Organic milk sales are dropping, but sales of so-called plant-based milk are rising. The Wall Street Journal reports organic milk sales fell 2.5 percent in 2017, slightly less than traditional white milk that fell 4.5 percent. Plant-based milks rose 2.9 percent in sales. However, the largest gains in milk sales were seen by specialty milk which would include products like …
Thatcher Retiring from AFBF
Long-serving public policy specialist Mary Kay Thatcher will retire from the American Farm Bureau Federation at the end of the month. In an email to AFBF staff, Dale Moore, the organization’s executive director for public policy, said: “It is tough to inform you that Mary Kay Thatcher has announced her retirement from AFBF,” according to the Hagstrom Report. Her last …
Roberts: Trump Listening to Senate NAFTA Concerns
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts says President Donald Trump “really listened to our concerns” regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During a meeting between lawmakers and the President last week, Roberts says he “delivered the message that farmers and ranchers need to grow export markets and maintain our status as a reliable supplier.” A White House statement mentioned …
Disaster Assistance Will Set the Stage for Next Farm Bill
Passing a disaster assistance bill for agriculture will set the stage for the next farm bill, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) told workshop attendees at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Ideally, lawmakers will address contentious issues related to cotton and dairy programs in the disaster bill and “get them out of the way” before …
Canadian Minister of Agriculture: Trade – NAFTA/Essential to Prosperity
Trade relationships are the foundation for creating economic prosperity between nations, the Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said at the opening session of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show in Nashville. MacAulay, who is the first Canadian agriculture minister to speak to Farm Bureau members at an annual convention, said …
Farm Bureau’s Duvall Praises ‘Fresh Air’ in D.C.
Calls for Better Immigration, Trade, Farm Bill American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall called on farmers and ranchers to redouble their efforts to advocate for agriculture, even as the current administration has begun moving to undo some of the regulations that have burdened them for years. “We have had a seat at the table with the Trump administration,” Duvall …
Supreme Court Ready to Wade Into Water War
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in a decades-old legal fight between Florida and Georgia over water flow into the Apalachicola River. A court-appointed special master ruled in February that Florida had not proved its case that a water-usage cap should be imposed on Georgia to help the river and Apalachicola Bay, one of the most productive …
Expert Says Being Proactive Key to Farm Succession
The main key to passing the family farm from one generation to the next is being proactive, according to Oklahoma State University professor, Dr. Shannon Ferrell. Ferrell is an attorney, associate professor, and agricultural law specialist at Oklahoma State University. This week he’s been the keynote speaker at a series of downstate Illinois meetings hosted by Farm Credit Illinois. Dr. …
NFU President Says a Lot of Policy Work Ahead in 2018
The National Farmers Union (NFU) was busy in 2017 with a lot of Ag policy issues to deal with. NFU President Roger Johnson said 2017 was a tough year in Ag policy as Washington, D.C., has been a very chaotic place. That made policy victories a little harder to come by. Victories Johnson says many in Washington D.C. are calling …
Florida Heifer Development Field Day is Tuesday
Heifer development is a critical part of every operation in the cattle industry. In a continued effort to support and facilitate successful replacement heifer development, the Florida Heifer Development Program will host the annual Field Day on January 9th at the Beef Unit Pavilion at the NFREC-Marianna. The day starts with registration at 8:30am CST. The program will begin at 9:00am with presentations …