U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Austin Scott (R-GA) both shared their perspectives on the new administration, gridlock in Congress, and the outlook for a 2018 farm bill at the 2017 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Saturday. “It’s going to be a tough fight, I don’t want anybody to fool themselves,” said Rep. Rogers about getting the next farm bill passed …
House Ag Hearing on Specialty Crop Innovations
The House Agriculture Committee heard testimony Wednesday on technology and innovation in specialty crops as input toward the making of the 2018 farm bill. “As we look at the farm bill through the lens of the current farm economy, innovation and technology will remain essential for farmers and ranchers to continue producing more food and fiber with fewer resources,” said …
“Peanut Program Works” Website and Video Launched
As preparations for the 2018 Farm Bill begin, the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation (SPFF) has launched a website and video to showcase the benefits of the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program in the 2014 Farm Bill. Through the website, SPFF aims to educate policymakers, farmers and the agriculture community about why the Peanut Program must be retained in the upcoming …
ASTA Preparing Farm Bill Input
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has an interest in several titles of the farm bill, so the organization is making preparations for the 2018 legislation. The research title is extremely important to the industry, and trade promotions are absolutely critical, Jane DeMarchi, VP of Government and Regulatory Affairs and Virginia Houston, Associate Director for Domestic and Government Affairs for …
Florida Hosts 1st House Ag Farm Bill Listening Session
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) hosted the very first House Agriculture Committee farm bill listening session on Saturday in Gainesville, Florida. Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (TX-11) presided over the first of many “Conversations in the Field” that will be held in the coming year as work on the 2018 Farm Bill is just beginning …
Ag Groups React to Trump’s Budget Proposal
Despite Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s positive perspective, farm groups are reacting to Trump’s proposed 2018 budget in the opposite way. With more than $4 billion to be taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget, the Trump’s plan isn’t going over well with a whole host of ag organizations. Several organizations point out the significance of such a cut …
Peanut and Cotton Growers Provide Farm Bill Input
Peanut and cotton growers provided their input into commodity programs in the next farm bill during a hearing this week before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. Georgia farmer Tim McMillan testified on behalf of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation in support of maintaining the peanut provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill and the …
Can the Farm Bill Help Bring Back the Next Generation?
Agri-Pulse‘s final panel discussion at their Farm Bill Summit covered “How the Farm Bill Can Help Bring the Next Generation Back to the Farm Through Investments in Infrastructure, Research, and Rural Development.” The moderator was Spencer Chase, Agri-Pulse Associate Editor. Krysta Harden, Vice President of Public Policy and Chief Sustainability Officer, DuPont; Laura Batcha, CEO, Organic Trade Association; Travis Medine, …
Bridging the Farm/Food Policy Gap at #FarmBillSummit
The “Bridging the Gap Between Farm and Food Policy” panel hosted by Agri-Pulse during their Farm Bill Summit was moderated by Agri-Pulse Senior Editor, Phillip Brasher. The panelists were all veterans of past farm bills and familiar with wrestling issues like SNAP. “I think the alliance between farmers and people who work in the nutrition field or people who worry …
Next Generation Risk Management from #FarmBillSummit
Agri-Pulse hosted a variety of panel discussions last week during their Farm Bill Summit, beginning with ‘Next Generation Risk Management – What Does it Look Like?’ Jeff Nalley, Agri-Pulse contributing editor moderated the event, consisting of panelists Mary Kay Thatcher, Sr. Director of Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation; Rob Larew, Sr. Vice President, Public Policy and Communications, National Farmers …