Alabama native Keith Gray has been appointed chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) by the Trump administration and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Gray has decades of political experience on and off Capitol Hill and formerly served as National Affairs director for the Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Insurance. Previously, he was …
Celebrating National Tequila Day
Today, Cathy Isom looks to the spirits. She is celebrating a famous Mexican spirit that actually has some health benefits for us. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Celebrating National Tequila Day Tuesday July 24th is National Tequila Day. This famous Mexican spirit comes from the Blue Agave plant. It’s made from 51% of the plant to be …
Senate to Hold Trade Hearing This Week
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will be the only witness to give testimony during a hearing this week before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee. Lighthizer is one of the key Trump administration members at the center of the president’s trade strategy that’s led to retaliatory tariffs from China, Mexico, Canada, the European Union, and others. Many of those tariffs are hitting …
Republicans Introduce New Immigration Bill in House
Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a new immigration bill that they say will benefit agriculture. A Pro Farmer report says the Agriculture and Legal Workforce Act would take the place of the current H-2A visa program. It would require farmers, as well as all employers, to use the E-Verify Program to make sure that all their workers …
Farm Bill in Senate’s Court
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are expected to appoint their members of the farm bill conference committee this week. Politico says the upper chamber will need to clear some procedural hurdles on the floor before that can officially happen. During the last farm bill debate, 12 senators, including seven from the majority and five from …
Large Livestock Loan Drive Rise in Farm Lending
The Federal Reserve’s Agricultural Finance Databook says lending activity in the agricultural sector increased slightly in the second quarter of 2018. The overall number of non-real estate farm loans was roughly two percent higher than at the same time in 2017. The slight increase was supported primarily by larger loans for livestock. In the short term, The Kansas City Fed …
Continued Drought Could Lead to Cattle Culling in Southern States
A Texas A & M AgriLife Extension expert says southern beef producers should be planning ahead when it comes to the size of their herds, should the drought continue. Jason Banta says a shortage of forage and hay might mean producers would need to reduce their herd sizes. A plan to cull their herds could save producers money in both …
Agri View: Beef Exports Challenged
Everett Griner talks about beef exports being challenged in the United States, and the affect Australia will have on our exports of beef, in today’s Agri View. Beef Exports Challenged U.S. cattlemen, the largest producers in the world, are also the world’s largest exporters of beef. Japan and South Korea are the biggest importers. Followed by Canada and Mexico. When …
FAPRI Looks at Peanuts
During the 20th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference this past weekend in Miramar Beach, Florida Dr. Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) talked about how peanuts are being impacted by the current economic situation. AgWired’s Cindy Zimmerman talked with him about that and the uncertain trade situation. FAPRI Looks at Peanuts Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board …
Ag & Bio Engineering Chair Can’t Be Confined to a Cube
As she grew up in rural Arkansas, Kati Migliaccio’s interest in agricultural engineering came naturally. She liked math, science and problem solving, so she wanted an engineering career, but not one that confined her to an office or lab. “I wanted a career that involved engineering, with an outdoor component,” said Migliaccio, who was recently named chair of the agricultural …