President-elect Donald Trump chose Brooke Rollins as his nominee for the next Secretary of Agriculture. Rollins is a graduate of Texas A&M University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture development. She grew up in the small agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, while spending years in leadership involvement with FFA and 4-H. “Her…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Cattle Industry Supports Livestock Grazing to Prevent Wildfires
Members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands. Their testimony supported legislation to expand the use of livestock grazing as a tool to reduce wildfire risk, make grazing permits more responsive to range conditions, and remove regulatory barriers to maintaining critical…… MORE
Farm Labor Costs Continue Climbing
The USDA’s Farm Labor Report, released this week, offers a glimpse into the future of farm expenses. The Department of Labor uses the “field and livestock workers’ combined” wage rate reported in the November Farm Labor Report to establish most H-2A workers’ minimum wage, known as the Adverse Effect Wage Rate. This year, the combined…… MORE
Thanksgiving Survey Shows Dinner Cost Declines
Cooking a Thanksgiving dinner this year for friends and family will cost less than last year but is still more expensive than before COVID-19.The 39th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation, shows the cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for ten people is $58.08 or about $5.80 per person.That’s a…… MORE
Pork Producers Disappointed in Failure to Address Cal Prop 12
The National Pork Producers Council issued a statement after Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow unveiled the Senate Democrats’ 2024 Farm Bill text. While NPPC appreciates Chairman Stabenow’s efforts to publish farm bill text, they say it’s simply not a viable bill. “It fails to provide a solution to California’s Prop 12,” says NPPC President Lori…… MORE
CDC Calling for More H5N1 Testing of Dairy Farm Employees
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that some dairy farm employees showed signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick. The CDC concluded that more bird flu testing of dairy farm employees is required. The purpose of these actions is to keep workers safe, to limit the…… MORE
Ag Greenhouse Emissions Drop
Farming activities in the U.S. accounted for 10.5% of America’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. From 2021 to 2022, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions decreased from 681.6 to 663.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and decreased .03% compared to the previous year. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that in 2022, agriculture emitted 390.1 million…… MORE
Farmer Outlook Bounces Back
October provided a surprising pre-election bounce in farmer sentiment as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed to 115, 27 points above the September index. The biggest driver of the sentiment improvement was an increase in producers’ confidence in the future. The Future Expectations Index jumped 30 points to 124. The Current Conditions Index…… MORE
Lame-Duck Farm Bill Will be Difficult
While the lame-duck session of Congress represents one last chance at a farm bill, industry experts say it would require compromise on a number of tricky issues. Farm Policy News says it would require House and Senate leaders to agree on spending in quite a few important areas. One report says Senate Ag Committee Chair…… MORE
CDFA Promotes Sustainable Pest Management
The California Department of Food and Agriculture making available $3 million in funding for three projects under the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems grant program. According to a CDFA news release, this program supports the development, demonstration and adoption of effective and economically viable alternative management practices. The CDFA goes on to say the program addresses…… MORE
