Current Articles: Who's Gobbling Up Food Profits? WASHINGTON (May 7)—The furor over grocery store sticker shock reached a boiling point last Thursday as the Congressional Joint Economic Committee held a hearing to investigate the impact these food prices are having on everyday Americans. Tom Buis, the president of the National Farmers Union, told the Committee that he and all growers sympathize with the impact soaring grocery bills are having on low-income Americans... [View the Full Article] Volatile Crop Prices Causing ‘Heartburn’ for Farmers With the farm community’s attention focused squarely on finishing the farm bill deliberations, little notice was paid to an important meeting held at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) last week. Bart Chilton, a CFTC Commissioner, said of the meeting to examine the impact of crop prices on farmers, “Commodity prices are at all-time highs... [View the Full Article] Inflated Costs Deflate Profit “It has become painfully obvious that, even though the 2007 sugarcane crop was a good one in most areas, most growers showed little or no profit,” a well-respected agricultural consultant in southern Louisiana told local ag leaders in a letter last month. According to Dr. Calvin Viator, the letter’s author, input prices for Louisiana’s sugarcane growers have increased exponentially... [View the Full Article] Add a Pinch of Sugar, Rice, and Wheat to Your Tank In April 2002—as Congress was struggling to pass a farm bill-CNN ran a story about high oil prices. Oil futures in New York were $27.38 a barrel at the time of this story, which proclaimed, "[T]he impact of rising wholesale prices since September has already spilled over at the pumps…there appears to be little let-up for consumers." Fast forward to April 2008. Congress is again grappling with a farm bill and CNN's predictions are coming true. Oil prices now hover near the $110-a-barrel price... [View the Full Article] Farmers Don't Get Much Bread for that Loaf Though U.S. shoppers still pay far less for their food than shoppers in any other country, opponents of farm policy who once complained about low commodity prices are now taking aim at family farmers for higher prices at checkout lines. They claim that some farmers' recent good fortunes are to blame for growing grocery bills, and that because prices for some commodities have risen, farmers no longer need a safety net in the pending farm bill... [View the Full Article] Connecting Rural America Any farmer can tell you that thriving in rural America is more than just having the right equipment and an available workforce. One of the most important tools available to America's farmers and ranchers—among the smartest and savviest businessmen and women anywhere in the world—is education and access to information. But for education to flourish, you need the right tools... [View the Full Article] Enough is Enough:Congress Needs to Pass Long Overdue Farm Bill Growing frustrated and worried about the endless stalemate over the farm bill, U.S. farmers and ranchers are calling on Congress to put differences aside in the interest of quickly passing a bill with a safety net that reflects the best of both the House and Senate passed bills... [View the Full Article] Not Just a Farm Bill, a Food Bill Members of the Texas Congressional delegation could start receiving a lot of farm bill letters from people in the Houston area who depend on local hunger relief groups. That's because the Houston Food Bank has issued a "Call to Action" to get the pending farm bill passed soon. A template Congressional letter provided... [View the Full Article] Farm Groups Warn Against Eroding Commodity Safety Net Forty-two farm groups today sent a letter to leaders from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees expressing concern that a farm bill proposal unveiled earlier this week is "seriously under-funded." [View the Full Article] Competing Silos Although it has been nearly two months since the U.S. Senate approved a farm bill by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, and over a half-a-year since the House approved its version, efforts to protect tax shelters and loopholes that raise taxes on everyone else continues to threaten successful completion of a farm bill. [View the Full Article] Farm Bill 'Shortchanged' by 'Short-Sighted' Admin. Proposals More than 20 farm organization told lawmakers today that they oppose including provisions in a final version of farm bill that "fall outside" of the provisions contained in the versions approved by the House and Senate. "We fully believe the new farm bill must not be shortchanged," the farm groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union,... [View the Full Article] Extending the Pain As bleak as the budget situation looks for the farm bill right now, "it doesn't get any better beyond 2008," a policy analyst with Informa Economics told sugarbeet farmers at their annual convention today. A number of issues—from a shrinking budget baseline to a growing budget deficit, a slumping economy, increased spending on non-farm programs, and