd Funk, from Garden City, Kansas; Craig Poore, of Alton, Kansas; David Fremark, from St. Lawrence, South Dakota; and Jim Massey IV from Robstown, Texas will all serve three year terms. “We are looking forward to the diverse perspectives …