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More in Government

  • Mar. 6, 2013
    blog

    Farmers Against Crippling Taxes (FACT) Act Would Repeal Death Tax 11

    Discussions about the estate tax have died down somewhat since Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which locked in a death tax rate of 40% and a $5-million exemption level indexed to inflation. I think Congress hoped that by passing meaningful legislation, it would placate the growing concern and loud protests from the meager country mice like you and me....More
  • Feb. 28, 2013
    blog

    Political Debate Moves From Absurd To Sad 4

    The old quote about Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burned is appropriate here. The result is that government and the federal deficit continue to grow at unprecedented rates, while our elected representatives play political games with no real interest in addressing either issue....More
  • Feb. 26, 2013
    Article

    EPA Chief Sends Regrets, Yet Releases Sensitive Farm Data Anyway 1

    Last week, outgoing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chief Lisa Jackson was quoted in the Huffington Post as saying her biggest regret was related to her relationship with rural America....More
  • Feb. 26, 2013
    Article

    Industry At A Glance: Beef In Cold Storage 1

    If Food Safety Inspection Service inspectors are put on furlough as part of the March 1 sequester, USDA’s Feb. 22 Cold Storage report indicates the complex has approximately one week’s worth of beef and beef products to meet typical business requirements....More
  • Feb. 21, 2013
    Article

    EPA Releases Producer Information To Activist Groups

    Early this week the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) was notified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the agency had been collecting information from states on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). This information was requested by extremist groups, including Earth Justice, the Pew Charitable Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and granted to them....More
  • environmental groups
    Feb. 21, 2013
    blog

    Environmentalists Are Forced To Walk A Fine Line

    Environmental groups must find a way to repackage their message and temper the effects of their agenda on consumers. If they continue to be seen as harming the economy or, worse yet, advocating for certain industries over others to line their own pockets, the people’s perception of them will continue to decline....More
  • meat inspector
    Feb. 21, 2013
    Article

    Will FSIS Furlough Hold The Food System Hostage? 6

    Unless a budget deal is reached by March 1 in Washington, $1 trillion in mandatory cuts to virtually all federal programs will be implemented. Among the cuts USDA has announced is a 15-day furlough of federal meat inspectors....More
  • Feb. 18, 2013
    Article

    USDA Lifts Temporary Fever Tick Area

    Officials at the Texas Animal Health Commission say USDA is releasing 23,478 acres from its temporary cattle fever tick quarantine zone in Starr County effective immediately, one of four cattle fever tick areas in that county placed in temporary quarantine since 2007....More
  • Feb. 16, 2013
    Article

    USDA Says Meat Inspectors Might Be Furloughed 9

    Whether it turns out to be seriously considered or merely political grandstanding, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack helped add pressure to cattle markets last week when he suggested USDA may furlough federal meat inspectors for two weeks in order to meet the mandatory federal spending cuts (sequestration) that take place March 1 if lawmakers fail to agree to a spending package by then. This suggestion implies that meat inspectors would be regarded as “non-essential” federal employees....More
  • Feb. 11, 2013
    blog

    South Dakota Ag Groups Fight Animal Rights Legislation 16

    My home state of South Dakota hasn’t been a particular hot spot for animal rights activist activity. However, the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), which ranks South Dakota “dead last” for animal cruelty laws, is beginning to have a larger presence here....More
  • moeny federal debt
    Feb. 7, 2013
    Article

    Quantitative Easing, Federal Debt & The Glue Factory 5

    Like a wino with a rich uncle, the federal government continues to drive up the deficit, thanks to Federal Reserve efforts that continue to bail it out. This unmatched debt buying by the Federal Reserve supports and encourages federal overspending and merely postpones an economic reckoning that ultimately will come home to roost....More
  • healthcare bill impact ranchers
    Feb. 1, 2013
    Article

    You Might Not Like It, But Obamacare Is The Law 3

    Though the health insurance reform passed by Congress remains largely unpopular, Obamacare is set to take effect in 2014. Some experts offer their views on whether it’s good or bad for smaller employers’ bottom lines....More
  • cow-calf carbon footprint
    Jan. 30, 2013
    Article

    Study Shows Carbon Footprint Of Different Cattle Production Stages 4

    Scientists have long known that cattle produce carbon dioxide and methane throughout their lives, but a new study pinpoints the cow-calf stage as a major contributor of greenhouse gases during beef production....More
  • japan reduces age restrictions on u.s. beef
    Jan. 29, 2013
    Article

