Our House of Representatives again passed the GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 1 (115) today after a re-vote. And agriculture is beginning to chime in. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (TX-11) praised House passage and said, “Today, Congress has delivered the fairer, simpler tax code that American families and small businesses deserve. This historic tax relief package …
CBB Names Scott Stuart to CEO Position
The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB) has named Scott Stuart of Colorado as the new chief executive officer, effective February 1, 2018. “The beef industry is very complex,” notes Brett Morris, CBB chairman from Ninnekah, Oklahoma. “Scott has the background and understanding to bring all those pieces together to help producers meet their goal of promoting beef and …
Plant Breeders Award Grad Scholarships
The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) represents member companies in the business of plant improvement. So, a perfect place for them to award their Graduate Student Plant Breeding Award was the recent American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS & Seed Expo in Chicago, IL. NCCPB offered three graduate student currently pursuing a PhD. in plant breeding awards of …
Missouri Farm Bureau Listening Session on #FarmBill18
The Missouri Farm Bureau held their annual meeting earlier this week and a highlight for many was the discussion on the 2018 Farm Bill. In a packed house, a Focus on the Farm Bill Seminar took place with Capitol Hill decision makers and thought-leaders in Missouri agriculture. Panelists: – Ranking Member House Ag Committee, Congressman Collin Peterson – Missouri Congresswoman …
New White Paper Explores Opportunities for U.S. Ag in Cuba
Two leading advocates for normalizing trade with Cuba announced the release of a new white paper, Opportunities for U.S. Agriculture in Cuba: A White Paper, that examines how 16 farm states could benefit if the U.S. repeals longstanding restrictions on food sales to the island nation. The paper was produced by Cuba Trade Magazine and the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for …
American Veal Commits to Innovation, Collaboration & Quality
The American Veal Association (AVA) represents milk-fed veal producers and those members are small family farms. We were able to learn more about the organization and its vision of being a source of information and collaboration to customers about the high-quality, safe and nutritious veal their members provide and its mission of leading advocacy efforts that engage the industry in …
Trade Tops Priority List for Beef Sector
A fourth-generation rancher on the central coast of California, Kevin Kester is president-elect for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). I was able to catch up with him during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s annual event to learn about NCBA’s top priorities going into 2018. As you can guess trade will top their list. Kester is on Secretary of …
National Thanksgiving Turkey Presented to POTUS
National Turkey Federation Chairman Carl Wittenburg presented the National Thanksgiving Turkey named “Drumstick” to President Donald J. Trump during a White House ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of the event that has occurred since 1947. “As we gather together with our families on Thanksgiving and give thanks for our many blessings, we are reminded of the national family to which …
Top Priorities for Cattle Producers
Each year the NAFB Trade Talk allows us to get updates from each segment of the agricultural community. As a beef producer, I am always eager to step into the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) booth to hear the latest on policy issues impacting my family. Colin Woodall, senior vice president government affairs, is no stranger to the Golden Mic …
Trade, Farm Bill & Taxes…Oh My!
Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst represented the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) at last week’s NAFB Trade Talk. As you can guess, trade, 2018 farm bill and tax reform were key issues we discussed. When it comes to NAFTA renegotiations, Hurst said, “U.S. agriculture can see some benefits from this renegotiation. We can see changes to phytosanitary rules. We …