Farm Bill Outlook, Rural Population – November 8, 2018

Rural Population

Farm bill outlook: Lame duck passage or bust Farm bill negotiators said they expect to pass the $87-billion-a-year legislation in the lame duck session of Congress that opens on Tuesday. “I think we are relatively close,” said Collin Peterson, ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. “We could have that… Continue reading

Soybeans and the Trade War – November 5, 2018

Soybeans

Trump’s trade war knocks soybeans out of running for top U.S. crop for a decade The neck-and-neck race between soybeans and corn for the title of No. 1 U.S. crop is over after one lap, with corn the victor and soybeans out of the running due to trade war with… Continue reading

Fast Food, Farm Bill, #MeToo – October 4, 2018

Three things that go together: Young adults, affluence and fast food Roughly 37 percent of U.S. adults eat fast food daily, says a CDC analysis of dietary data, but the rate is much higher for men and women aged 20-39 and for higher-income people. Farm bill proposal on yields ‘does… Continue reading

Trade Talks with Japan – September 28,

Japan Trade Talks

Trade talks with Japan are a chance to catch up, say farm groups Three groups that promote U.S. farm exports say the upcoming U.S.-Japan trade talks are a chance to gain ground against Australia, Canada, and the EU, which will benefit from free trade agreements with Japan. USDA nominee earned… Continue reading

Three House Republican Ag Members in Toss-Up Races – September 25, 2018

Republican Toss Up Race

Three House Republican Ag members in toss-up races By a tiny margin, Rep. Jeff Denham, a fourth-term Republican from the Central Valley of California, may be the most endangered member of the House Agriculture Committee, although two other Republican panelists are also in toss-up races. Ruth Reichl sees ‘pivotal moment’… Continue reading

Imports Totaling $200 Billion Facing New Tariffs – September 18, 2018

China Tightens Belt

Trump orders tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports With a warning against retaliation that targets “our farmers or other industries,” President Trump ordered a new wave of tariffs on Chinese products and imports, this time on $200 billion of goods that will face a 10 percent duty initially and… Continue reading

Soda Taxes, Cell-Based Meat – September 11, 2018

Industry seeks ban on soda taxes

Industry seeks ban on soda taxes in Washington State The three largest soft drink companies in America have donated more than 98 cents of every $1 given to a campaign in Washington State to ban local governments from imposing new taxes on groceries, including soda and other sugary beverages. Senate… Continue reading

Corn Top Crop, NAFTA, Farm Bill – September 4, 2018

Ethanol Easier to sell

China trips, soybeans, corn wins race for top U.S. crop A year after making soybeans the most widely grown crop in the country, U.S. farmers will make corn king again, driven by a trade war with China and a burdensome soy stockpile, said the FAPRI think tank at the University… Continue reading

Two Trump Officials Back Thinning of Forests

forest, trump, wildfire

Wanted: Office space in a city with a ‘critical mass of intellectual capacity’ The Agriculture Department is willing to go far into the countryside to find office space for two agencies that it wants to move out of Washington. The new headquarters must have robust internet service, a “critical mass… Continue reading