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The ranking member of the House Ag Committee said Democrats will oppose additional efforts to remove food assistance in the next farm bill or any legislation.  The statement comes nearly a week after Congress passed a bill that raises the debt ceiling and places stricter work requirements on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants, an effort opposed by several Democrats. David Scott, a Democrat U.S. Representative from Georgia, told Chairman Glenn […]

Commentary. I listen to local radio. I catch Leland Vittert’s program on News Nation in the evening when possible, but those days are few and far between because I’m rarely anywhere near a television at 6pm unless it’s dark outside. I read newspaper and magazine articles. I read e-newsletters, check websites, and sometimes read news updates on social media if from a source I recognize and trust. I have conversations […]

U.S. ethanol exports were down in April. The Renewable Fuels Association says the total of 125.7 million barrels was 5% below March, but Canada was the top destination for the 25th month in a row, taking in more than a third of the volume. The European Union, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom rounded out the top five. Exports of distillers dried grains with solubles were 777,617 tons, 13% […]

The implications of Proposition 12 weigh heavily on the minds of producers attending the World Pork Expo in Des Moines.  During a news conference Wednesday morning, National Pork Producers Council president Scott Hays called the Supreme Court ruling to uphold Prop 12 the low point of his time on the board. “It’s just so disappointing. Prop 12 is, as we’ve said all along, is not good for pigs, it’s not […]

Nearly half of the farmers surveyed in the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Survey say the crop insurance title is the most important aspect of a new farm bill to their operations. Jim Mintert, the survey’s principal investigator, tells Brownfield, “48 percent (of farmers surveyed) this month chose crop insurance. That was up compared to last month, which was 40 percent. The second highest chosen title was the commodity […]

A new report from CoBank shows that the cost of storing grain for elevators has hit record highs and that’s a mixed bag for the ag industry. Economist Tanner Ehmke tells Brownfield higher interest rates, in addition to more expensive labor, transportation and energy will force elevators to lower bids and widen basis. “Although you may see for instance rising prices on the CME in futures markets, what you may […]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is encouraging farmers and ranchers to take steps to secure their operation’s data from cyber threats. Eugene Kowel with the Omaha FBI Field Office says producers need to have a plan in place before an attack happens. “We encourage especially the larger producers, to reach out to the FBI, make that contact, build that connection. There’s a variety of groups you can join that we […]

Consumer demand is increasing for renewable and sustainable raw materials and that’s helping make soybeans an ideal ingredient for many products. In this episode, we detail what those products are and how they benefit farmers and consumers. ...

The National Milk Producers Federation Board is meeting this week, starting Monday and wrapping up Wednesday.  Alan Bjerga with NMPF says, “It’s a pretty busy, action-packed agenda for our meeting, you know, with the Federal Milk Market Order process starting to get underway, there’s a lot for dairy farmers to talk about.” Bjerga tells Brownfield with the USDA making moves ahead of a hearing on the Federal Milk Marketing Orders, […]