We’re seeing lower food prices at the grocery store than we did a year ago this time, according to a new survey just released from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Lower retail prices for several foods, including whole milk, cheddar cheese, bacon and apples resulted in a slight decrease in the 2015 Fall Harvest Market Basket Survey. The informal survey …
Cat Partners with AFBF in Commitment to Agriculture
Caterpillar Inc. is in their second year back to the Farm Progress Show and have a growing presence in the agriculture community. I met up with Cat’s Agriculture Industry Manager, Dustin Johansen, during the event to learn more about their product line and their new partnership with American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that will provide members up to $2,000 in …
MO Farm Bureau Takes WOTUS to the Fair Again
You might remember that Missouri Farm Bureau held a “Ditch the Rule” press conference last year at the State Fair featuring three members of the state’s Congressional delegation. With the controversial rule now finalized and scheduled to be implemented August 28, MOFB held another press conference at the fair last week – this time with four members of Congress. Representatives …
Farm Bureau: EPA Massively Increasing Its Authority
New maps released by Farm Bureau shows the federal government is massively increasing its authority at the cost of American producers. This news release from the group says the Environmental Protection Agency will radically expand its jurisdiction over land use if its controversial Waters of the United States rule takes effect as expected Aug. 28. That expansion comes even as …
AFBF: Secrecy, Misconduct at EPA on WOTUS
A series of memos the Obama Administration intended to keep private shows a culture of secrecy, falsehood and dysfunction that permeated the Waters of the U.S. rulemaking process. The American Farm Bureau charges the Army Corps of Engineers memos show the Corps “repeatedly rebuked EPA officials for their abuse of the rulemaking process in producing the deeply controversial Waters of …
AFBF President Candidate Visits Peanut Growers
One of four candidates vying to be the next president of the American Farm Bureau Federation visited the Southern Peanut Growers Conference last week in Callaway Gardens, Georgia. Georgia Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall was pleased to visit with the peanut growers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi who held their 17th annual meeting in the largest peanut growing state …
Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act Passes House
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act has passed the U.S. House on a 275-150 vote, another step to ensuring that farmers will be able to use the safe technology, GMOs. The news was welcomed by a variety of politicians and ag groups. “For the past two years we have worked hard to defend our farmers’ right to use the …
Drone Study Identifies Benefits for Farmers
The American Farm Bureau Federation, together with drone solutions company Measure, have released a study that identifies and quantifies the benefits of drone technology in precision agriculture. “While lots of drone hardware has been sold to farmers, until today no tool existed to help growers actually quantify whether the benefits exceed their costs, especially when farmers want to outsource these …
Tax Bill to Help Ag, Other Small Businesses
The Senate Finance Committee has moved forward legislation seen as important to agriculture and other small businesses. Farm Bureau is praising committee passage of the measure to extend important tax provisions through 2016. The legislation includes two provisions that let small businesses deduct major capital expenditures over just a few years, rather than the full life of the equipment they …
Stallman to Retire as AFBF President
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman announced today that he will not seek re-election in January 2016. Stallman, a cattle and rice producer from Texas, has served 16 years as the organization’s 11th president. “It has been a tremendous honor to serve the nation’s Farm Bureau members and represent agriculture and rural America,” Stallman said. “After 16 years as …