Farm income cools, land prices climb in northern Plains
Cropland values rose by 7.2 percent in the northern Plains this summer, said agricultural bankers in a quarterly survey by the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. Land values rose even as farm income declined from last summer, lenders said, due to high production costs and lower commodity prices, with a decline expected for this fall, too.
On his birthday, Biden lets freedom ring for two Thanksgiving turkeys
In an event that traditionally opens the holiday season in Washington, President Biden pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys, briefly plugged his rural policies, and joked about his age — 81 — on Monday, his birthday. "I want you to know, it's difficult turning 60," he said, evoking laughter from a couple of hundred people on the South Lawn of the White House. "Difficult."
USDA and SBA to collaborate on rural development
The Agriculture Department and the Small Business Administration agreed on Monday to increase investments in small and underserved rural communities, said agency leaders. The USDA has a portfolio of billions of dollars in grants, loans and loan guarantees for rural housing, business development, and electricity, internet, and water and sewer projects.
Claim: Farm bill debate pits conservation vs. commodities
The current tug-of-war among lawmakers for farm bill funding "offers a case study" of the long-running tension between conservation and crop subsidies, said Jonathan Coppess, associate professor at the University of Illinois. This time, the issue is whether to shift up to $18 billion that was earmarked for climate mitigation (in the 2022 climate, healthcare, and tax law) into crop subsidies.
USDA begins reports on ‘Prop 12’ hogs
For the first time, the USDA will report how many hogs are being raised in compliance with animal confinement legislation (ACL), such as Proposition 12 in California. Prop 12 bars the sale of pork produced on farms outside the state that do not provide at least the same amount of floor space for breeding sows as the 24 square feet required in California.
Farm lobby pushes for new farm bill in early 2024
Farm groups called for Congress on Thursday to overcome a months-long impasse and enact a new farm bill early next year. President Biden was expected to sign legislation that extends current farm law until next Sept. 30 but the farm groups want to keep the pressure on for prompt action.
USDA eyes non-traditional markets for ag exports
The Agriculture Department will counter a decline in farm exports by seeking sales in new markets, including non-traditional destinations, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. Vilsack announced a calendar of six agricultural trade missions for 2024 and the opening of a comment period on how to allot $1.3 billion in the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.
Tom Colicchio: A chef’s journey
Tom Colicchio, the restaurateur and lead judge on Top Chef, traces his interest in cooking from crabbing with his grandfather to his revelatory discovery of Jacques Pépin’s La Technique as a teenager. From there Colicchio went on to celebrity chefdom and later became a leader in food-policy reform. He describes this journey in FERN's latest piece, published as part of a special food issue with Switchyard, a new magazine from the University of Tulsa.
After years of losses, rural population is growing slowly
Rural America, home to one in seven Americans, “is growing again after a decade of overall population loss” and is now home to 46 million people, said the USDA’s “Rural America at a Glance” report on Wednesday. Rural employment has recovered from the job losses of the pandemic, and 1 percent of rural workers hold clean energy jobs, about the same number as are employed in fossil fuels.
Ag committee Republicans vote against funding bill
Eleven of the 29 Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted against the government funding bill that includes a one-year extension of the 2018 farm law, House records show. The extension would give the Senate and House Agriculture committees more time to write the next farm bill.
Security and affordability will be key for AI in agriculture
Artificial intelligence could improve agricultural productivity in myriad ways, from machines that zap weeds to crop-selection software. But its digital networks must be secure from attack or abuse, a panel of experts told senators on Tuesday. The panelists and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee agreed the technology must be within the financial grasp of farmers, possibly with the help of USDA cost-sharing funds.
Report: Baby food is less toxic but still often contains pesticides
Non-organic baby food is less toxic than it was 30 years ago, but it still contains pesticides at least 38 percent of the time, according to a new report by the Environmental Working Group. EWG researchers noted that federal agencies have made strides in regulating pesticide contamination in baby food, but advised parents and caregivers to use caution at the grocery store.
Food inflation rate falls for 14th month in a row
The U.S. food inflation rate was 3.3 percent over the past 12 months, one-third of its peak in August 2022, said the Labor Department on Tuesday. The food inflation rate was down 0.4 points from the previous month's annualized rate of 3.7 percent and down for the 14th month in a row.
FDA will have ‘a more meaningful agenda’ on food additives, says deputy commissioner
While California took the spotlight with a new law banning four food additives, FDA deputy commissioner Jim Jones said on Monday that the agency will adopt "a more meaningful agenda" on food chemicals as it reorganizes its food safety wing. Jones, who began work two months ago as chief of human foods, has said the safe use of chemicals and dietary supplements is one of his three priorities.
Surge in farmland values slows to 5 percent in Midwest
Agricultural land values in the Midwest rose by an average of 5 percent during the past year, the smallest gain in three years, said ag bankers taking part in a Chicago Federal Reserve Bank survey. While Indiana notched a 16 percent increase, land values in Iowa were stagnant and one lender expressed surprise that land values did not decline in the Hawkeye State, said the Chicago Fed's quarterly AgLetter.
Deal is close to extend the current farm bill one year
The "four corners" of farm bill negotiations — the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture committees — said on Sunday that they are "committed to working together to get it done next year." The farm bill leaders expressed solidarity following the release of a House Republican proposal to fund USDA operations through Jan. 19 and to extend the lifespan of the 2018 farm law by one year. <strong>(No paywall)</strong>
Ag trade deficit is a record, but smaller than expected
The United States ran a record agricultural trade deficit of $16.6 billion in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, said a USDA database. The deficit was smaller than the forecast of $19 billion but fiscal 2023 was the third deficit in the last five years.
U.S. corn crop is the largest ever, says USDA
Farmers are harvesting the largest U.S. corn crop ever grown, 15.2 billion bushels, and only the third crop on record to top 15 billion bushels, said the Agriculture Department.
USDA announces poultry reform rule, will name ‘competition officer’
A new USDA rule will require poultry processors to give farmers more information about what to expect, including potential income and expenses, before they sign a contract to raise birds for them, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. The rule, expected to take effect in late January, was part of an administration drive for the fair treatment of farmers in the highly concentrated meat industry.
Pass farm bill soon, say ag and food leaders
Three farm, food, and hunger group leaders called on Congress on Wednesday to enact a new farm bill by early 2024, although there were few signs the legislation would be ready to go. “We’re focused on getting it done, and if it means by December, we will be proud of that, and if we get it out in the first quarter [of 2024], we will be proud of that,” said Zippy Duvall of the American Farm Bureau Federation.