Spring is finally here, bringing warmer weather, budding trees… and tax season. Benjamin Franklin once famously said, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. So, we invited Paul Neiffer, Principal at CliftonLarsonAllen, to join us on the Groundwork podcast to discuss how current – and proposed – tax provisions affect our farmers. Known as…
When we think of farming, the food on our plates and clothes on our backs likely comes to mind. But what about the fuel in our cars? Ethanol is a low-carbon, high-performance biofuel made from American-grown crops such as corn and sorghum. Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, the nation’s largest ethanol trade association, joined…
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its highly anticipated 2022 Farm Sector Income Forecast. While there are some bright points in the forecast – namely higher prices for soybeans, corn, cotton, and wheat – these are overshadowed by the increasing pressures of rising input costs and growing inflation. Combined with the continued snarl…
The following guest opinion piece by Collin Peterson, former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, appeared on Agri-Pulse on Tuesday, March 1. Watching the video series on American agriculture that the New York Times recently published reminded me that those of us who champion agriculture and rural America have a lot of work to do to overcome negative perceptions about…
When Kevin Van Trump interviewed with a big city trading firm in Chicago, he didn’t have any experience trading commodities. But he did have one thing going for him – at 6’4”, he was easily spotted on the trading floor at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. From that humble start, Kevin has built a successful career…
Who exactly are the people who produce our food and fiber? It is an important question to ask as generations of Americans become farther removed from their farming roots. It’s also an easy question to answer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — whose mission is to support our farmers — maintains data on the…
As Americans prepare for Thanksgiving dinner this year, they will likely see an increase in prices at the grocery store. The cost of the traditional Thanksgiving meal is up 14% more than last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) annual survey. Farm Bureau’s informal survey looked at the cost of turkey, stuffing,…
Challenges in the cattle markets are not new, but the pandemic has herded these problems to the forefront with historic packer profits – a function of spreads between the prices ranchers are paid for their cattle and the prices people pay at the grocery store or other retail markets for beef. In the wake of…
More than ten years ago, Michelle Miller gave up gluten and swore off GMOs after believing the pervasive misinformation often peddled online about modern-day farming. Then, she fell in love with a real-life farmer – and with farming itself. Now, Miller is arming everyday Americans with the real facts about agriculture. It’s all part of…
From TikToks to online articles, it’s easy for misinformation to rapidly spread. We’re here as your trusted farm policy experts to set the record straight. You may have seen some recent TikToks claiming the U.S. Department of Agriculture is asking farmers to destroy their crops. Some videos have even gone viral racking up nearly 700,000…
“I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve sustained a sugar policy that has operated at zero cost to taxpayers,” Jack Roney, the veteran sugar economist, said on a recent episode of Groundwork while reflecting on his storied career at the American Sugar Alliance (ASA). “I’m particularly proud of that because I think our sugar…
For decades, West Texas cotton growers have had a fearless champion on their side: Steve Verett. As the recently retired CEO of Plains Cotton Growers, Verett advocated for both cotton growers and all of agriculture with passion and authenticity. Verett joined Farm Policy Fact’s Groundwork podcast to reflect on his career and talk about what…