The Barrington Middle FFA Chapter from Florida has been named the 2017 National Premier Chapter: Strengthening Agriculture winner at the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards and …
Georgia FFA Chapter Named Middle School Model of Excellence
The West Jackson Middle FFA Chapter from Georgia has been named the 2017 National FFA Middle School Model of Excellence winner at the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality FFA …
How Many U.S. Soybean Acres Needed in 2018
Farmers in the United States have been planting more and more acres to soybeans. There is a simple reason behind this increase. Soybeans have been more profitable than other crops over the last several years. The question now is how many acres will they plant next year. University of Illinois Commodity Markets Specialist Todd Hubbs has been thinking about that …
Farm Bureau Supports Proposed Safety Net Fix
Legislation introduced by Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joni Ernst would make changes to the Agricultural Risk Coverage program. American Farm Bureau Federation and other farm groups penned a letter to the Senators this week expressing support for the bill. AFBF congressional relations director Mary Kay Thatcher says the bill would change the program to better serve farmer’s needs. The bill …
Peterson Says Writing Farm Bill Will be a Challenge
The House Agriculture Committee held seven Farm Bill listening sessions this year with the goal of hearing what farmers and commodity groups are looking for in the next Farm Bill. Ranking member Collin Peterson says they heard from people in a lot of different ag sectors. Cotton and dairy groups are looking for some extra help from the new Farm …
Secretary Perdue on Confirmation of Greg Ibach Key USDA Post
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the Senate’s confirmation of Greg Ibach, who was nominated by President Donald J. Trump to serve as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Perdue issued the following statement: “Greg Ibach will bring experience and integrity to his new role at USDA, and carries with him the …
Statewide Meeting Honors Volunteer Members
Florida Farm Bureau will celebrate its 76th anniversary at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa, Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2017. The meeting will include award and recognition programs to honor outstanding young farmers and ranchers, state lawmakers and the accomplishments of county Farm Bureaus and individual members for their distinguished service to agriculture. “We are honored to recognize …
Environmental Funding Draws Debate
Count former Gov. Bob Graham among those who were not overwhelmed by an environmental-funding proposal released this week by Gov. Rick Scott. Graham, a Democrat who also served in the U.S. Senate, said Scott’s proposal to spend $50 million on the once-celebrated Florida Forever preservation program doesn’t meet the needs of the program. “We have to decide the kind of …
UF study: Red Makes Consumers Retain Attention to Food Labels
For many people, red means “stop,” and that’s what consumers are doing when they see that color on food information labels, according to a new study led by a University of Florida researcher. Zhifeng Gao, a UF/IFAS associate professor of food and resource economics, led the study with his now-former doctoral students Meng Shen and Lijia Shi, in which researchers …
GOP Tax Reform Break for Unincorporated Farming Operations Under Attack?
A key GOP tax reform break for unincorporated farming operations is under attack, but likely to be changed to answer Democratic critics. Many Democrats charge the creation of a new, lower “pass-through” tax rate of 25 percent for unincorporated businesses that file as individuals, which most small farms do, allows for abuses. It’s a claim that GOP tax writers and …