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 …
The Importance of Crop Insurance At #FarmBillSummit
Tom Zacharias, president of National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS), was among the speakers invited to address this week’s Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit in Washington, D.C. Zacharias stressed the role crop insurance plays in ensuring a strong and vibrant agricultural sector, which is critical to the well-being of our economy and society as a whole. “The role of both state and …
Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit Success
The Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit Monday at the National Press Club in Washington DC was an unqualified success, thanks to the efforts of the amazing Agri-Pulse team. Major agricultural organizations helped to sponsor the event and provide insight into the development of the next farm bill. Panels covered a range of topics, from “Breaking Down the Baseline and Budget Challenges” …
AEM Study Shows Ag Economy Matters to Many
Anita Sennett and Nick Tindall represented the Association of Equipment Manufacturers as a partner of Commodity Classic last week. In a press confernece the two pointed out the importance of the agriculture manufacturing industry on the U.S. economy. A new study, which will be released in its entirety on March 9, shows that 27 percent of manufacturing in the U.S. …
Ag Groups Support Farm Bill Funding
The 2014 Farm Bill helped reduce the nation’s deficit with budget cuts, but further cutbacks in 2018 could cause a serious threat, says a letter from 502 agriculture groups, nutrition organizations, conservation departments and local governments. The letter was spearheaded by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Bread for the World, Feeding America, the Food Research & Action Center, the National …
Farm Economy Update at #CIRB2017
The team of Gary Schnitkey and Jonathan Coppess from the University of Illinois gave an update on the farm economy during a presentation at the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting this week. “We’re seeing deteriorating financial conditions on many farms and we’re likely to continue to see that as long as we have corn prices below four dollars …
Farm Bill Talk at #AFBF17
There was a lot of interest in the development of the next farm bill at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting this week in Phoenix. A session on the topic featuring a couple of top agriculture committee staffers was standing room only. AFBF Senior Director of Congressional Relations Mary Kay Thatcher, who moderated the session, says Congress has a …