Federal

From the Capital Press Legislation proposed by Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is designed to preserve and protect the four lower Snake River dams. The Northwest Energy Security Act directs the federal Columbia River power system to operate in alignment with the “2020 Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision,” which found that ... Read More »

In mid-January, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) elected Pat Clements as president during their 2025 Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Clements is a 6th generation wheat grower and livestock farmer from Springfield, Ken., and has spent 47 years in the farm supply business. Clements has previously served as chairman of the Kentucky Seed Improvement Association board, chairman of ... Read More »

From farmdocdaily.illinois.edu In December, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that 1) continued the current farm bill into 2025, 2) appropriated $20.78 billion for disaster aid to farmers, and 3) appropriated $10 billion in economic assistance payments to farmers. This article discusses these impacts, with a focus on the $10 billion in economic assistance which is estimated to provide $42.51 per ... Read More »

From Successful Farming Foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States increased by 1.58 million acres from 2022 to 2023, driven primarily by the expansion of renewable energy projects across the country. According to a new analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Daniel Munch, 45.58 million acres of U.S. agricultural land (or 3.61% of total privately held agricultural ... Read More »

From Farm Progess As we contemplate the farm bill in 2025, it’s important to consider the evolving U.S. agricultural landscape shaping agricultural policy discussions and policies’ potential impact on U.S. farmers and ranchers. Producers are facing a number of challenges such as commodity price volatility, increased input costs, the potential for rising farm debt, unpredictable weather and recent disaster events, ... Read More »

From Progressive Farmer Just three days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reinstated a rule requiring businesses, including farms, to file Beneficial Ownership Information, the same court has now reversed itself, giving businesses a reprieve from filing requirements. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From world grain.com With Inauguration Day approaching, media attention has focused principally on President-elect Donald Trump’s selections for cabinet posts and questions over whether his more controversial choices will secure Senate confirmation. Less attention has been directed to the question of whether the incoming administration’s proposed agenda for aggressive change will be adopted. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press A coalition of regional power, navigation and agricultural organizations is asking the federal government to withdraw its decision to initiate new environmental reviews of the Columbia and Snake River dams, announced Dec. 18. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From Farm Journal’s Ag Web As the ag industry prepares to flip the calendar and head into a new year, even experts and insiders have more questions than answers. The long-delayed farm bill and 45Z biofuels tax credit guidance have kept the industry in a frustrating limbo, while high interest rates and low commodity prices push it toward recession. Read ... Read More »

From world-grain.com New tariffs on top US trade partners would make American agricultural goods harder to market abroad while simultaneously raising costs for farmers, food manufacturers and consumers, if recent threats made by President-elect Donald Trump come to fruition, according to agriculture industry groups. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »