2017 was a busy year for the American Farm Bureau Federation when it came to influencing agricultural policy at the federal level. Dale Moore is executive director for public policy with the Farm Bureau and he says there were several policy victories to celebrate from last year. Victories There were other victories when it came to government regulations and taxes. …
NCBA Talks Ag Policy Victories
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) calls 2017 an “interesting year” that saw a significant number of policy wins. However, there’s a lot of work ahead in 2018. One of the biggest policy victories of last year was a 90-day delay in the electronic logging device mandate that was scheduled to go into effect for all delivery haulers, including those …
Florida Forest Industry Generates Nearly $13B in Annual Sales, 36,000 Jobs
Florida’s forest industry generated $12.55 billion in sales revenues in 2016, which translated to more jobs, according to a new UF/IFAS economic report. The sales figure is up about $4.77 billion from 2003, according to the report. More money sometimes means more jobs, and in the case of the forest industry, it did. For 2016, the industry directly employed 36,055 …
Birdsong Peanuts Experiences Major Warehouse Fire
As many of you may have heard, Birdsong Peanuts did experience a major fire at its Greenwood, Mississippi buying point and storage facility that started late last week. Tyron Spearman has the details. Birdsong Peanuts Experiences Major Warehouse Fire Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher …
New Produce Safety Rule Starts January 26
The Produce Safety Rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, will go into effect January 26 for farms with $500,000 or more in revenue. The Food and Drug Administration has emphasized the first year will focus less on regulation and compliance and more on education and readiness. Regardless, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Veronica Nigh says produce growers …
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Ready for Legislative Session
The 2018 Alabama Legislative Session kicks off next week, as the annual event begins January 9th in Montgomery. Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Erin Beasley is looking forward to it. Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Ready for Legislative Session Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses …
NCBA Starts 2018 with CERCLA-EPCRA as a Top Priority
In late November, a Washington, D.C. Circuit Court issued a stay regarding farm emissions reporting required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). While the court-ordered stay was welcome news to livestock producers across the country, it’s only in effect until January 22. And according to Colin Woodall, …
Scott Urges Senate to Immediately Pass Relief Package
Florida Governor Rick Scott sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations this week urging the Senate to act immediately and pass a significant Hurricane Irma and Maria disaster relief package. In the letter, Scott thanked the House for its work to pass a relief package prior to Christmas which supports Florida citrus and provides critical funding for …
Florida Farmers Brace for Cold Weather
Florida farmers were preparing Thursday for continuing cold weather, with temperatures expected to drop into the 30s overnight as far south as Fort Myers and Homestead. Many of Florida’s crops cannot handle freezing temperatures for long periods. Citrus and strawberry farmers are preparing harvests ahead of time, often running irrigation systems to create small layers of ice over the fruit …
Celebrating One of the Most Loved Pastas
Cathy Isom make us all hungry telling us about a day to celebrate one of the most loved pastas in the world. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Celebrating One of the Most Loved Pastas There’s a good chance you may have had spaghetti a time or two in your life. But if you haven’t, you may want …