Exclusive Breaking News 80-Year-old Columbus Smith, a black farmer from Panama City, Florida, this morning filed a lawsuit against Florida Department of Health in the Second Judicial Court in Leon County claiming a new Florida law and the black farmers’ association written into that law unfairly restricts his ability to apply for a license to grow medical marijuana in Florida. …
House Committees Scheduled for Three Days
House committees and subcommittees could hold more than 30 meetings during the second week of October, including a meeting of the newly formed Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness, according to a schedule posted online Tuesday. The House meetings will be held Oct. 10 to Oct. 12, as lawmakers begin getting ready for the 2018 legislative session, which starts …
Cracker Cattle Could Get State Designation
Florida cracker cattle would be named the state “heritage cattle breed,” under a proposal filed this week by Rep. MaryLynn Magar, R-Tequesta. Cracker cattle are descended from Spanish cattle brought to North America in the 16th Century. The proposal (HB 155) is filed for consideration during the 2018 legislative session and, if approved, would place the breed alongside horse conchs, …
House Agriculture Committee Listens to Rural America
Over the last few months, the House Agriculture Committee has traveled across the country gathering input from America’s farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders about the upcoming farm bill. Watch the highlights from those who know best what is and isn’t working in agricultural policy. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in …
Farm Bill This Fall “High Hurdle” for Senate
Getting the farm bill done this fall is a “high hurdle,” according to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts. The Kansas Republican told reporters last week it would be easier to write a bill once a budget is in place, noting that the Senate Budget Committee has said the Senate would have a budget this year. Roberts did note that …
NCBA on Tax Reform Legislation
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Director of Government Affairs, Danielle Beck, has an update on where things stand concerning comprehensive tax reform legislation in Washington D.C. And she also talks about NCBA’s top goals for tax reform. NCBA continues their new tax-reform issue campaign through September. For more information, visit CattlemenForTaxReform.com. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New …
Roberts Wants Farm Bill to Target SNAP Fraud
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts has indicated he wants to use the farm bill as a way to target fraud in the food stamp program. Bloomberg makes the interpretation from a statement by Roberts addressing quality control problems within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which the Chairman said: “any problems will need to be given a hard look” …
Florida Legislative Committees Cancel Due to Hurricane Irma
In anticipation of Hurricane Irma making landfall in Florida, legislative leaders have canceled committee meetings scheduled for next week. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran called off what would have been the first committee meetings to prepare for the 2018 legislative session, citing concerns about potential damage …
Secretary Perdue Returns Home for Rural Prosperity Meeting
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue returned to his home state of Georgia to hold an Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force meeting. The task force was formed by an executive order from President Trump in April with Secretary Perdue serving as chairman. According to Trump’s executive order, the task force was created to “promote economic development and …
American Farm Bureau Asking Farmers to Share Their Story
Lawmakers need to hear about the challenges that farmers face so they can push for solutions that will help everyone in agriculture. If you’ve been affected by tax issues, an out-of-control regulatory system, water issues or other problems that have made it difficult or impossible to continue to run your farm or ranch, American Farm Bureau Federation wants to hear from …