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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Monday, May 20, 2024
Only five years ago Kevin Ortenblad was growing hydroponic lettuce indoors, near New London, Minnesota. The arugula, romaine, and iceberg greens he produced were some of the most flavorful to be found, according to the grocery stores who bought them.
Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall touted many of his organization’s successes in a speech at its annual convention but pressed members for more action on a long list of the group’s priorities.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow is circulating some ideas for farm program reforms that include an increase in effective reference prices that would benefit all commodities, plus an unspecified improvement in marketing loans.
Farmers and ranchers would like to see increased crop insurance subsidies and commodity price supports in the new farm bill, and a strong majority support cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to an exclusive Agri-Pulse producer poll.
Despite a looming government shutdown amid talks to secure another continuing resolution, as well as upcoming elections, Congress needs to make sure it passes a farm bill this year, says the leader of the nation’s largest farm organization.
Congress starts the new year the way it ended a chaotic 2023, with an unresolved standoff over appropriations for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1 and no certainty about when, or even whether, lawmakers will move a new farm bill in 2024.
Behind-the-scenes work on the next farm bill was top of mind for Agri-Pulse readers in 2023, with stories about marker bills and lobbying movement heavily featured in the year’s most-read stories.
Dairy producers across the country found themselves caught between a slump in milk prices this year at the same time the cost of corn and hay continued to be high. For small to mid-size producers like Eric Fonda in upstate New York, USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage program proved to be a godsend.