Connecting with the future of the agricultural industry is what brings the New Holland crew to the National FFA Convention each year. Mark Lowery works in marketing for New Holland and he shared with me what students swarming their booth can get out of the experience. “Visitors to the New Holland booth will be able to take advantage of some …
National FFA Officers #AmplifyFFA
The 88th National FFA Convention & Expo is in full swing and the streets of Louisville, KY are flooded with corduroy jackets. This week the lives of the National FFA Officers are crazy to say the least, but I had a chance to chat with two of them this morning before the organized chaos got too deep. Nearly 365 days …
CEO Council on Sustainability and Innovation
Leading agribusiness CEOs, with the assistance of the Bipartisan Policy Center, have announced a new joint effort aimed to identify and promote innovative approaches to improving sustainability in agriculture and food production. The CEO Council on Sustainability and Innovation will officially be launched tomorrow, October 29 by leaders of DuPont, Elanco, Kellogg Company, and Land O’ Lakes. Over the next …
FFA Members to Amplify Louisville
This week, FFA members from across the country will arrive in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate the 88th National FFA Convention & Expo. And thanks to our sponsor, New Holland, I will be there to cover it all. As a former FFA member and ag teacher, this event is by far my favorite. The convention and expo will kick off on …
Bipartisan Bill Helps Farmers & Machinery
U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced bipartisan legislation, supported by both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, to help farmers purchase new equipment and replace worn-out machinery by amending the U.S. tax code to permanently set a five-year depreciation schedule for certain agricultural equipment. The current tax code sets a seven-year …
Soybean Board Appoints 17 Farmer-Leaders
Tom Vilsack has appointed 17 farmers from across the country to serve as directors on the United Soybean Board (USB). The appointees will be sworn in at the upcoming annual meeting in St. Louis. Five of the directors are newly added, 12 are returning members. The USDA has also announced that the USB will be increasing their farmer-leaders from 70 to …
Cotton Industry Wants No More Trade Constraints
The National Cotton Council is calling for an end to constraints on U.S. cotton policy in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) December Ministerial in Nairobi, Kenya. The group’s president and CEO Gary Adams testified before the House Agriculture Committee that U.S. trade negotiators need to maintain a firm commitment not to accept any further concessions to U.S. cotton policy. He …
Vilsack Announces Sorghum Checkoff Board Members
Four new members have been appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the United Sorghum Checkoff Program board of directors. Boyd Funk, from Garden City, Kansas; Craig Poore, of Alton, Kansas; David Fremark, from St. Lawrence, South Dakota; and Jim Massey IV from Robstown, Texas will all serve three year terms. “We are looking forward to the diverse perspectives …
Clif Bar & NYFC Address Shortage of New Farmers
The American farmer is near 60 and new young farmers are in critical short supply, Clif Bar & Company and the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) announced a joint effort to support pending federal legislation that would remove one of the key obstacles preventing young farmers from starting to farm — student loan debt. “We are a generation of farmers …
Senate Ag Hearing Reaffirms Safety of GMOs
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing this week that showcased the overwhelming scientific consensus regarding GMO safety, as well as the urgent need for Congressional action to pass a reasonable, common-sense solution that prevents a state-by-state patchwork of labeling laws. “Today’s hearing confirmed that GMOs are safe; a state-by-state patchwork of labeling laws will have dire consequences for farmers, …