Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack was at the Democratic National Convention this week in his personal capacity, and we got his views on a possible Kamala Harris presidency.
Speaking in an interview airing on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, Vilsack says he believes a Kamala Harris administration could speed the transition to clean energy and climate-smart agriculture started under Joe Biden. “A Harris-Walz administration can accelerate the job opportunities, can accelerate the income and the wealth creation, that this is going to bring,” he said.
Asked about Harris’ proposal for a ban on food price gouging, Vilsack said “it’s important and necessary I think for the federal government to be on the side of consumers. I think that’s essentially what Vice President Harris is saying. ‘Okay, you got a choice: you can be on the side of the industry or you can be on the side of the consumer.’”
Newsmakers will be available today at Agri-Pulse.com.
Newsmakers anchor Lydia Johnson with Tom Vilsack.
Delegates celebrate Harris after her acceptance speech.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland addresses the convention.House Ag progress: Dem majorities key to food worker protections
A progressive on the House Ag Committee isn’t giving up on using the farm bill to get some protections for workers in the food and ag industry.
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, met with members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union on the sidelines of the DNC and walked them through his fight to bar meatpackers from supplying the school food lunch program, if they’re caught employing under-age workers. Casar tried unsuccessfully to get the prohibition included in the committee’s farm bill.
“That's why we've got to retake the House, not just make it a Democratic majority in the House, but a pro-worker majority in the House, a pro-union majority,” Casar said.He went on, “We're going to stand with you every step of the way, and we're going to make sure that not only the farm bill, but our budgets, our priorities, reconciliation, our judges … [are] led by this labor movement,” he told the union members.
Stabenow faults GOP for farm bill stalemate
Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., continues putting the blame on Republicans for the ongoing stalemate over the farm bill.
“We hear concerns about our bill, but I've had no on-paper proposals on the other side,” she said at a Politico event in Chicago.
“So, we're trying to say, let's start there. We need to do that. It appears they're deferring to the House that doesn't have the votes to pass their bill.”
She said the $33 billion funding gap in the House Ag Committee’s bill means it can’t pass that chamber.
As it happens: The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter to Senate leaders Thursday, urging that chamber to move a farm bill.
“New agricultural data and predictions of record income declines serve as a blinking red warning sign that our nation’s farmers are in financial trouble and need an updated farm bill with new investments made to the farm safety net,” the letter says.
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The letter concedes the “full House chamber has not yet acted” on a bill but goes on to say that AFBF “members across the nation are worried that without visible momentum in the Senate, a farm bill this year is out of reach.”
Illinois Dem pushing Biden on 45Z rules
Illinois Democratic Rep. Nikki Budzinski says she’s pushing the Biden administration to ease its requirements for agricultural feedstocks when it issues rules for the new 45Z clean fuel tax credit.
Rules for the expiring 40B credit for sustainable aviation fuel require farmers to use three climate-smart practices for their crops to be eligible for the subsidy. “I think it’s a little too restrictive,” Budzinski said at the Politico event. “We need more flexibility.”
FMI survey: American shoppers still concerned about prices, but trust their grocery store
Consumer concerns about food prices have remained about the same from last year, despite a drop in food inflation, according to the latest grocery shopper trends tracked by FMI-The Food Industry Association.
FMI, which represents major supermarket chains, found that 39% of shoppers are concerned about having enough money to afford necessary food, down from 42% a year ago. Over two-thirds, or 69%, of respondents said they are very or extremely concerned about retail food inflation, which is down from 70% last year.
Concerns about inflation in other areas like gas, housing and clothing remain lower, according to the survey findings. Still, 83% of grocery shoppers reported feeling in some control over grocery spending, and tend to have favorable views of grocery stores. Among all surveyed shoppers, 41% said their “primary” food store supports their financial health, and 30% said food stores in general are on shoppers' side.
Keep in mind: The latest report from FMI comes as food price increases are expected to stay flat and inflation has continued to fall post-pandemic. Still, food prices aren’t expected to drop, and overall high cost of living remains a concern for Americans.
FDA: Salmonella outbreak in cucumbers is over
FDA has officially ended its investigation into a salmonella outbreak associated with cucumbers and said there is no ongoing risk to consumers. The outbreak began in June and is associated with 551 illnesses and 155 hospitalizations across 34 states and the District of Columbia, according to FDA and the Centers for Disease Control.
The harvesting and growing seasons for the Florida-based companies linked to the outbreak are over, and no products are on the market.
Retail organizations release traceability guide
The National Grocers Association and United Natural Foods, Inc. have released a guide for members to help independent grocers comply with upcoming FDA traceability requirements.
Companies throughout the supply chain, including food packers, distributors or sellers, must collect more detailed records for certain items, starting January 2026. This information is supposed to help FDA identify and remove potentially harmful food from the market more quickly and efficiently. The new guide offers members a step-by-step guide on complying with the rule, including summaries and diagrams to break down the roughly 600-page rule.
Final word: “Barbara & I went to the Hickory House in Waterloo when we were 1st dating 2nite we celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary where it all started.” – The ultimate Capitol Hill power couple, Sen. Chuck Grassley and his wife, Barbara, announcing on X how they celebrated the big event on Thursday.
We’re not sure how many lawmakers have reached that milestone, but we’re quite confident it’s an exclusive club.
Steve Davies and Lydia Johnson in Chicago, and Rebekah Alvey and Philip Brasher contributed to this report.
Brought to you by Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.
