USDA APPROVES GUARANTEED LOAN FOR COMMERCIAL-SCALE BIODIESEL PRODUCTION PLANT 

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA Rural Development has approved a $25 million loan to enable a Minnesota biodiesel facility to diversify its operations and significantly...

Climate bill passes House narrowly, heads to Senate 

By David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

After robust debate Friday, June 26, the House of Representatives passed cap and trade legislation by a narrow margin, 212 to 219. Over 40 Democrats voted with Republicans against the bill. Eight Republicans crossed the aisle to vote for the 1,300-page bill, now headed to the Senate where another close vote is expected...

Farm Loan Total Growing 

By Forrest Laws

Last fall’s reports of the near-collapse of the banking system notwithstanding, the nation’s farm banks increased their lending to farmers in 2008, according to the ABA Center for Agricultural & Rural Banking Farm Bank Performance Report...

Climate Change Bill Concerns 

By Forrest Laws

Corn growers want to see a mechanism in which they can sell carbon credits on a regulated market to help offset rising production costs from newly introduced climate change legislation, says Bob Dickey, the president of the National Corn Growers Association...

President Slashes Conservation Funding for FY 2010 

Source: American Farmland Trust

“The President’s FY 2010 agriculture budget contains some disappointing proposals. Despite his desire to support conservation and agriculture, reductions in conservation spending will make it much more difficult for farmers and ranchers to make changes necessary to protect our air, land and water...

Farmers Hope to Grow Support with The Hand That Feeds U.S. Project 

Source: The Hand That Feeds U.S.

America’s farmers are extending an olive branch to the same urban media that have often been critical of agriculture, and some powerful U.S. lawmakers asked the nations reporters in a letter to give them a chance...

Farmer’s Share of the Retail Food Dollar 

Source: National Farmers Union

Retail prices are based on store brand except where noted from Safeway, Washington, D.C., May 1, 2009. Change is in relation to the farmer’s share from the previous...

NCGA Supports Pork Industry’s Efforts Against H1N1 Influenza  

Source: National Corn Growers Association

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) supports the pork industry’s efforts to combat the myths regarding the H1N1 flu...

Ag Subsidies Are More The World Norm Than The Exception 

By Elton Robinson, Farm Press

Ask an American living in the city about U.S. agricultural subsidies and he or she is sure to go on and on and about how U.S. farm policy is destroying the livelihoods of poor farmers around the world. But a report from...

Army Corps Releases List of Navigation Projects to Receive Stimulus Funding 

Source: Soy Transportation Coalition

The $787 billion stimulus package allocates $4.6 billion to the Corps, of which $2 billion will be for construction projects and $2.075 billion for operations and maintenance projects...

Soybean Checkoff Research Database 

Source: Soybean Checkoff

Soybean growers are investing in a wide array of research projects that focus on soybean production...

What Do You Think About Farmers? 

Source: United Soybean Board

There is more insight now on what consumers think about America’s farmers thanks to a survey of consumer views on U.S. agriculture...

Swine Flu Outbreak Impacting Crop Markets 

By Bob Sampson, University of Illinois

Swine flu has already had an impact on U.S. crop markets, says Darrel Good...

Myth Of Ethanol And Food Prices 

By Forrest Laws, Farm Press

The Congressional Budget Office has released a report entitled, “The Impact of Ethanol Use on Food Prices and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions,”...

You Can No Longer Ignore Greenhouse Gases’ Impact on Agriculture 

Source: IHS Global Insight

If you have not followed issues concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it's time to start. The EPA has proposed that atmospheric greenhouse gases endanger the health and welfare of current ...