calls to make tax cuts permanent—will mean there's less money to write a farm bill with next year and beyond, Jim Wiesemeyer told the group... [View the Full Article] Farmers to Congress: Farm Bill is Economic Stimulus Farmers and ranchers from across the country are urging Congress and the President to quickly pass a strong new farm bill as part of their economic stimulus agenda... [View the Full Article] Farm Bill Takes Center Stage at Farm Bureau Conference The message coming out of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual conference held here this week was crystal clear: farmers have already sacrificed a lot in the farm bill and should not be the source of additional funding cuts. The farm bills passed by the House and Senate “represent significant reform,”... [View the Full Article] Senate Farm Bill Includes Reforms, Wins Accolades Most priorities championed during the writing of the new farm bill received funding increases. There was more money for conservation, for nutrition programs and for renewable energy priorities. There was additional funding for research, the marketing of fruits and vegetables and even pest and disease eradication... [View the Full Article] Farmers Focus on Fast Farm Bill Conference Organizations representing most farmers in America sent a letter today to key legislators asking them to "complete a conference report to the Farm Bill by no later than late January or early February." Based upon the exceptional work of both the House and the Senate... [View the Full Article] Logjam Breaks, Senate Passes Farm Bill Farmers and ranchers today applauded as the Senate passed the 2007 farm bill by a bipartisan vote of 79 to 14. The final package did not include the harmful amendments designed to gut the farm safety net, cripple farmers’ crop insurance, and slash farm benefits... [View the Full Article] Farmers to Senate: Bury Brown Amendment Groups representing farmers from coast to coast sent a letter to every Senator this morning asking them to "protect what it has taken 25 years to build" and to vote against the crop insurance amendment proposed by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Sununu (R- N.H.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)... [View the Full Article] Lugar-Lautenberg Loses Steam Farmers and ranchers applauded as the Senate soundly defeated a farm bill amendment by Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) to gut the farm safety net... [View the Full Article] Combest to Senators: ‘Actions Speak Louder than Words’ Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest urged Senators to finish their work on the farm bill before adjourning for the year and not let amendments bog down the process in a speech delivered today to the Farm Journal Forum... [View the Full Article] Ag Groups Ask for New Farm Bill, Not Extension Nineteen agricultural groups wrote to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate today to ask that they complete work on the pending farm bill rather than extending current farm policy... [View the Full Article] Louisiana Farmers Oppose Farm Bill Extension Groups representing most Louisiana farmers today wrote members of the state's Congressional delegation to urge them to expedite passage of the 2007 farm bill and oppose efforts to extend the current bill... [View the Full Article] Lugar-Lautenberg: Kind-Flake Reborn As the U.S. Senate begins consideration of the 2007 farm bill, it is understandable that Senators and America's farmers and ranchers may feel a little dejavu... [View the Full Article] Commodity Organizations Oppose Gutting the Safety Net Twenty-six organizations representing farmers and ranchers from coast to coast are calling upon the U.S. Senate to oppose an effort to gut the safety net provided to America’s farmers in the 2007 farm bill... [View the Full Article] Pay Limit Amendment Opposition Builds As word spreads in rural America about a pending farm bill amendment to slash federal farm benefits, opposition to the plan sponsored by Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) continues to grow... [View the Full Article] Farm Groups Urge Senate Completion of Farm Bill In a letter sent today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, key farming groups expressed their disappointment in "the lack of progress made" last week on the 2007 farm bill... [View the Full Article] Brown Amendment Would Wreck Crop Insurance Last week, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) announced that he intended to offer an amendment to the farm bill that would price farmers and ranchers out of insurance while forcing many providers out of business... [View the Full Article] Policy Analysis: Support the Senate Ag Committee Pay Limits Reform Oppose the Grassley-Dorgan Amendment Senate Agriculture Committee Bill Reforms... [View the Full Article] Farm Bill Should Not Be Weakened with Amendments WASHINGTON (Nov. 6)—The farm bill unanimously passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee struck a delicate balance between numerous budget and political priorities and