Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Sen. Pat Roberts. In this week’s interview, the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee discusses further action on the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. definition and says his committee is close to a compromise on a child nutrition bill. Roberts expects further attacks on the crop insurance industry and says he and other congressional …
Farm Bureau Wants EPA Micromanagement Stopped
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and a coalition of agricultural and builder groups have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) micromanagement of local land use and development decisions. This news release from AFBF says the groups are asking the court to review a lower court ruling that allows the EPA overstep under the …
Farm Broadcaster ‘Hap Larson’ Dies
Farm broadcaster, professional rodeo announcer and raconteur Larry Parlette, better known as Hap Larson to his listeners, has died. The National Association of Farm Broadcasting expressed its sadness at Parlette’s death. Larry served as news director for western Kansas’s KBUF 1030 AM for 20 years. Better known to listeners as Hap Larson, he hosted KBUF’s “Traveling the Circuit” and played …
Corn Growers Urge Transportation Bill Reconcile
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is happy the House of Representatives passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, a bill that would extend federal highway funding for the next six years. But in this news release, NCGA urged the House and Senate now to reconcile their respective transportation bills and send it to the White House …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Sen. Joni Ernst
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Sen. Joni Ernst. From her family’s Iowa farm to the troubled lands of the Middle East, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst has dedicated her life to the nation’s security: for ample food and against foes. In this week’s Open Mic Interview U.S. Senator Joni Ernst shares her thoughts on proposed legislative action to block the …
Ag Lawmakers Oppose Crop Insurance Cuts
While many are praising a budget deal that averts a government shutdown and the prospect of one until after next year’s elections, the deal isn’t being welcomed by many agricultural state lawmakers. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) announced he will vote against the budget deal negotiated behind closed doors because of its raid on crop insurance funding. “I …
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 …
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 …
RFD-TV Lobbies for Media Merger
RFD-TV executives are lobbying government officials in Washington, D.C., to approve a merger that will see the network on more cable providers. In this news release, RFD-TV points out that Charter Communications, which has a pending merger with Time Warner and Brighthouse cable networks, has a proven track record of supporting rural, independent programming, and the rural network now enjoys …