October is Rural Cooperative Month, but what are rural cooperatives? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. October is Rural Cooperative Month and a part of USDA Rural Development focuses on business cooperatives and their vital role in rural economies. Rural Business Cooperative Service Administrator Karama Neal provides various examples of rural business cooperatives and how they serve customers …
Big Four Packers Hit with Another Lawsuit
The four largest meatpackers were hit by a new price-fixing lawsuit from a group of small food distributors. The suit was filed on October 9 in the U.S. District Court in Northern Illinois, accusing the Packers of fixing prices for years. The plaintiffs say the price-fixing dates back to at least January 1, 2015, and includes Cargill, JBS, Tyson Foods, …
Feds Feed Families Program Milestone
The Feds Feed Families Program reaches a food donation milestone. Gary Crawford has that coming up in today’s This Land of Ours report. “I wanted to come down from my office today, first of all, to thank everybody who’s participating in the campaign for a job well done,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The campaign is the Feds Feed Families …
Battle over Tomato Suspension Agreement
Should the U.S. terminate the Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico? The agreement is intended to keep Mexico from flooding the U.S. market with underpriced tomatoes by suspending duties, however, some industry leaders say it’s not working, and the agreement needs to be terminated so Mexico can be held accountable. Others worry that terminating the agreement and making Mexico pay duties …
Florida Ag Commissioner Seeks Funding for Conservation Program
(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Oct. 17, 2023) — Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is seeking $300 million for a program designed to keep swaths of rural land from commercial and residential development, triple the amount vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this year. Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Protection is asking lawmakers for a slight increase next year in funding for the separate Florida Forever …
Florida Beef Council Attends Conference in Denver
Last week, the Florida Beef Council (FBC) participated in the Partnership in Action Conference. FBC Director of Beef Marketing and Promotion, DeAnne Maples, says this is where they get updates on the latest Beef Checkoff promotions and marketing ideas. For more information on Beef Checkoff activities in Florida, contact the FBC office in Kissimmee. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR …
Higher Interest Rates, Strong Dollar Affecting Rural Economies
CoBank says the combination of high interest rates and a strong U.S. dollar is beginning to take a disproportionate toll on rural industries like agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing. Most international transactions are still conducted in dollars, and a strong dollar makes U.S. exports more expensive and imports cheaper. CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange says that disproportionately hurts the backbone of the rural …
Economists Discuss Additional Revenue Streams in Agriculture
Top agricultural economists answer the question of what the upcoming possibilities for new revenue streams for farmers are. The question was posed during the recent Agri-Pulse Ag Outlook Forum. National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Lead Economist, Krista Swanson said a new type of aviation fuel is one stream. “Our market development action team recently had a study done and as …
Global Food Security Issues Rising
There is a lot of uncertainty due to the rising issue of global food insecurity. Mark Oppold has more details. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024
Group of House Republicans against EATS Act
Sixteen members of the House of Representatives pushed back against the Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression Act (EATS Act). The group sent a letter to House Ag Chair Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA). Groups backing the letter included the Organization for Competitive Markets, Competitive Markets Action, National Dairy Producers Organization, and others. “We applaud the representatives for …