Washington (Jan. 29, 2008)—Farmers and ranchers from across the country are urging Congress and the President to quickly pass a strong new farm bill as part of their economic stimulus agenda. “When our manufacturing sector went into a tailspin earlier this decade, the Wall Street Journal reported that a strong agriculture sector was helping hold…
NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 17, 2008)—The message coming out of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual conference held here this week was crystal clear: farmers have already sacrificed a lot in the farm bill and should not be the source of additional funding cuts. The farm bills passed by the House and Senate “represent significant reform,”…
Washington (Jan. 16, 2008)—Most priorities championed during the writing of the new farm bill received funding increases. There was more money for conservation, for nutrition programs and for renewable energy priorities. There was additional funding for research, the marketing of fruits and vegetables and even pest and disease eradication. The vote has been hailed by…
Soaring commodity prices…farm incomes on the rise…increasing land values…banks happy to cash-flow farming operations. Most people involved in writing the new farm bill might read those phrases and think it’s a description of current situation in rural America. It’s not; it’s a description of the years leading up to the farm crisis of the 1980s.…
By: John Thaemert, President, National Association of Wheat Growers It’s been a rough and tumble week for markets around the world and, in Washington, President Bush and Congressional leaders have finally found something they can agree on-the need for an economic stimulus package. Those of us in the farm community have been working on a…