Spencer Chase

House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott tells Agri-Pulse that he wants to make sure that carbon markets are going to be workable for farmers and won’t harm food production.

Members of the United Fresh Produce Association are in Washington this week looking to press Congress for action on a handful of key policy issues.

The American Farm Bureau Federation has selected a veteran economist with the Agriculture Department and the dairy industry to lead the organization's economic analysis unit.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is making money available through programs aimed at boosting the specialty crop industry.

Farm groups are breathing a collective sigh of relief that congressional Democrats have dropped the idea of taxing capital gains at death, preserving the benefits of stepped-up basis. But many may still need to start talking to their tax advisers about just what’s in the legislation and how it could affect their tax planning.

An Agri-Pulse analysis of the compensation earned by leaders of the nation's most prominent farm, food and energy groups is beginning to reflect the months when the nation shut down and the food chain faced unprecedented challenges. But the true impacts; and their reflection in publicly available tax documents; might not be realized for another year or two.

While work continues to find nominees for some vacant high-level positions, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says it’s just as important to fill “worker bee” positions throughout the entire department.

The Department of Agriculture is in touch with Capitol Hill as Democratic leaders work to craft legislation that has the potential to funnel more money into the farm bill and expand the number of producers who could receive funding and assistance for government conservation programs.