U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement regarding the omnibus spending bill released by Congressional leaders: “The omnibus spending plan released last night contains a number of our priorities at USDA. Fixing the so-called ‘grain glitch’ 199A problem is simply an issue of fairness. We should not be picking winners and losers through the federal tax code by …

This spring, wine enthusiasts visiting Hermann, Miss., will have the unique opportunity to meet the farmers behind their food and wine. Celebrating the best of what Missouri has to offer, Missouri CommonGround and the Hermann Wine Trail announce The Farmers’ Table Wine Trail, a new addition to the wine trail lineup in 2018. The American Farm Bureau Federation has presented …

National Farmers Union presented Matt Birgen, Sue Carlson and Janet Nelson with the Meritorious Service Award at the organization’s 116th Anniversary Convention. Birgen, Carlson and Nelson were selected for their outstanding leadership and service to family agriculture and to Farmers Union over the course of their lifetimes. At the Farm Foundation Forum on Tuesday, March 20, university leaders will explore …

The Agriculture Division of DowDuPont has announced the name of the intended company once it is spun-off, which is expected to happen by June 1, 2019. The intended Agriculture company will become Corteva Agriscience, which is derived from a combination of words meaning “heart” and “nature”. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has announced the selection of Des Moines, Iowa, as …

Michael Torrey Associates welcomed Barbara Patterson and Marissa Dake to its growing team in February 2018. The Washington, D.C.-based firm offers effective government relations, strategic communications and issue advocacy and full-service association management to a growing number of clients in the food, agriculture, and forestry sector. Culver’s is celebrating National FFA Week in a big way. Through its Thank You …

One of the first official duties of the 2018 National FFA Officer Team is a trip to Washington, D.C. and Agri-Pulse is proud to sponsor that event this year. The team will be meeting with a number of leading industry organizations including CropLife America, CoBank, Glover Park Group, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers …

The Georgia Peanut Commission seeks eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving on the National Peanut Board. GPC will hold a nominations election to select two nominees each for member and alternate to the National Peanut Board during a meeting on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at the commission headquarters in Tifton, Georgia. The Economics of the …

The United States Department of Agriculture announced the selection of 30 university students who will attend USDA’s 2018 Agricultural Outlook Forum, as winners of the USDA Student Diversity Program. These undergraduate and graduate students will receive a weeklong trip to Washington, D.C., capped off by their attendance at the AOF, the USDA’s largest annual meeting, held Feb. 22-23 at the …

Deadlines are approaching for IFAJ’s Star Prize contests and the Caterpillar Ag Tech Reporting Award. The contest juries will judge work published, broadcast or posted between January 1 and December 31, 2017. Entries are due by February 23, 2018. See the contest pages on the IFAJ website for more complete details, rules and entry forms.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has appointed five members and six alternates to serve on the National Peanut Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2018, and ending Dec. 31, 2020. One appointee will serve the remaining one-year portion of a vacancy. The World Food Prize Foundation has announced that Madeline Goebel has been named the new Director …