WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 2013 – “Senate passage of S. 601, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), takes us one step closer to water transport upgrades needed to boost the nation’s economic growth and is welcome news for America’s farmers, ranchers and agribusiness owners.... READ MORE

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 15, 2013 – “The House Agriculture Committee today approved its version of the 2013 Farm Bill. That bill joins the version approved on Tuesday by the Senate Agriculture Committee. This provides a great reason for optimism we will have a new long-term farm bill this year. That belief is further supported by the fact that the bills are more striking in their simil... READ MORE

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 15, 2013 – Farmers and ranchers need a tax code to manage the risks associated with agriculture while complying with tax liabilities, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In a statement filed today with the House Ways and Means Committee for a hearing on small business taxation, AFBF urged congressional members to maintain cash accounting tools and highe... READ MORE

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 14, 2013 – “The Senate Agriculture Committee today put the farm bill on a solid road toward success. By following a bipartisan path and approving its farm bill legislation, the committee moved the farm bill forward with provisions that work well for America’s farm and ranch families. We are especially pleased that this bill places a high priority on crop ... READ MORE

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 13, 2013 – “The Agriculture Department’s announcement that it will require full environmental impact statements for new corn, soybean and cotton crops developed through biotechnology to be herbicide-resistant is troubling.... READ MORE

You haven’t heard this said a lot: Congress got a lot done this week! At least when it comes to the farm bill. American Farm public policy director Dale Moore talks about what got done in this story from AFBF’s Johnna Miller. ... LISTEN

Farmers and small business owners nationwide are speaking up against the Health Insurance Tax (HIT), which will be levied on health insurance companies’ net premiums as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President and AFBF board member, says the HIT tax will limit employers’ options for providing health insurance while burdening employees,... LISTEN

The American Farm Bureau Federation has joined forces with conservation, environmental, crop insurance and other agricultural organizations to create a plan that would link conservation efforts to crop insurance. AFBF farm program specialist Mary Kay Thatcher explains why in this story from AFBF’s Johnna Miller. ... LISTEN

Recently, a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation staff was interviewed on the subject of proposed changes to U.S. international food aid. The question was whether the United States should shift food aid donations to cash instead of American-grown food. ... READ MORE

A milestone in the history of the American Farm Bureau Federation was reached on May 3 when the official newspaper, FBNews,was printed and shipped by mail for the last time. In-depth coverage of agriculture-related legislative and regulatory activity continues via a free FBNews e-newsletter and website, fbnews.fb.org. ... READ MORE

A strong U.S. agriculture industry depends in part on a robust array of crops grown by America’s farmers, as well as diversity in production styles. Also important is the farm bill, which helps farmers and ranchers deal with risks that threaten their ability to produce the food, fiber and fuel we all need. ... READ MORE