Now that the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 4154, the Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009, many in agriculture are now watching to see if the Senate can pass meaningful and permanent relief.
Beans, Beans, and More Beans
Everett Griner tells us just how much bean consumption has declined.
House Fails to Pass True Estate Tax Reform
Earlier today, the House passed H.R. 4154 by Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) to permanently extend the estate tax at 2009 levels, without indexing for inflation. H.R. 4154 passed under a closed rule by a vote of 225-200, with all Republicans and 27 Democrats voting against the bill. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is extremely disappointed that Congress has ignored …
Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey Findings
USDA’s 2008 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey has found that farmers and ranchers are now irrigating 54.9 million acres farmland across the United States, an increase of nearly 5 percent since 2003. Click here for detailed results of the survey.
2010 Food Trends
The National Restaurant Association’s annual survey of more than 1,800 professional chefs reveals that local sourcing of ingredients, sustainability and nutrition will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2010.
AL Forage Conference Next Week
Eddie Jolley, with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alabama, wants to remind livestock producers about the 2009 Alabama Forage Conference coming up next Thursday, December 10th at the University of West Alabama in Livingston. To learn more about the 2009 Alabama Forage Conference log on to al.nrcs.usda.gov or alabamaforages.com
Peanut Stocks are Down
The latest peanut stocks and processing report is out as Tyron Spearman runs through the numbers.
Research Says Wait to Sell Cows
This is typically a tough time of the year to sell cows, and University of Georgia Livestock Economist Dr. Curt Lacy said research done on this subject shows in most cases you are better off waiting to sell them early next spring.
A Changing Russia
Russians are adopting western trends. Everett Griner explains how.
USDA Announces Final Analysis on Climate Change Legislation
The final analysis on the impact of proposed energy and climate change legislation is completed as Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack gives us an overview of the findings. Secretary Vilsack acknowledges that specialty crops will not see much of a benefit in a carbon sequestration system, but says that they have some preliminary plans to assist growers.