The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced new efforts to help prevent the introduction and spread of African swine fever in the U.S. Through an outreach and awareness campaign called “Protect Our Pigs,” APHIS will support commercial pork producers, veterinarians, and pig owners with information and resources to help safeguard America’s swine …
Lower Food and Fuel Cost Act Passes House
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, a diverse package of initiatives from meat packing plants to year round E15, despite opposition by the majority of Republicans. The final vote was 221-204, with seven Republicans siding with the majority and five Democrats voting against the bill. The act includes a package of ag-related …
House Ag Republicans Introduce Farm Input Costs Bill
Republican Leader of the House Agriculture Committee Glenn “GT” Thompson and GOP members this week introduced H.R. 8069, the Reducing Farm Input Costs and Barriers to Domestic Production Act. The bill requires the Biden Administration to reverse its regulatory barriers to domestic agriculture production and provide immediate relief to families across the country. Congressman Thompson was joined by more than …
House to Vote on Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act led by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), a package of legislation designed to address supply chain issues for the American energy and agriculture sectors, combat rising fertilizer prices and increase the availability of higher ethanol blends and other biofuels. The legislation includes Spanberger’s …
Familiar Faces With AgGateway Staff
There were several new staff members at the AgGateway mid year meeting this week in Altoona, Iowa. A familiar face in the industry, Jeremy Wilson joined the organization as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and North America Regional Director, effective January 1, 2022. Wilson replaced Brent Kemp, who was selected to serve as the organization’s President and Chief Executive …
Agri-Pulse to Host Food Security Webinar
American farmland and ranchland are rapidly disappearing, threatening our food security, undermining the agricultural economy, and making us vulnerable to climate shocks. What can be done? That question is at the heart of an upcoming June 29 Agri-Pulse webinar, “Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future.” “With the war in Ukraine, drought in the Western U.S. and ongoing supply …
Landus Ag CEO Offers Insights at AgGateway Meeting
“The Transformative Power of Connected Data in Ag Retail” was the theme for Matt Carstens keynote address to the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting Monday in Altoona, Iowa. Carstens, who is President and CEO of Landus Ag, drove home the importance of the farmer and the ag retailer in unlocking the full potential of ag data. “We’ve got to have those two …
AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting Kicks Off in Iowa
AgGateway is celebrating its 2022 Mid-Year Meeting as a 100% in-person experience once again this week at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA. AgGateway President and CEO Brent Kemp says this summer meeting, which brings more than 250 industry professionals together, is where the work of the organization gets done. “The majority of the work that we do is really the …
Passing of Don Funk, Seedsman
We are sad to report the passing of Don E. Funk, fourth generation seedsman and grandson of seed industry pioneer, Edward J. Funk, who died June 9, 2022 of natural causes, according to his family. Don became president of Edward J. Funk & Sons at the age of 25. It was later purchased by British Petroleum. In 1999, Don formed …
Hearing Explores Agricultural Trade Issues
Senators heard from representatives of U.S. peanut growers, dairy producers and wheat farmers Thursday during a hearing on “Agricultural Trade: Priorities and Issues Facing America’s Farmers.” Representing the U.S. Peanut Federation before the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, was Karla Baker Thompson with JET Farms Georgia and Integrity Farms of Camilla, Georgia. Thompson highlighted the decline …