Washington (Nov. 28, 2007)—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. “Extending current law could also result in a substantial reduction in the funding available for writing the next farm bill,” the…
Washington (Nov. 28, 2007)—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. “Louisiana’s farm community is deeply concerned about the delay in approving the 5-year reauthorization of U.S. farm policy,” the groups…
Washington (Nov. 20, 2007)—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. The November 16 letter urged Senators to oppose the Farm, Ranch, Equity, Stewardship and Health (FRESH) Act (S.…
WASHINGTON (Nov. 16, 2007)—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. “The Grassley-Dorgan amendment would not just hurt Virginia farmers but the communities we live and work in,” said…
WASHINGTON (Nov. 16, 2007)—Oppose the Grassley-Dorgan Amendment Senate Agriculture Committee Bill Reforms… Saves Nearly $500 Million. Pay limits in the Senate Agriculture Committee farm bill save nearly half a billion dollars, according to the Congressional Budget Office. And those savings would increase if crop prices fall. Provides 100% Benefit Transparency. The Senate Agriculture Committee bill…
Washington (Nov. 13, 2007)—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. The National Farmers Union, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of State Departments of…
Washington (Nov. 8, 2007)—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. That’s because the Senate will debate a rehash of the unpopular Kind-Flake amendment that was resoundingly defeated 117-309 on the House floor in July. The Senate…
Excerpt from a Nov. 8 Statement on the Senate Floor I wish to take just a minute to address an issue that appeared in The Washington Post earlier this week. [A]s with most people who write these editorials and publish them around the country, frankly, this editorial is filled with total inaccuracies. I want to…
By: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) [D]espite the fact that our Nation enjoys but does not apparently appreciate the fact that production agriculture does provide this country and a very troubled and hungry world the very best quality food at the lowest price in the history of the world, we have heard a lot of repeated…
WASHINGTON (Nov. 6, 2007)—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. The Brown bill is based on the failed amendment offered during House floor consideration by Congressman Jim Cooper…
WASHINGTON (Nov. 6, 2007)—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. That was the message to Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) in a letter sent yesterday from 23 farm organizations. “With a very…
Washington (Nov. 5, 2007)—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. “The provisions of the 2007 farm legislation, as…
Any businessperson worth their salt has, at minimum, a 5-year business plan that projects revenue, expenses, and projected profit. In fact, most banks demand such detailed plans before issuing business operating loans. Tommy Hoskyn, a rice and soybean farmer from Stuttgart, Ark., is no stranger to business planning. But proper planning has become almost impossible…
“When you feed the world, you are as important as any ambassador or government diplomat,” explained 50-year-old Gene (Pucky) Sandager, a corn, soybean, and cattle producer from Hills, Minnesota. But Gene does a lot more than just feed the world; he is teaching the world how to feed itself. Gene’s family has been very involved…