The following opinion piece originally ran on Agri-Pulse on December 13, 2024. There is no shortage of adages about the consequences of ignoring a serious problem. They all agree that a serious problem doesn’t just go away but gets worse, and delays in addressing the issue only make the solution all the harder to come…
The Thanksgiving leftovers are put away and holiday decorations are beginning to light front porches and mantles. With only a few weeks left before the new year – and even fewer before the 118th Congress is adjourned – policymakers are tasked with a hefty to-do list. Many lawmakers are already vowing to circle back on…
Imagine for a moment sitting down at the dining table on Thanksgiving only to find empty plates – no turkey, gravy, and stuffing; no pumpkin pie or rolls; no sweet potato or green bean casserole to be had. Thankfully, that’s not the case, because America’s farm and ranch families work with grit and determination every…
When it comes to the federal budget, there is no better investment than smart farm policy. That’s why we’ve been sharing our top 10 reasons why we must pass a Farm Bill this year. Did you know that the 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2023? Farm and ranch families are facing rising input…
*NEW PODCAST EPISODE* As key provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill are set to expire, financial conditions in farm country are spelling out the dire need for a robust Farm Bill with an enhanced farm safety net to support the families who provide us in the U.S. with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable…
The following opinion piece originally ran on Agri-Pulse on October 1, 2024. Over the past two years, Congress has held numerous hearings that have documented a brewing financial crisis caused by falling commodity prices, high input costs, and tightening farm credit. Members have heard from farmers and ranchers across the country about the need for a…
Recorded on September 18, 2024 *New Podcast Episode* “I don’t want to be discouraging this morning, but it’s important to provide a glimpse of today’s economic picture for agriculture. Unless conditions change, we are facing a perfect storm, though I don’t think it will be fully understood until next year when farmers are unable to…
Farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. left their fields at a pivotal time earlier this month with a united cause and rallying cry – we need a Farm Bill NOW! In advance of the fly-in, more than 300 farm and ranch groups sent a letter to the Majority and Minority leaders in the House…
This content was originally posted via National Corn Growers Association. Citing worsening economic conditions impacting the nation’s farmers, over 300 national and state groups, including the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and its affiliated corn state grower associations, sent a letter to congressional leaders today calling on them to pass the farm bill before year’s…
The 2018 Farm Bill, signed into law in December of 2018, expired on September 30, 2023. An extension at the tail end of last year shifted that expiration date to September 30, 2024. The current situation in farm country looks vastly different than it did in 2018, and the conditions for a farm financial crisis…
*NEW PODCAST EPISODE* It’s no secret that America’s farm and ranch families are facing a myriad of challenges, and with no end in sight for Farm Bill negotiations, many have begun to wonder, where do we go from here? In our latest Groundwork podcast, we reflect on lessons learned from past Farm Bills and take…
From plunging crop prices to rising interest rates and high input costs – not to mention natural disasters – America’s farmers and ranchers are facing a myriad of challenges. New challenges warrant the need for stronger protections, but producers only have an outdated farm safety net to rely on under the current Farm Bill as…
The following opinion piece originally ran on Agri-Pulse on July 11, 2024. Plummeting crop prices. High input costs. Rising interest rates. Tightening credit. Severe and chronic natural disasters. Record U.S. agricultural trade deficits. A global economic downturn. A record fall in net farm income. An outdated farm safety net. At long last, something’s got to give.…
House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Congressman G.T. Thompson (R-PA) on May 17 unveiled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. In advance of the full House Agriculture Committee marking up the legislation on Thursday, May 23, we thought we’d highlight what key agriculture groups – the long-standing credible associations representing the farm and ranch…
The long-awaited 2024 Farm Bill is picking up steam as both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees press forward, releasing key documents and proposals. In fact, the House Agriculture Committee has scheduled a full Committee mark-up for May 23. The last Farm Bill was negotiated, passed, and signed into law in 2018. More than half…
*NEW PODCAST EPISODE* “Farm and food security is national security, and good farm policy isn’t written by D.C. bureaucrats for D.C. bureaucrats; it’s written by farmers in rural America for farmers in rural America.” This powerful statement came from Congressman Brad Finstad (R-MN) during a House Agriculture Committee Hearing on February 14 – laying bare the…
Most of us take our abundant supply of food for granted. When you cook a delicious meal at home, you know that you likely only need to make a quick trip to the supermarket for the ingredients – meaning, you don’t have to grow it all by yourself. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, put…
This holiday season, America’s farmers and ranchers are at the top of our nice list for growing and raising the crops and livestock that keep us all fed. The family farmers who grow sugarbeets and sugarcane – and the workers who transform these plants into the sugar in our holiday desserts – are an essential…
If it’s a Farm Bill year, you know that farm policy critics are going to come out swinging with the same old attacks on family farmers and ranchers. None of the material is new. The only difference is the attacks seem to be less tethered to the truth. Biting the hand that feeds them? Yes.…
Last summer, corn had a golden moment when seven-year-old Tariq was interviewed about his love for corn in a video that permeated pop culture. That same year, nearly 90 million acres of corn were planted across the United States, providing a valuable food source and driving economic growth in rural communities. We recently called up Richard Syverson, a fourth-generation…
American farm families feed, fuel, and clothe America. A new survey from the American Sugar Alliance shows that American voters recognize the importance of agriculture and want Congress to prioritize American farmers in the next Farm Bill, provide them with a strong and reliable safety net, and protect them from foreign entities that could displace…
