WTO Announces $1.01 Billion in COOL Retaliation

Jamie Johansen

We anticipated this and now it’s here. The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced $1.01 billion retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods authorized in the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) with Canada and Mexico. The WTO has upheld multiple times our neighboring country’s claim that the label creates an unfair advantage to U.S. products. U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee …

AFBF, Ag Groups, Beef, NCBA, NPPC, Pork, Trade

Farm Bureau Connects Students with Food Science Fun

John Davis

A new resource looks to connect students to the science of food and food production. This news release from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture says its My American Farm educational site offers “Food Science Fun” that was student tested and approved. “Food Science Fun” is a new guide that contains 10 activities related to food science. The guide …

AFBF

#Ag Industry Reacts to @EPA #RFS Final Rules

Joanna Schroeder

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the much anticipated final volumetric rules today under the Renewable Fuels Standard for 2014, 2015 and 2016. While the RVOs (renewable volume obligations) were an improvement over the proposed rules released in May of this year, the #Ag industry is calling on the EPA to further strengthen the legislation and further increase all four …

AFBF, Agribusiness, ASA, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Ethanol, NCGA, USDA

Farm Bureau Offers Election Information Website

John Davis

Farm Bureau believes a well-informed electorate will vote the right ways on issues dear to the organization. That’s why it has launched election16.fb.org, a site the group’s director of advocacy and political affairs Cody Lyon says will keep farmers and ranchers informed. “We wanted to create a website that served three key purposes. First, news that was going on related …

AFBF, politics

AFBF 97th Annual Meeting Coming up Soon

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Farm Bureau Federation 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show is just around the corner now in Orlando, Florida, on January 11, 2016. With the simple theme “The Future of Agriculture,” the 2016 meeting will feature “Shark Tank” investor Barbara Corcoran giving the keynote address. There will also be many educational workshops as well as the full trade …

AFBF

Coalition Urges Congress to Maintain Farm Safety Net

Cindy Zimmerman

Nearly 50 organizations representing agricultural interests sent a letter last week to Congressional leaders urging them not cut crop insurance or other farm programs through the omnibus appropriations act. “The crop insurance program is the lynchpin of the farm safety net and is crucial to the economic security of rural America,” reads the coalition’s letter to Congress. “The crop insurance …

AFBF, Farm Bill, Insurance

Thanksgiving Dinner Just $5 Per Person

Cindy Zimmerman

Where in the world can a person get a sumptuous meal of turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk all for about five dollars? Only in the good ol’ US of A, thanks to the great productivity of our …

AFBF, Food

#NAFB15 Last Trade Talk for AFBF President

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s been 16 years that Bob Stallman has represented the American Farm Bureau Federation as president and he’s been at NAFB Trade Talk for most, if not all, of those years. But this year was his last as president since he announced in July that he will be retiring from the post – to do whatever he wants. “I told …

AFBF, Audio, NAFB

Farm Bureau Creates ‘The Buzz’ Over Educational Game

John Davis

A new educational game offered for free by Farm Bureau is creating quite the buzz about pollinators. This news release from the group says “The Buzz,” a new interactive and educational game, recently released by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, educates users on the power of pollinators and reinforces science learning expectations by having learners explore pollinator habitats …

AFBF, Bees, pollinators

Farm Bureau Wants EPA Micromanagement Stopped

John Davis

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 …

AFBF, Environment, EPA