Florida Forever Update from Rep. Albritton

With just a week and a half left to the Florida legislative session, various bills continue to work their way through the process. Yesterday, Southeast AgNet Tallahassee Intern Josie Tomkow caught up with Representative Ben Albritton from District 56, which includes Hardee, Desoto, and southern Polk counties. He has an update concerning the Florida Forever program. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester …

Historic White House Ag Roundtable Discussion Includes Florida Farmer

Fourteen farmers from across the country, including American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, are meeting with President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for an agriculture roundtable discussion. During the roundtable, the farmers will discuss with Trump and Perdue the issues the White House believes are most pressing for American agriculture. Farmers from California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, …

Lobbyist Backs Away From Florida Forever Comments

From: News Service of Florida Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida and a prominent environmental lobbyist, released a statement Tuesday walking back concerns about a House measure that would alter the distribution of money for land conservation. Draper said he was wrong Monday to link a House bill (PCB GAC17-06) that would change the state’s Florida Forever land-conservation program …

Perdue Is 31st USDA Secretary

It finally took place this week, the confirmation of Sonny Perdue as agriculture secretary. Confirmation was achieved on a strong Senate bipartisan vote of 87-11, as several Democrats backed President Trump’s nominee. The entire agriculture industry has been anxiously awaiting his appointment, as the former Georgia governor has a variety of issues to deal with right away. But many agricultural …

Vending Machine Salads

  Cathy’s intro: Turning a vending machine into a veggie machine. That’s coming up on “This Land of Ours.”   A Chicago-based company is making sure more vending machines around the United States contain fresher, healthier snacking and meal options than just the usual snack chips and candy bars. Farmer’s Fridge sells salads out of vending machines, using locally grown and …

NFU President Attends March for Science in D.C.

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson spoke to thousands attending the Washington, D.C. March for Science over the weekend that also included former Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. Johnson spoke at the flagship march held in Washington, D.C., saying: “Farmers Union members are acutely aware of the important roles that science and science-based policies play in the success of American …

Syngenta Corn Lawsuits Underway

The first of several lawsuits filed against Syngenta is underway. Syngenta is facing dozens of lawsuits that claim a move by the company depressed corn prices in 2013. The farmers involved claim Syngenta’s selling of a corn trait that was not approved to export to China, and found in shipments of U.S. corn to China, depressed U.S. corn prices and …

U.S., EU, Opening Door to TTIP Talks

The European Union and the United States could soon be reviving negotiations of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross over the weekend told the Financial Times reducing the trans-Atlantic trade deficit in goods is a top priority. The $146 billion trans-Atlantic trade deficit is only second to China’s $347 billion deficit. Ross was hosting …

AFBF Labor Expert Taking USDA Post

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s immigration and labor expert is heading to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. AFBF’s director of congressional relations for labor and immigration, Kristi Boswell, will serve as a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Boswell starts next month at USDA and Politico reports she will be working on labor and immigration issues. Boswell is a …