Online applications for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) third Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge will open May 1, coinciding with the beginning of National Small Business Week. The competition, in which entrepreneurs will compete for a prize of $145,000 in startup funds, provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations that benefit rural regions of the United States. …
AFBF Hosts Webcast On Labor Visa Backlogs
Delays from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the processing of visas for farm workers are fast approaching crisis proportions, increasing the threat that crops will rot in the field on many farms this year, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall said in a media conference call this week. …
New @USFRA Board Members
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) has elected three new board members, representing the American Farm Bureau Federation, Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Indiana Soybean Alliance. Scott VanderWal, a third generation family farmer from Volga, SD, is vice president of AFBF and president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau. His family operation includes corn, soybeans, beef cattle feeding and custom …
Congratulations to Farm Bureau Photo Contest Winners
The American Farm Bureau Federation has selected twelve photographs as winners of the 2015 Farm Bureau Photo Contest. Ten Farm Bureau members and staff chose winners in each of four categories; Consumer Outreach, Family Farm, Farm Labor, and Technology. The winning photos reflect farm and ranch life and their efforts to reach consumers. This year’s winners are: Consumer Outreach: …
Farmers Face Financial Pressure, AFBF Tells Congress
The continued commodity price slump is hurting American farmers and Zippy Duvall is trying to make sure Congress understand just what that means to agriculture. The American Farm Bureau Federation President (AFBF) explained to the Agriculture Subcommittee that, while all farmers and ranchers will be affected, new and young farmers will struggle most as they work to build equity, write …
Historic Agreements for Ag Trade with Cuba
Agriculture could play a key role in normalizing trade relations with Cuba, according to President Obama on his historic visit to that nation this week. “If we build on what we’re doing in agriculture and we see more U.S. farmers interacting with Cuban farmers, and there’s more exports and imports, the possibility of ending the embargo increases,” Obama said to …
Many Grocery Prices Down in Marketbasket Survey
According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world, and the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Spring Picnic Marketbasket Survey highlighted a slight decrease in the current retail prices of several popular foods, including salad, orange juice, shredded cheddar, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, …
Disappointment Over Senate GMO Labeling Vote
Despite the best efforts of Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions Bill in a 48-49 vote today, blocking advancement of the legislation that would create a voluntary federal standard for labeling foods with genetically modified ingredients. Roberts expressed his disappointment at the inability to come to agreement on …
AFBF Asks Courts to Stop Sage Grouse Overreach
The American Farm Bureau Federation together with the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, the Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have petitioned the court to stop the federal use of land management to exclude millions of acres from grazing. Currently these lands are being used for only one purpose, to provided habitats for the greater sage grouse, despite …
AFBF Urges Congress Not to Reduce Farm Programs
During the last farm bill the House and Senate Agriculture committees did their part to reduce government spending by drastically cutting funding for agriculture. Now the American Farm Bureau Federation and 254 other ag groups are calling for Congress to reject further cuts to farm programs. A recent letter to the Budget and Appropriations leaders opposes further reducing spending for conservation, …