should not be weakened with amendments. [View the Full Article] Ag Groups Oppose Pay Limits Amendment WASHINGTON (Nov. 5)—A Major agricultural groups from across the country today wrote leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee to urge them to “reject any amendments which are designed to further reduce benefits or place additional restrictions on program eligibility” when the farm bill reaches the Senate floor. [View the Full Article] Farm Families Praise Roberts Amendment Allows Farmers to Elect Revenue Option Without Sacrificing Safety Net Washington (Oct. 31)—Farm families across the country breathed a collective sigh of relief last week after the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously accepted an amendment offered by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) that would allow farmers to elect to participate in a countercyclical revenue program but do so without sacrificing their safety net. [View the Full Article] Key Ag Groups “Urge Prompt Action” on 2007 Farm Bill WASHINGTON (Oct. 19)—A letter from 15 organizations sent to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Chambliss “to urge prompt action on 2007 farm legislation” underscores the need to complete the farm bill in 2007. [View the Full Article] Conservation, Hunger, Religious, Farm Groups Call for Swift Senate Action WASHINGTON (Sept. 28)—With just two days remaining before the current farm bill expires, organizations of all political stripes today sent a letter to Senate leaders "to support expedited action on the 2007 Farm Bill." [View the Full Article] T-Minus 11 Days WASHINGTON (Sept. 19)—When the clock strikes midnight on Sept. 30, will the farm bill turn into a pumpkin, or will the Senate quickly collect the glass slipper and give rural America a happy ending? [View the Full Article] Ag Groups United in Encouraging "Swift Action in the Senate" WASHINGTON (Sept. 11)—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.. [View the Full Article] 2 Years Later, Katrina Offers Food Safety Lesson WASHINGTON (August 29)—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... [View the Full Article] Recess Report: Bipartisan Praise for House Farm Bill WASHINGTON (August 17)—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.. [View the Full Article] Farm Organizations United as Farm Bill Goes to the U.S. Senate CALIFORNIA (August 8)—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... [View the Full Article] Commodity Groups Express Gratitude WASHINGTON (July 31)—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.)... [View the Full Article] Kind-Flake Falls Flat WASHINGTON (July 27)—After an intense buildup to what most Washington insiders thought would be a bloody battle, the much-anticipated Kind-Flake farm bill hit the House floor with a thud late last night. The plan offered by Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) was swiftly and soundly defeated by a vote of 309 to 117. [View the Full Article] Small Business Committee Chair Backs Farm Bill WASHINGTON (July 25)—In a Dear Colleague letter to Members of Congress today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) joined the growing voices of legislators supporting a strong farm bill and called upon her colleagues to "Please oppose any attempts to weaken this important measure…and support H.R. 2419." [View the Full Article] Farmers and Ranchers Unite Against Kind-Flake WASHINGTON (July 24)—Farmers from across the United States are descending upon Capitol Hill in anticipation this week’s floor vote on H.R. 2419 in the U.S. House of Representatives. [View the Full Article] Kind-Flake Would Leave Farms in Financial Ruin WASHINGTON (July 23)—The farm bill plan introduced by two extremist members of the House of Representatives, Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), would devastate rural economies and farms across the country, according to a study released today by the Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M.. [View the Full Article] Call to Arms - U.S. agriculture is under siege WASHINGTON (July 18)—U.S. agriculture is under siege and the farm policies on which so many depend are close to being gutted. Rural America must stand up and be heard. [View the Full Article] Cashing In on Harvesting Cash? WASHINGTON (July 11)—The German Marshall Fund put out a press release on May 3 that proudly proclaimed, "Dan Morgan, former staff writer for the Washington Post, has joined the organization as a Transatlantic Fellow." [View the Full Article] Scottie Pippen Bullish on Conservation Payments WASHINGTON (June 19)—An investigation by FarmPolicyFacts.org into the new Environmental Working Group (EWG) farm subsidy database has uncovered a dirty little secret that radical environmental groups likely hoped would never surface. [View the Full Article] The Truth About Foreign Ag Subsidies WASHINGTON (June 7)—Every Member of Congress today received a handbook highlighting the billions of dollars in subsidies, high tariffs, and other protections foreign agricultural producers receive around the world. [View the Full Article]