The future of agriculture, in particular soybean farming, was on display as the American Soybean Association (ASA) and DuPont announced the latest class of Young Leaders. This news release from ASA says the leadership journey recently began at DuPont Pioneer headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. The Johnston training session was the first phase of a program designed to identify new and …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Collin Peterson
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Rep. Collin Peterson,ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. In this interview, the Minnesota Democrat shares his concerns with the current farm law and on how farmers are using its risk management tools. Peterson identifies what he sees as two flaws in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and shares his thoughts following a recent …
New Officer Team for American Soybean Association
Soybean growers have some new leadership. This news release from the American Soybean Association (ASA) says the group at its annual winter meeting in St. Louis installed Richard Wilkins, a farmer from Greenwood, Delaware, as president of the ASA, along with outgoing president Wade Cowan from Brownfield, Texas, moving to the position of chairman of the ASA board, and Ron …
Supreme Court Urged to Review EPA Clean Water Overreach
A group including members of Congress, state government members, businesses, and ag interests, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review what they see as an overreach by the federal government. This news release from Farm Bureau says the issue is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to micromanage state land-use and development decisions …
Cotton Industry To Congress: Tough Economic Conditions
The U.S. cotton industry faces some tough economic conditions right now, and leaders from the sector were on Capitol Hill to let lawmakers know how they could help. This news release from the National Cotton Council says the group outlined numerous market, policy and regulatory issues that threaten to undermine the U.S. cotton industry’s health during testimony before the House …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Jeff Swanhorst, AgriBank
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Jeff Swanhorst, chief credit officer for AgriBank. Lower farm income is already affecting farm balance sheets and raising concerns about operating loans. This interview includes tough questions and straight answers on the sufficiency of the new farm bill and crop insurance to help farmers manage risk, the outlook for farmland prices, and how lower …
USDA Urged to Enforce Buy American for School Lunches
Fifty agricultural trade associations, farmer co-ops and agribusinesses want the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enforce buy American provision when it comes to school lunches. After an investigative report showed some school districts were spending tax dollars on imported Chinese canned fruit, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to strengthen enforcement of the …
Sen. Roberts Praises Crop Insurance Restoration
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture praised passage of a bill that will restore $3 billion worth of cuts to the nation’s crop insurance program. Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts said passage came from a deal in H.R. 22, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, something brokered with Senate leadership. “When the cuts to crop insurance were …
Corn Growers Talk Sustainability at Climate Change Talks
American corn farmers were talking about just how sustainable U.S. agriculture is during the recent COP21 United Nations climate talks in Paris this week. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says the group shared U.S. corn farmers’ perspectives on a wide array of sustainability and environmental issues. The event, hosted by Field to Market, Business for Social Responsibility and Pepsico, …
USDA: Climate Change to Impede Global Food Security
A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says climate change will likely impede progress on global food security. This news release from USDA says the “Climate Change, Global Food Security and the U.S. Food System” report identifies the risks that climate change poses to global food security and the challenges facing farmers and consumers in adapting to changing …