    Recovering Japan Market Will Take Time

    The office of the U.S. Trade Representative officially confirmed on Jan. 28 that Japan will relax its current rules on U.S. beef and raise the age of cattle eligible for export to Japan from 20 months or younger to under 30 months. The change makes the rules governing Japan exports consistent with those of other major Asian markets and will significantly increase the supply of product that could potentially be exported to this market....More
  • Photo by USDA, SNAP Program
    Jan. 28, 2013
    blog

    Looking At One Aspect Of The Farm Bill: Food Stamps 22

    The farm bill might be better named the food bill. After all, only 11% of funding in the farm bill goes to farm policies. More than 84% of farm bill-related spending goes to such food and nutrition programs as food stamps....More
  • scott george, ncba president, ag security
    Jan. 25, 2013
    Article

    U.S. Agriculture Is Critical To National Security

    “Our industry is so impacted today in so many ways and there’s a limited amount of influence we can have. I don’t care if you’re a cattle feeder, cow-calf, dairy or veal producer, we need to band together to help ourselves,” Scott George says....More
  • President Obama Second Term, Photo from White House Press
    Jan. 24, 2013
    blog

    Inauguration Offers Familiar Hoopla, Less Hope

    From an ag standpoint, we can be assured that the subsidization of ethanol will continue, and that agriculture won't be a focus of Barack Obama’s second term. A new farm bill may be passed by next fall, but budget constraints will shrink the farm portion of the farm bill....More
  • Jan. 23, 2013
    Article

    New Hampshire Bill: Too Short For An “Ag-Gag” Bill? 2

    The “live free or die” state might require anyone recording livestock abuse to report it to law enforcement within 24 hours....More
  • Jan. 22, 2013
    blog

    Good Luck, Mr. President 20

    "We have a chance to finish what we started. Our work begins today. Let's go," tweeted President Barack Obama before his official inauguration yesterday morning. The swearing in of the 44th president of the U.S. is a historic moment for our nation, regardless of whether you voted red or blue in the last election....More
  • Jan. 20, 2013
    Article

    Peterson Lets Fly: Obama, Leaders Don’t Care About Farm Bill 2

    In the days after the fiscal cliff bill’s passage, Peterson blamed both Democratic and Republican leadership for turning their backs on the farm bill, and he’s got messages for both. Peterson has vowed not to help write another long-term bill unless Republicans give it a path to the House floor, and as for his party, he told Politico the night of the cliff vote: “I’m not going to talk with those guys. I’m done with them for the next four years. They are on their own.”...More
  • USDA traceability rule
    Jan. 11, 2013
    Article

    Animal Disease Traceability Rule Nearly Locked In

    With its publication in the Jan. 9 Federal Register, it’s simply a matter of counting the days until USDA’s revamped and repurposed animal disease traceability rule becomes final. Now that it has been published, the rule becomes effective March 11, 2013....More
  • Jan. 10, 2013
    blog

    Fiscal Cliff Turns Out To Be Just A Prelude 8

    The battle is being waged in the court of public opinion; the argument being advanced is that nobody should be allowed to play politics over the debt ceiling. If that argument carries the day, then the showdown will probably not occur until the new fiscal cliff deadline. However, the luxury of being able to delay fixing this problem is melting away with every day...More
  • Jan. 8, 2013
    blog

    Fiscal Cliff Moves Estate Tax In Right Direction 10

    If you’ve been paying attention this first week of 2013, you already know that Congress passed a tax compromise that averts the fiscal cliff and makes permanent the federal estate tax with an exemption of $5.12 million/individual (indexed for inflation) and a tax rate of 40% for amounts over the exemption....More
  • 2013 beef industry challenges
    Jan. 2, 2013
    blog

    2013 Poses A Lot Of Producer Challenges 1

    Comedian George Carlin once published a long, thoughtful and humorous piece about how the ascendancy of society in the U.S. has coincided with a decline of its personal values. It ends with these thoughts, which I think are good advice for everyone in the new year, regardless of your profession, financial status or religious inclination....More
  • Jan. 2, 2013
    blog

    Where’s Our Farm Bill, Congress? 4

    For many Americans, instead of celebrating the end of 2012 and ringing in 2013 with optimism and joy, they worried about what Congress would decide to do about the fiscal cliff and what the tax hikes and spending cuts would look like once the dust settles....More
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