Did you know the average age of an American farmer is almost 58 years old? It’s a startling statistic, considering the vital role of farmers in our daily lives. With a growing global population and a dwindling number of farmers and ranchers, it’s critical that farm policies support the next generation of producers. Thankfully, the National…
With the recent debt ceiling deal avoiding a default on the U.S. debt, all eyes are now on the 2023 Farm Bill. Fighting for a strong farm safety net is more critical than ever before to maintain food security for all Americans. Producers have already made it clear to Congress that additional funding and support…
The Washington Post Editorial Board recently published an opinion piece arguing that Congress should cut the farm safety net that helps farmers and ranchers navigate disaster and keeps us all fed. Drawing upon discredited anti-farmer reports, they laid out just how disastrous farm policy has been for America: ✅ Supports a “fantastically productive agricultural sector” ✅ Provides a safe, abundant, and affordable supply…
America’s farmers and ranchers provide us with the world’s most abundant and most affordable food supply. America’s food independence is an invaluable strategic asset and one that we absolutely cannot take for granted. It’s critical to our national security. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently put it into simple terms. Voters agree. A survey conducted by…
It’s budget season on Capitol Hill, and when it comes to the federal budget, there is no better investment than farm policy. That’s because only a fraction of a percent of federal spending is directed towards the farm safety net. Yet, that small budget supports family farmers, protects our national food security, and drives economic…
National Ag Day is a day to celebrate the hardworking men and women who grow the food and fiber that helps fuel the American economy and is vital to our food security. We are blessed every day by the diversity of America’s farms and are grateful for all of our farmers and ranchers. American farmers…
Collin Peterson, former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, wrote a must-read op-ed outlining the FACTS behind farm policy. “We have agriculture policy in this country for a reason. Among the lessons the pandemic taught us is not to take for granted full grocery shelves, safe food, and the fact that we as Americans pay less…
Look who’s back, back again. It’s the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and its anti-family farmer campaign. EWG’s latest faulty report is making the rounds, so it’s time to bust some #FarmPolicyFallacies. For those not familiar with EWG, it uses an outdated and intentionally misleading “farm subsidy database” to gin up opposition to the farm policies that support U.S. family farmers and keep food…
Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, knows there’s a sense of urgency to pass a Farm Bill before the current legislation expires on October 1. “Rural America needs it,” he explained on the most recent episode of Farm Policy Fact’s Groundwork podcast. “Our farmers, ranchers, and foresters, our processors – key stakeholders…
It’s a rallying cry pushed by special-interest groups and farm policy critics: dismantle the U.S. food system! But a fundamental misunderstanding of how our food is grown leads to bad ideas and even worse policy. Ray Starling, a former White House and U.S. Department of Agriculture official, explores this debate in his new book “Farmers versus…
As Thanksgiving approaches, food prices might be a topic of conversation around your dinner table. Dr. Rob Johansson, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis at the American Sugar Alliance (ASA) and the former Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), joined Farm Policy Facts on our Groundwork podcast to talk about the importance of an…
As you enjoy a Thanksgiving meal this week with your friends and loved ones, don’t forget to thank a farmer. That’s because Thanksgiving dinner is only made possible due to the hard work of America’s farmers and ranchers. The turkey or ham on your table? Raised by a farmer. The wheat in your dinner rolls,…
When you look at farms across the American southwest, you’re struck by the incredible diversity of agriculture. Rice, poultry, timber, peanuts, pecans, cotton, corn and “all the vegetables you can imagine” help fuel our national food and fiber supply. Jim Sugarek, president of the Southwest Council of Agribusiness, told the Groundwork podcast that each of the half a…
Amid the daily onslaught of news, you might not have dug into the August Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). But this report contains an alarming prediction: U.S. exports of agricultural products in Fiscal Year 2023 are expected to fall from current projections to $193.5 billion, while projected imports of agricultural…
With a Farm Bill on the horizon, Congress is already hearing from policy wonks, think tank experts, and DC insiders about what they think legislation should say. But the most important voice in this conversation is the American farmer. So, we asked fourth-generation rice farmer Jennifer James to join us on the Groundwork podcast and provide her perspective on the…
America’s farmers are no strangers to tough times. Mother Nature has a mean streak and farm equipment always seems to break down at the wrong moment. However, this year producers are facing additional stresses. This summer is overshadowed by skyrocketing input costs and growing inflation, unpredictable weather disasters, supply chain challenges that hinder products from making it to market…
“A very small number of acres pack a pretty big punch in terms of economic impact.” American-made sugar is an essential food ingredient and, according to a new study, an essential part of our economy. Dr. Bart Fischer, renowned agricultural economist from Texas A&M University, recently joined Farm Policy Facts to discuss a new report released by…
When August Pfluger decided to join the Air Force, he drew upon a deeply ingrained desire to put service before self. Now, as the congressman representing Texas’ 11th district, Pfluger recognizes that same motivation in the small number of hardworking men and women who farm and ranch to provide all Americans with food, fuel, and fiber.…
Jocelyn Schlichting is a fourth-generation farmer who recently joined Farm Policy Facts on our Groundwork podcast to talk about the future of agriculture. Jocelyn returned to the farm five years ago after working as an accountant in corporate America, finding new purpose in growing the food that helps feed America, and the world. “Something like the war in…