Ding dong the ditch rule is dead! The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have officially begun the process to withdraw the highly controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) final rule and begin a replacement rulemaking process to gather input and re-evaluate the definition of WOTUS, to cheers from farmers and ranchers nationwide. American Farm …
Prices for a July 4th Cookout Down Slightly
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) says we can cookout for a little less this year. Favorite foods for a Fourth of July meal will run about $6 per person according to an informal survey conducted by AFBF. The average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people is $55.70, or $5.57 per person. One reason for this is competition …
SMART Farmer Scott VanderWal
In this episode of the SMART Farmer podcast we meet Scott VanderWal, a third-generation corn and soybean farmer and cattle feeder from Volga, South Dakota. In addition to operating the family farm with his father and brothers, Scott serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, and is a board member …
USTR Moves Forward with NAFTA Renegotiation
Just days after being sworn in as United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer notified Congress that President Trump intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “Today, President Trump fulfilled one of his key promises to the American people. For years, politicians have called for the renegotiation of this agreement, but President Trump is the first to follow …
Trump Puts Agriculture in the Spotlight
President Trump welcomed new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on his first day in office for a White House “Farmers Roundtable” and the signing of an Executive Order establishing an Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. During the signing, President Trump commented on the current trade dispute with Canada over dairy product pricing. “(w)here the dairy farmers up …
AFBF Survey Shows Decrease in Retail Food Prices
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket Survey found that retail prices are lower for several foods this year, including eggs, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, chicken breasts and toasted oat cereal. “As expected due to lower farm-gate prices, we have seen continued declines in retail prices for livestock products including eggs, beef, chicken, pork and cheese,” said John …
Farm Bureau Urges Senate Confirmation of Perdue
Yesterday we received news from the White House stating President Trump authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas after those states were impacted by widespread wildfires. This was followed by news from USDA’s Acting Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young, who issued the memorandum. This news reminds us we are still without leadership at …
Duvall Addresses Agri-Pulse #FarmBillSummitt
President of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Zippy Duvall addressed the participants of the Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit earlier this week. Using his best southern charm, Duvall addressed the issue of the upcoming farm bill, pointing out the different circumstances farmers and ranchers are in as the last bill was being written and the economic climate now. “The biggest problem with …
POTUS Ditches WOTUS
The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation had the privilege of being with the President of the United States Tuesday as he signed an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally reconsider the controversial Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule under the Clean Water Act. “President Trump’s executive order to ditch the Waters of …
Farm Bureau Donates to Hungry Americans
The American Farm Bureau, lead by the Young Farmers & Ranchers program, raised more than $1.1 million and donate more than 28.9 million pounds of food for hungry Americans in 2016. The “Harvest for All” program is now in its 15th year and has fed more than 31 million meals, thanks to the efforts of farmers and ranchers. “Farm Bureau …