The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is taking legal action to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from publicly releasing personal information about thousands of farmers and ranchers and their families. The lawsuit was prompted by the expectation that EPA will be responding this week to several Freedom of Information Act requests, so AFBF is seeking a temporary restraining order before …
Groups Call on House for Farm Bill Now
The American Farm Bureau Federation and more than 532 other organizations today called on House leadership to bring the farm bill back to the House floor for a vote as soon as possible. The groups also urged against splitting the nutrition title from the legislation. In a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the vast group encompassing agriculture, conservation, nutrition, …
Farm Bureau: Fourth of July Still a Bargain
While prices at the grocery store might have gone up a bit, our friends at the American Farm Bureau Federation say a Fourth of July picnic is still a bargain. The group’s latest marketbasket survey shows a party for 10 people with all the Independence Day favorites, such as hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade …
Senate Passes Immigration Reform
Unlike last week’s farm bill vote in the House, it was no real surprise to see the Senate pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation Thursday by nearly the 70 vote margin supporters had predicted. And the email reactions from agriculture groups are coming in fast – again, unlike last week when prepared statements on farm bill passage had to be furiously …
Ag Disappointed in House Farm Bill Vote
The defeat of a five year farm bill in the House of Representatives was unexpected and disappointing to agricultural organizations looking forward to getting some certainty for the future after last year’s drawn out battle that ultimately ended in a one year extension of the 2008 bill. “The American Farm Bureau Federation is highly disappointed the House did not complete …
House Speaker Supports Farm Bill
Speaker of the House John Boehner says he would vote for the House Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM) of 2013. “I’ve got concerns about the farm bill, as I told our members,” Boehner said during the Republican Leadership press conference Wednesday. “But doing nothing means that we get no changes in the farm program, no changes in …
Senate Passes Farm Bill – Again
By a vote of 66 to 27, the full Senate passed its version of a 2013 Farm Bill Monday evening, much to the relief of agricultural interests. “America’s farmers greatly appreciate the leadership and bipartisan efforts by the Senate to complete their work on the farm bill,” said National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson. “We also recognize the efforts …
AFBF Pleased with Immigration Bill Progress
The immigration reform bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday retained the farm labor provisions that the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) supports. “We believe this bill will help ensure an adequate supply of farm labor but also will provide an increased level of surveillance of high-risk areas along our borders,” AFBF president Bob Stallman said in a …
Farm Bill Top Issue at NAFB Washington Watch
As both the House and Senate Agriculture committees are marking up their versions of a farm bill this week, that was the number one issue for farm broadcasters meeting in the nation’s capitol for their annual Washington Watch. Mary Kay Thatcher with the American Farm Bureau Federation sees few major differences between the two committee drafts released last week. “If …
Farm Bureau Sends Up Farm Bill Proposal
The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a farm bill proposal to Capitol Hill this week that offers a diverse mix of risk management and safety net tools to benefit a wide range of farms and it saves $23 billion compared to the cost of continuing the current program. “We’ve tried to look at providing farmers a three-legged safety net stool …