by Steven Zahniser, Tom Hertz, Peter Dixon, and Maureen Rimmer, Economic Research Service What Is the Issue? ERS estimates that U.S. agricultural exports supported about 1.1 million full-time, civilian jobs in 2015. Yet, the economic linkages between U.S. agricultural exports and rural employment are not fully understood, particularly in the metro and nonmetro regions of each State and among production …
USDA to Hold Expert Panel Meeting on Publication of Farm Operator Demographics
Public Comments Welcomed The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announces a public meeting of an expert panel to consider questions surrounding publication of farm operator demographic data obtained through the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The panel meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at …
Scott Pitches Dike Repairs to Trump
Gov. Rick Scott said he spoke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday about the importance of completing repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. On Monday, Scott asked state lawmakers to add $200 million to the budget to help speed the federal government’s ongoing repairs. “President Trump is clearly focused on protecting Florida’s environment and investing in our …
National Peanut Board Approves New Strategic Plan
Overall, the future looks bright for peanut growers and the entire industry. And to make sure that positive momentum continues into the future, and to keep growers prepared for potential challenges that could arise, the National Peanut Board approved a new strategic plan at its recent quarterly meeting. Tyron Spearman has the details. From: National Peanut Board To make sure …
Hoping for Tax Reform This Year
Some are wondering whether we may actually see tax reform this year. That of course includes the Estate Tax, or as some know it, the Death Tax. Danielle Beck, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association director of government affairs, says there is a strong possibility that substantive change to the tax code will happen by the end of 2017. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture …
Anxiously Awaiting Perdue’s Confirmation
The Senate is scheduled to vote next Monday, April 24th, to confirm former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as the next Secretary of Agriculture. And many in agriculture are anxiously awaiting Perdue’s arrival at the department. After months of waiting and delays, American Farm Bureau Federation executive director of public policy, Dale Moore, expresses the relief of many in agriculture that …
Lasagna Garden
Cathy Isom tells us how to make a Lasagna garden bed. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Lasagna gardening has nothing to do with that Italian cuisine we’re all very fond of. But if done correctly, a lasagna gardening bed could create the perfect soil for some of the veggies that we can plant and one …
Animal Rights Groups Want Dead Animal Payments Stopped
The Humane Farming Association is once again attempting to get the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop payments to livestock farmers when their animals are unsheltered and die as a result of bad weather. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says the group has sent a petition to Sonny Perdue ahead of his confirmation as Ag Secretary. Severe storms and heat have …
Mexico Finishing New Trade Deal with Argentina
Mexico is looking to establish closer ties with other Latin American and South American countries after Donald Trump took office in the United States, its biggest export market. Reuters says Mexico expects to finish a new trade agreement with Argentina by the end of this year as it continues to try to diversify its trading partners. Argentina could make significant …
Pence Talks Trade in Japan
Vice President Mike Pence was in Tokyo on Tuesday, calling for “stronger and more balanced bilateral trade relationships” with countries like Japan and South Korea. A Washington Post article says his comments raise the prospect of trade talks with Japan as well as a look into the current agreement with South Korea. Japan and the U.S. seem to have different …