Last week the National Journal headlined, “BIG OIL TAKES GLOVES OFF IN ETHANOL FIGHT.” The argument is this: The cost of producing ethanol from corn is food insecurity. Playing into their argument this year is the terrible drought that was and is smothering many parts of the U.S.—including the heart of our corn producing lands.…
Libertarian and environmental groups are urging the House of Representatives to oppose a five-year farm bill this fall, oppose inclusion of Direct Payments in an extension of current law, and advocate for a transparent farm bill process next year. These groups are entitled to express their views, but they also owe Congress the truth. Regrettably,…
“The weather forecast could have a big effect on America’s economic forecast next year. The more rain, the better.” That was the lead sentence in a recent article written by Jim Tankersley, the economics correspondent for the National Journal. Notice we didn’t say the “farm bill” correspondent, and Mr. Tankersley wasn’t just talking about agriculture’s…
With less than a month left in the 2012 presidential campaign, most of the country is in a pretty dark place—metaphorically speaking. Never before have candidates had so many ways in which to communicate all the mistakes their opponents have made—and so much time to do it in. Negative ads about unemployment, the national debt…
While the nation’s farmers have been busy fighting the effects of one of the worst droughts on record, certain members of the media have been busy with a fight of their own. Over the past several weeks, planted articles have downplayed the importance of farm policy and, a more recent argument accused the crop insurance…
Editor’s note: The following is a guest column written by Larry Combest, who served the people of West Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 20 years, including as Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Agriculture. He works as a lobbyist for the firm he started with Tom…
Our nation’s farmers are less optimistic about their circumstances than they were in March, according to a recent survey published by DTN/The Progressive Farmer. Some high (and some low) lights from the survey report that, based on a benchmark rating of 100: – – Current conditions are considered to be 120.4, down from 140.2 earlier…
The U.S. food and beverage industry should be proud. This week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that they added 4,800 food manufacturing jobs in August, as well as an additional 4,200 related jobs in food and beverage stores, 28,300 in food and drinking establishments, and 28,000 in accommodation and food services, making them a…
By Rene Pastor On land where wheat stalks, heavy with grain, would normally wave on a breeze in the late summer, the searing drought of 2012 has zapped nearly every inch of land across the Kansas plain, leaving it burnt and lifeless. There was no way to hide from the drought in the Grain Belt.…
They want a Farm Bill, and they want it now. A coalition of more than 80 agricultural organizations – spanning a variety of commodities and interests – has banded together to deliver one, simple message: Let’s pass a Farm Bill. The message – which started as statement and quickly got picked up by the Tulsa…
Two years ago, The Hand That Feeds U.S. reported on a phenomenon known as “sticky prices,” something that occurs when crop prices go down, but food prices remain high. Theses two variables are often considered one in the same but are really very independent of one another. The crop or “commodity” price is what farmers…
The Hand That Feeds U.S. (THTFUS) has launched a new, interactive map, featuring facts about each state’s agricultural production and its contribution to the U.S. economy. The map, located on the group’s website, is yet another step taken by the “educational resource” to inform Americans about the vast reach of our agricultural system (did you…