Current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations are a lot like a Sumo wrestling match, according to Ted McKinney, under secretary of trade and foreign agricultural affairs for the Agriculture Department. He said there is an extraordinary amount of posturing in the circle, but he is hopeful that the United States, Canada and Mexico will meet in the middle …
Ag Law Experts Review Top Legal Issues Affecting Farmers
Court decisions and changes in the law can have significant impacts on farm and ranch businesses, according to two agricultural law experts who presented at a workshop at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, assistant professor and Extension specialist in agricultural law with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, and Paul Goeringer, Extension …
Peanut Calendar
Tyron Spearman has a look at this week’s peanut calendar. Peanut Calendar Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials through SharpShooter™June 16, 2026
Enjoying Your Favorite Pastime Meal
Cathy Isom fills us in about the weeklong annual food holiday everyone is sure to love. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Enjoying Your Favorite Pastime Meal The entire second week of January, from the 8th to the 14th, is surely one of America’s favorite weeks to enjoy a favorite pastime meal or leftover snack. That’s because this week …
Cargill, Hershey, Leave Grocery Manufacturers Association
Ag giant Cargill, along with the Hershey Company, are the latest to drop out of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, joining at least eight other major companies in retreat. The two join Tyson Foods, Campbell Soup Company and others who have recently left Washington, D.C.’s largest food industry association. Politico reports many of the companies that have left are viewed as …
Organic Milk Sales Lower
Organic milk sales are dropping, but sales of so-called plant-based milk are rising. The Wall Street Journal reports organic milk sales fell 2.5 percent in 2017, slightly less than traditional white milk that fell 4.5 percent. Plant-based milks rose 2.9 percent in sales. However, the largest gains in milk sales were seen by specialty milk which would include products like …
Thatcher Retiring from AFBF
Long-serving public policy specialist Mary Kay Thatcher will retire from the American Farm Bureau Federation at the end of the month. In an email to AFBF staff, Dale Moore, the organization’s executive director for public policy, said: “It is tough to inform you that Mary Kay Thatcher has announced her retirement from AFBF,” according to the Hagstrom Report. Her last …
Roberts: Trump Listening to Senate NAFTA Concerns
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts says President Donald Trump “really listened to our concerns” regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During a meeting between lawmakers and the President last week, Roberts says he “delivered the message that farmers and ranchers need to grow export markets and maintain our status as a reliable supplier.” A White House statement mentioned …
Agri View: Hog Farming
Everett Griner talks about hog farming in today’s Agri View. Raising hogs is hard work. Everett checks out what the new Guest Worker Program may do for hog farming and pork production. Hog Farming Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune …
Disaster Assistance Will Set the Stage for Next Farm Bill
Passing a disaster assistance bill for agriculture will set the stage for the next farm bill, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) told workshop attendees at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Ideally, lawmakers will address contentious issues related to cotton and dairy programs in the disaster bill and “get them out of the way” before …