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This Week's Journal

Meat marketing tactics change with consumer trends

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Doug Rich

Greg Wolf

Holly Martin

Jennifer Bremer

Jennifer Latzke

Jerry Nine

Ken Root

Kylene Scott

Larry Dreiling

Sam Synder

Sara Wyant

Trent Loos

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Agri Pulse by Sara Wyant

Sara Wyant is president of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. and publishes a bi-weekly newsletter, Agri-Pulse, on food and farm policy. For more information, you can e-mail her at Agripulse@aol.com.

The push for climate change legislation loses steam

For most of this year, we've heard repeatedly that President Barack Obama wanted Congress to tackle climate change prior to a Dec. 7 to 18 international summit on this topic in Copenhagen. Signing climate change legislation was one of his top domestic priorities and he succeeded in working with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to deliver a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, albeit by a 219 to 212 margin. But in the U.S...

OCT 26, 2009 —A world free of hunger?

When Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the 'green revolution' passed away in September, leaders from around the globe memorialized the Nobel Peace Prize winner as the "greatest hunger fighter of our time." But even he acknowledged that his work was far from over, especially in places like Africa, where one-third of the population is hungry and malnourished. A diverse group of business leaders, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, is committed to building on Borlaug's ... [Read More]

OCT 12, 2009 —Tonsager returns to his rural development roots

The first time Dallas Tonsager worked for what is now called USDA Rural Development (RD), it was known as the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) and often labeled "the lender of last resort." That was 1993, and after watching many farmers struggle with credit access during the 1980s, lawmakers decided to shift much of the on-farm lending portfolio over to what is now the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Tonsager left his post as president of the ... [Read More]

SEP 28, 2009 —Land of Lincoln?

Even before she took over the helm of the Senate Agriculture Committee a couple of weeks ago, Blanche Lincoln told folks that her daddy would likely be smiling down from heaven about the possibility. Now that it's official, with Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin leaving to become chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, lots of other farm dads and moms are finding that they, too, have reason to smile. Lincoln hails from a seventh-generation Arkansas ... [Read More]

SEP 14, 2009 —New bucks for biomass materials

A new USDA program might not provide as many dollars as the widely popular "cash for clunkers" program, but it's still a huge new potential revenue stream for thousands of biomass producers. Many industry sources see this program as another important incentive to develop more homegrown renewable energy across the U.S. The USDA Farm Service Agency is now offering payments through the new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), matching payments made by ... [Read More]

SEP 14, 2009 —New bucks for biomass materials

AUG 31, 2009 —The big uneasy

Traditionally, members of Congress leave the sweltering August heat that engulfs Washington, D.C., this time of year to visit with voters back home, stump for fellow lawmakers at fundraisers, and maybe even spend some time with their own families. But this summer has been anything but traditional, as throngs of angry voters turned out to see elected officials on their home turf. Some voters have been so angry about pending health care legislation that the town hall meetings ... [Read More]

AUG 17, 2009 —New Conservation Stewardship Program premieres

While many farmers and ranchers already pride themselves on protecting soil, water, and wildlife, USDA's newest program is designed to help pay for those stewardship activities and encourage more. Starting August 10 and running through Sept. 30, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service offices will accept the first applications in the new Conservation Stewardship Program. Many of you may remember these initials from the past, but the ... [Read More]

AUG 3, 2009 —An opportunity lost?

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials held an important event last week, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the department's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). As I scanned the 100-plus people assembled for the event in the Whitten Building's central patio, I found several dignitaries, but kept looking for "aggies" in the room. Unfortunately, I spotted only a handful. [Read More]

JUL 20, 2009 —Wanted: Farmers to look at the new ACRE program

Remember all of those predictions about how the new Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program would attract hundreds of thousands of farmers and potentially be a budget-buster? During the 2008 farm bill debate, one USDA analysis suggested that the program would be so attractive that the department would pay out around $16 billion just to corn, wheat and soybean farmers in 2009 alone. But thus far, only 1,426 producers have signed on the ... [Read More]

JUL 20, 2009 —Wanted: Farmers to look at the new ACRE program [Read More]

JUL 13, 2009 —Ready for new carbon markets and greenhouse gas regulations? [Read More]

JUN 22, 2009 —Will rural America be on the 'Roadmap to Recovery?' [Read More]

MAY 25, 2009 —Farm groups divided over climate change legislation [Read More]

MAY 11, 2009 —Health care costs hit rural Americans harder [Read More]

APR 27, 2009 —More time needed for U.S. to figure out animal identification? [Read More]

APR 13, 2009 —Who is going to participate in the new ACRE program? [Read More]

MAR 30, 2009 —Lessons (that could be) learned from the new White House garden [Read More]

MAR 16, 2009 —Ready for more corn in your tank? [Read More]

MAR 2, 2009 —Secretary Vilsack makes the case for more rural development [Read More]

FEB 16, 2009 —Extra crop insurance "homework" paid off last year [Read More]

FEB 2, 2009 —The changing politics and dynamics of food production [Read More]