Mexican Ambassador Addresses Corn Farmers

Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., Gerónimo Gutiérrez spoke to more than 200 corn farmers from the National Corn Growers Association this week in Washington, D.C. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has benefited both the American and Mexican agriculture industries, and Mexico is optimistic about the prospects of modernizing the trade agreement, Mexican Ambassador Gerónimo Gutiérrez told more than …

NACD Supports Farm Bill Coalition Recommendations

The Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition (FIFB) released its 2018 Farm Bill recommendations. The National Association of Conservation Districts has been an active participant in the creation of the recommendations, serving on two of the coalition’s working groups to ensure that NACD’s policies and principles were included. “The public expects clean air and water, healthy soils, and abundant wildlife habitat …

NMPF Proposal to Improve H-2A for Dairy Advances Thanks to Rep. Newhouse

In a meeting with Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern expressed appreciation on behalf of the nation’s dairy farmers for the congressman’s work to advance NMPF’s proposal to expand the H-2A farm worker visa program to include year-round employees on dairy farms. During consideration Wednesday of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s annual …

NCC Encouraged by Cottonseed Policy Inclusion

  The FY18 Agriculture Appropriations bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee includes a number of key provisions from the industry’s cottonseed proposal to help provide economic relief to cotton producers until a new farm bill is in place. A summary of the bill’s cottonseed provisions is in a Committee news release. National Cotton Council Chairman Ronnie Lee, a Georgia …

Ragweed Management Webcast Available

Improve Ragweed Management Practices with New ‘Focus on Cotton’ Webcast Excessive reliance on glyphosate to control ragweed has allowed resistant varieties to flourish in cotton production systems. A new Focus on Cotton webcast titled “Herbicide-resistant Common Ragweed Management in Cotton” helps cotton growers, consultants, and other industry experts diversify management practices and herbicide applications to better control ragweed populations. This 27-minute …

Culver’s Restaurant Starting the Second Year of #FarmingFridays

The Culver’s restaurant chain successfully debuted the #FarmingFridays social media content series last year. Culver’s has once again invited agricultural influencers to share pictures and videos that show their passion for and knowledge of agriculture. The social media effort is part of the Culver’s Thank You Farmers Initiative, which recognizes the hard work and commitment of the farmers that feed …

H-2A Visa Program May Be Expanded

The House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to the fiscal 2018 Homeland Security Spending Bill that would help dairy producers and other farmers that need year round labor. The amendment would expand the types of businesses that can apply for the H-2A visa program for temporary or seasonal workers. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says it would also nullify the requirement …

Court Denies Petition to Ban Pesticide

A U.S. Appeals Court in San Francisco denied a petition from environmental groups to force the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Reuters says that decision ends one of three parallel attempts to get the ban put in place. The groups, including Earthjustice and the Natural Resources Defense Council, wanted the ban in place because they allege the …