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 …
USDA Working with Landowners to Restore Longleaf Pine Forests
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to help private landowners across the Southeast restore and protect 400,000 acres of longleaf pine forests through their new two-year implementation strategy. NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan wants landowners to know they are furthering ongoing efforts to use existing Farm Bill programs and other resources to increase the abundance and improve the health …
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 …
No Timeline to Restore Brazilian Beef Imports
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue met his counterpart from Brazil on Monday to discuss the U.S. ban on fresh beef imports from Brazil. Perdue said the U.S. needs to see more progress from Brazil on beef inspections before the ban would be lifted. A Cattle Network Dot Com article says the ban went into effect on June 22nd as the …
Farmers and Ranchers Push for Comprehensive Tax Reform
Tax policies to support and preserve agriculture are essential to every farmer and rancher in America, a group of Farm Bureau members in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with lawmakers say. “Tax reform is critical for farmers and ranchers,” said Isabella Chism, a corn and soybean farmer and Farm Bureau member from Indiana who is vice chair of the …