Lobbying for the Farm Bill Tops $500 Million

A new report from The Hill says that pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and agriculture interests have combined to spend over $400 million lobbying Congress on a new farm bill. The Union for Concerned Scientists says that’s more than four times the amount of money spent by the public sector and civil society. The report also found that between 2019 and 2023, giant …

Stabenow Issues Statement on Farm Bill

House Agriculture Ranking Member David Scott and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow released the below statement following a meeting with House Agriculture Committee Democrats and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “House and Senate Democrats remain committed to passing a strong, bipartisan farm bill that strengthens the farm and family safety nets and invests in our rural communities. America’s farmers, families, workers, …

In Visit to Columbus, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces New Investments in Local Urban Agriculture

(USDA/COLUMBUS, GA/May 17, 2024) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the Turn Around Columbus, a nonprofit in Columbus, Georgia, focused on investing in youth development and learning opportunities to build the next generation of entrepreneurs, farmers, and community leaders. There, he highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to create more, new and better markets, generate new revenue, and ensure agriculture in …

World Pork Expo Coming in June

World Pork Expo 2024 is less than 3 weeks away as the annual event will be held June 5-6 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.  This year’s Expo will be two days instead of three and will feature a range of educational sessions covering pork industry insights, sustainability strategies and industry trends to help producers optimize their own operations.  …

food prices

Food Price Inflation Continues Stabilization

Gary Crawford and USDA economist, Megan Sweitzer, lets us know about a new report showing food price inflation at a near standstill. Listen to Gary Crawford’s This Land Of Ours program here. 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 …

land conservation

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Honors Land Conservation Families

(FDACS/LAKE PLACID, FL/May 16, 2024) — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson was joined by land conservation professionals at Buck Island Ranch to recognize the families of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and to celebrate the program’s 100,000th acre milestone in agricultural land preservation. “It was a true honor to be around so many people from all over the state today …

New USDA Programs Ease Transition to Organic Production

(USDA/WASHINGTON, May 15, 2024) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new programs, partnerships, grant awards and an additional $10 million in funding to expand the markets for organic products and help producers transition to organic production. These programs will support the development of new and better markets for domestic organic products, provide hands-on training to producers transitioning to organic production and ease the …

downtrend

Downtrend Continues in the Energy Sector

The downtrend continues this week in the energy sector. Mark Oppold updates the recommendations for farmers fuel needs. 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

Grazing Lands

USDA-NRCS Working to Expand Conservation on Grazing Lands

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds livestock producers that May 26 is the application deadline in their efforts to expand conservation on grazing lands. Investments of up to $22 million in partnerships through the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) are designed to expand access to conservation technical assistance for livestock producers. NRCS Chief Terry Cosby said, “NRCS enlists a wide variety of …