trump

Trump Holds Farmers and Ranchers Event at the White House

Dan Agri-Business, Economy, Events, Funding

Late last week, President Trump hosted farmers and ranchers at the White House to celebrate National Agriculture Day and Week. Joined by US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, President Trump Highlighted some of the efforts that the administration has undertaken, as well as plans for other items impacting agriculture. President Trump …

Farm Economy

Challenges To The Farm Economy

Dan Agri-Business, Biofuels/Energy, Economy, Funding, Legislative

Severe weather, high expenses, and global uncertainty are hitting farmers on all sides, squeezing them to the break-even point. Forty-four agricultural groups this week got laid out challenges facing rural America in the letter to President Trump. The March 19th letter recognizes progress has been made enhancing the farm risk management tools and securing much-needed tax relief for farmers, but additional resources are …

early kansas farming

Early Agricultural Experiments in Kansas: A Government-Led Effort

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, This Land of Ours

Expanding West After the Louisiana Purchase In the early 1820s, following the landmark Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the United States government began turning its attention toward agricultural development in the vast western territories. Among these areas was what is now the state of Kansas—a region seen as rich with potential for farming and trade. At the time, the federal government …

Colorado Irrigation

Colorado Irrigation: How Greeley Transformed Western Agriculture

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, Irrigation, This Land of Ours, Water

The Birth of Agriculture in Greeley Greeley became Colorado’s first major agricultural settlement, marking a turning point in the development of farming across the state. Early settlers arrived with optimism but quickly encountered a harsh and unforgiving environment. At the time, much of the region was labeled the “Great American Desert,” a term used to describe the dry, unpredictable conditions …

dairy

United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About The Future

Dan Agri-Business, Cattle, Dairy, Economy, Florida

On a recent episode of the Grazing the Facts podcast, we learned why Ray Hodge with the United Dairy Farmers of Florida is encouraged about the future of the Florida dairy industry. Hodge said, “I think in Florida, we are unique in many ways. You know, as I said earlier, I’m a seventh generation Floridian. We’ve seen a lot of change. The …

Programs

A Look At Government Programs For Row Crops

Dan Agri-Business, Field Crops, Funding, Peanuts

Peanut farmers, cotton farmers, and others are trying to figure out exactly what they’re going to plant this year. One thing we’ve learned is the PLC program, or Price Loss Coverage, or the ARC program put on by the government, they are decoupled from production. Both are determined by the farm’s base acres and the payment yield. Both base and payment yields are historical …

Product of USA

Cattle Industry Reaction to Product of the USA Label

Dan Agri-Business, Beef, Cattle, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA)

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is reacting to the reveal of the new Product of the USA Label and we caught up with Kent Bacus, Executive Director, Government Affairs for NCBA to learn more. Bacus said, “We’re excited about this new Product of the USA label. This is something that has been fully enforced since January 1st of this year and …

wheat

Wheat Crop Outlook

Dan Agri-Business, Commodities, Economy, Wheat

The calendar turns to April next Wednesday. USDA’s first weekly crop update comes the following Monday, but state ag departments continue their weekly updates and the early picture for winter wheat shows damaged caused by temperature fluctuations the last 30, 45 days. Top producing state, Kansas, reporting good to excellent ratings now below 50%, well below USDA’s fall rating, 62%. And in fact, the lowest early spring …

Union veterans

From Soldiers to Sodbusters: How Union Veterans Settled Kansas

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, This Land of Ours

At the close of the Civil War, a new chapter in American agriculture began across the Kansas prairie. Through government homestead programs, Union Army veterans were offered land as an opportunity to rebuild their lives. More than 100,000 veterans answered the call, setting out to transform open prairie into productive farmland. A New Opportunity After War These men were more …

phosphate fertilizer

Agricultural Groups Request Revocation of Phosphate Fertilizer Duties

Dan Agri-Business, Environment, Fertilizer, Legislative, Regulation

A group of agricultural organizations are requesting the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, to revoke the countervailing duty orders on the importation of phosphate fertilizers. In a letter to Secretary Lutnick, the group highlights that Countervailing duty orders will increase the current economic conditions facing American farmers. The letter states, “Maintaining the phosphate fertilizer CVDs will allow a small set …