The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Members of this Committee advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the scope, timing and content of periodic agricultural censuses, as well as surveys of agriculture and other related industries. The committee also makes recommendations on the content of agricultural reports and represents the views and data needs of suppliers and users of agricultural statistics.
The U.S. agriculture workforce is vital to making our food system consistent, cost-efficient, and reliable. However, as costs skyrocket and the number of laborers willing to take on the challenges of farm work rapidly decreases, many producers fear that the lack of a reliable workforce will bring about the end of their operations. For the United States to remain competitive in producing fruit, vegetables, and other labor-intensive commodities, both private and government institutions must accelerate their adaptation to the evolving landscape of farm labor. Farm Foundation will host its next virtual Forum, Growing Together: Trends and Transformation in U.S. Agriculture Labor on Tuesday, November 19, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central. The Forum will highlight some of the findings from a recent multi-day symposium that explored the future of the U.S. agricultural workforce.
The call for nominations for the 2025 Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellowship is now open. The 2025 fellowship is focused on the bioeconomy and related fields of applied economic research. Nominations will be accepted through November 18, 2024. Now in its fifth year, the Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with expertise in the bioeconomy field to connect with researchers in the USDA and other agencies, publish their research, network across the industry, and attend conferences and events.
In 2023, crop insurance protected more than 540.6 million acres of farm and ranchland across the country. That is more land than the gross area of the entire United States in 1788 when the famous Founding Father first had his big idea to help farmers manage their risks. Added coverage for America’s ranchers and improvements for specialty crop growers through Whole Farm Revenue Protection and other crop-specific insurance products account for much of the additional acreage. Congress can continue to make progress by passing a new Farm Bill that further strengthens the public-private crop insurance system.
After nearly a decade leading the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, Peter McCornick announced he will step down as executive director in August 2025. He plans to transition to a full-time faculty role in UNL’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering.
In honor of those who served, Kubota Tractor Corporation announced a new partnership with Boot Campaign to support the organization’s work to restore the lives of veterans and military families through individualized, life-improving care. The company kicks off its program with Boot Campaign on Veterans Day with a series of activities that run through Military Appreciation Month in May of 2025.
A newly established award recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities. Retired Army Col. Joe Ricker of Indiana is the first recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation with support from Farm Credit.
Meyocks, a leading branding and marketing agency, announced the appointment of two new vice presidents of creative to its leadership team: Chad Baker and Johnny Mackin. Together, Baker and Mackin bring a combined 60 years of industry experience.
The 2024-25 National FFA Officer Team was elected during the final session of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. Students from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, California, Georgia and Wisconsin were elected by National FFA Delegates to serve as 2024-25 National FFA Officers. They will lead the organization for the next year.
VANE, a leading provider of specialty agricultural insurance, is expanding its agricultural risk management portfolio to offer insurance coverage for agricultural financing and lending institutions.
