Shoppers won’t be scared off by a rocky economic outlook this Halloween. And their appetite for delicious candy is certain to be a treat for America’s thriving confectionery industry. “Consumer spending for Halloween is expected to be spirited this year, with sales of $6.9 billion, up from $5.8 billion in 2010, according to a National Retail Federation…
DetailsShort of a farm bill vote, or a piece of agricultural legislation moving across the President’s desk for signature, big-city newspapers rarely focus on farm-related news. But that’s exactly what happened recently. It began on October 23 when the Houston Chronicle credited crop insurance with saving “Texas farmers from ruin.” More than 41,000 farmers in…
DetailsCritics of farm policy often like to label it a “New Deal” policy. Their hope is to make the policies that underpin the best food system in the history of the world sound outdated. Never mind the fact that farm policies have undergone radical changes since that time to keep pace with modern challenges and…
DetailsOctober 19, 2011 Dear Senator: We urge you to oppose amendments to the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that propose to alter or negatively affect the mandatory funding for U.S. farm policies. As you know, the agriculture appropriations bill, as reported by the committee, fully complies with discretionary spending guidelines. This is the end…
DetailsOctober 31, 2011 marks a milestone that might be far more frightening than the ghosts and goblins that will be roaming the streets that night. According to an official United Nations report, the world’s population will peak at 7 billion people on that day. And future projections show a rapid ascent to 9 billion by…
DetailsIt’s no secret that agriculture is vital to the American economy. Each state is unique in its ability to produce, add value to, and package products that not only make up our own food supply, but also fuel a booming global export industry that continues to thrive, despite the current economic climate. Recently, the Federal…
DetailsThis state’s motto is “Strength from the Soil.” It appears on the coat of arms, as well as the governor’s flag—and for good reason. North Dakota literally draws its economic strength straight from the soil—almost 90 percent of which is dedicated to farming. Agriculture makes up about 32 percent of the state’s economy. Even the…
DetailsThe Administration is pushing a new plan that would injure one of the few sectors in our economy that is actually creating jobs and helping offset an otherwise gloomy fiscal situation. As has happened in three of the last six years, rural America is being called upon to give more than its fair share in…
DetailsWith the floodwaters rising and the nation’s attention focused on the looming Midwest destruction, government officials asked me to make an enormous sacrifice. They needed my farmland to extend and build up a levee to hold back an unprecedented wall of water. If I said yes, it would save millions of dollars for businesses, homes…
DetailsTourists may go to Georgia to pick the peaches, but the state’s agricultural production reaches far beyond those bountiful branches. Georgia ranks first in the country in production of peanuts, pecans, rye, eggs and broilers. In fact, Georgia produces almost half of the peanuts produced in the United States each year—an operation that valued more…
DetailsThe House Agriculture Committee Chairman and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member released the following statement on Sept. 19, 2011. Lucas & Roberts Respond to the President’s Debt Plan WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee,…
DetailsBy all accounts, 2011 looked like a banner year for American agriculture. In May, despite flooding and late planting, USDA forecasted a record crop in corn—by far America’s largest row crop—of 13.5 million bushels, covering 92 million acres of prime farmland. With corn being an important crop domestically—producing food, fuel, and feed—and being a huge export…
DetailsAs the 46th state to join the Union, Oklahoma may have been a little late to the party, but when it arrived, it had plenty to offer. Aside from the strong winds and thunderstorms that Oklahoma is known for (thanks to a popular show tune), the state is blessed with a productive agricultural system, the…
DetailsAs Congress recessed in August, overworked staffers breathed a sigh of relief, anxiously awaiting some well-deserved peace and quiet. Then the earth shook…literally. And the earthquake that rocked DC was followed by a damaging hurricane, which was followed by an entire week of non-stop rain and flooding from a tropical storm. Then Congress came back…
DetailsAgriculture is collectively holding its breath as the “super committee” meets to determine where the $1.2 trillion worth of federal budget funds will be cut. Having already shouldered more than $12 billion in cuts for deficit reduction in the past several years, farmers and ranchers feel the pain that other sectors have yet to experience.…
DetailsWhile Michigan may be known for its lakes and its cars, its economy is fueled by ten million acres of land: farmland that is. Michigan can grow more than 200 products that contribute to the nation’s food and fiber supply—making it the second most diverse agricultural state in the nation and a virtual America in…
DetailsIt’s no great surprise when a well-funded libertarian think tank full of Washington policy wonks pushes for the belief that the federal government should not be involved in crop insurance and other key farm policies. But those of us in farming know better. All we need to do is to remember the recent floods, droughts…
DetailsTexas is an exceptional state, and most Texans will be happy to explain why that’s so. Unfortunately, for this year, that term also applies to the bone-dry conditions we’ve seen unfold over the last 12 months. Texas, it seems, is locked in what weather experts call “an exceptional drought,” something many parts of the state…
DetailsIn the film classic, “12 Angry Men”, jurors deliberate the fate of an accused on trial, the outcome of which could mean life or death. 11 of the 12 walked into the jury deliberation room ready to return a guilty verdict without a discussion, some because of personal, long-held prejudices and others because they just…
DetailsIssue Summary: Having a strong agricultural sector that provides an abundant and affordable supply of food and fiber is key to any country’s security, which explains why most countries have farm policies in place to help promote and sustain domestic production. A key component to America’s food, fiber, and farm policy is crop insurance, a…
