This much we know for certain: A new farm bill will not be signed into law by the time the clock runs out on the current farm bill in 11 days. And what happens next has caused tremendous confusion. Technically, the farm bills of 1938 and 1949 would kick in because these are the most…
DetailsBy: Congressman Marion Berry Most Americans start their days the same way. Get out of bed, shower, put on clothes (most likely cotton), and head to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat before work or school. You might pour a tall glass of milk and sprinkle a little sugar in your bowl of…
DetailsWASHINGTON (Sept. 11, 2007)—More than 20 organizations representing farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. called for “swift action in the Senate” on the 2007 farm bill in a letter [view letter] sent yesterday to key members of the U.S. Senate. The letter underscores agriculture’s continued unity in passing a strong farm bill and highlighted…
DetailsBy: U.S. Senator Max Baucus Standing Up For American Agriculture Over the last few years, major newspapers and special interest groups have been busy demeaning our nation’s farmers and ranchers. The articles come with some pejorative titles, such as “Farmers at the Trough,” “Hungry Kids, Greedy Farmers,” “Farm Subsidies: Necessary Evil?” and “Agriwelfare: The expiring…
DetailsSept. 24 marks the two-year anniversary of the “big flood” in Abbeville, Louisiana. That’s when Hurricane Rita brought an unprecedented squall that would change the small rice-farming town forever. Overnight, farmers in Abbeville lost homes, farm equipment and more than half of the town’s rice acres. Ross Hebert, a grower of nine years, said the…
DetailsBy: U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln “Our farmers deserve praise, not condemnation; and their efficiency should be cause for gratitude, not something for which they are penalized.” Those were the words of President John F. Kennedy, and they still ring true today. Unfortunately, all too often you can open up a newspaper to find at least…
DetailsWASHINGTON (August 29, 2007)—SpongeBob Square Pants, Curious George and Thomas the Tank Engine last week became the latest lead-based casualties in the Chinese toy saga, putting parents on high alert about the quality of imports. These high-profile product recalls landed on the front page of most major newspapers and remain in the news. But today…
DetailsWASHINGTON (August 17, 2007)—Much to the delight of farmers and ranchers in rural America, members of the Senate Agriculture Committee have repeatedly praised the agricultural provisions of the House farm bill during Congress’ August recess. “It’s pretty hard to argue against the House-passed farm bill,” Republican Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.) said via conference call last…
DetailsCALIFORNIA (August 8, 2007)—At the American Sugar Alliance’s 24th International Sweetener Symposium, farmers from across the country came together to pledge a common goal of supporting a strong 2007 farm bill. The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 27. With the Senate slated to take up the legislation in September, key agriculture groups…
DetailsNowadays, everybody seems to be hopping on the ethanol bandwagon. It’s a centerpiece for aspiring presidents’ energy stump speeches. Wall Street is looking to Main Street for investment opportunities. And even one-time opponents of the clean burning fuel admit it will be vital to weaning America off its foreign oil dependence. But for farmers like…
DetailsIf you’ve eaten rice one night this week for dinner, there’s a 50-50 chance it came from Arkansas, and there’s a high likelihood it passed through a small town you’ve probably never heard of…unless you’re an avid hunter. Stuttgart, Arkansas, is commonly called “the duck and rice capital of the world” because the town produces…
DetailsWASHINGTON (July 31, 2007)—In a victorious moment for America’s farmers, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected the Kind-Flake amendment last Thursday night by an astonishing vote of 309 to 117. Thanks to the support and persistence of the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), as well as various coalitions and associations representing America’s…
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