DetailsIssue Summary: Ethanol is the only commercially viable biofuel alternative to gasoline available in the U.S. today. In addition to creating thousands of jobs, cutting emissions and reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil imports, grain ethanol is also a bridge fuel technology, which, along with second generation biofuels, has the potential of eventually replacing up…
DetailsFarm Bill to Determine Future Success Stories about the post 2008 credit crunch conjure up immediate feelings of anxiety and churning stomachs as many remember what was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Banks that survived the crash became much more stringent about who they provided loans to. Consumers wishing…
DetailsSugar is an important ingredient in the U.S. food supply and is found in almost everything we eat. In addition to desserts and other treats, sugar makes wholesome food more palatable, acts as a bulking agent in baking, and is a key preservative that keeps foods from perishing. Following massive sugar shortages caused by dependence…
DetailsIssue Summary: The National Journal recently reported about the ongoing budget discussions on Capitol Hill: Fiscal watchdogs and lawmakers from both parties have painted the clash as an opportunity to make a significant step toward shifting the country off its unsustainable path, but a deal that doesn’t address revenue and entitlements, which would likely have…
DetailsI believe there to be a set of basic guiding principles that should direct Congress’s work on the Farm Bill. Foremost, we must recognize that U.S. agriculture is an intricate component of our jobs, economy, and national security. Basing arguments and legislative proposals on pure emotion and skewed statistics is reckless and opens the door…
DetailsWhen I first got word that Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, was interested in helping spread agriculture’s good message, I had some reservations. Blinded by stereotypes and generalizations, I figured an 18-year-old pageant winner couldn’t possibly be an effective spokesperson for an industry as serious and established as agriculture. An industry this revered, I thought,…
DetailsThough not often thought of as a Mecca for farmers—as one of the original 13 colonies, Maryland has always been a major player when it comes to agriculture and this country’s economy. In fact, agriculture is Maryland’s largest industry, supporting over 350,000 jobs and generating more than $2 billion in revenue. Outside the sprawling metropolitan…
DetailsBy an overwhelming bi-partisan majority, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed a House bill that will remove costly and redundant regulatory burdens on producers while providing no environmental or consumer benefits. The bill, which passed on a voice vote in the Senate committee, had easily passed the House by a very large, bi-partisan margin. The vote…
DetailsLocated in the middle of the heartland, Iowa has developed a reputation for being everything that is quintessential America. It’s hard to believe it ever belonged to France. Thankfully, our founding fathers had the foresight to purchase the territory that would one day become a booming economic engine and top agricultural exporter. Iowa is often…
DetailsWhen Congress takes up the next farm bill, there will be a lot more at stake than just the future of farmers and ranchers. Economic recovery for the nation as a whole, which is being underpinned by rural lenders and farmers’ buying power, also will be on the table. At the end of last year,…
DetailsMore than 130 organizations spanning the breadth of the agricultural spectrum – from small community based groups to the largest commodity trade associations – informed President Obama and Congressional leaders of their strong opposition to efforts to balance the federal budget on the backs of farmers and rural America. “We are extraordinarily concerned about the…
DetailsThe weather has been so wild and so unpredictable this year that it’s not just farmers who are complaining about it. Here in the Corn Belt, it’s been cold and damp for so long that it took us forever to get our crop in. Parts of the Southwest wheat belt are parched, while millions of…
DetailsAmid the long list of federal projects costing taxpayers far more than predicted, one policy stands alone by coming in billions of dollars under budget. From 2007 to 2011, this policy trimmed taxpayer spending 31 percent when compared with the same four-year period a decade earlier. It even found room to contribute to deficit reduction…
DetailsThe absurdity arguably began one chilly Monday night in December 2003. ABC aired a “news” program linking farm policy to the nation’s obesity epidemic. At the time, farmers cried foul and some even threatened to boycott the network. The notion that U.S. commodities were too cheap and that, if Congress super-sized subsidies for asparagus and…
DetailsNebraska is well-known for its high rate of agricultural production. The state leads the nation in per capita agricultural output, generating about $15 billion—five percent of the U.S. total—despite being the 13th least populous state with just over 1.8 million residents. And with almost 93 percent of Nebraska’s land now used for farming, the area…
DetailsIn the May 17 issue of the National Journal Daily it was reported that the Vice President’s working group had not yet settled on a plan to raise the debt ceiling while cutting federal spending, but that the group may be coalescing around even deeper cuts to U.S. farm policy. All week there have been…
DetailsIt may be the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but in Minnesota, agriculture reigns supreme. With 81,000 farms occupying about 26.9 million acres of farmland—almost half of the state—Minnesota leads the nation in the production of several commodities including sugar beets, turkeys, and oats, as well as sweet corn and green peas for processing. The state…
DetailsAs the nation struggles to regain its economic footing after the real estate bubble burst and nearly thrust this country and the world into another Great Depression, a new bubble may be emerging. Increasingly, economic experts are keeping an eye on America’s farms, which were collectively valued at about $2 trillion last year. While this…
DetailsJohn Henry Newman wrote that, “The truer doctrines are, the more liable they are to be perverted.” But you didn’t have to live in Victorian England to get the recently beatified Cardinal’s point. In fact, in modern day Washington, we have reached the stage where anytime anyone even mutters the truth it’s worth popping a…
DetailsWe have been taught from an early age that humans have four basic needs: food, water, clothing and shelter. Interestingly enough, it is the U.S. farm sector that provides two—food and clothing—out of those four needs. This fact puts farming and the programs that protect farmers from adversity—the farm safety net—pretty high on this country’s…
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