2024 election

Farmer sentiment drifted lower in December as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped 9 points to a reading of 136.   The decline was driven by producers’ weaker perspective on current conditions in U.S. agriculture and their farms, with the Index of Current Conditions falling 13 points to 100.  Although the ...

Most eyes are focused on the Farm Bill, or lack thereof, but that is not the only issue farm county needs to watch as 2024 draws to a close, and we start a new year.  Mary Kay Thatcher, Senior Manager Federal Government and Industry Relations for Syngenta, said taxes will be a topic of note early in 2025.   “...

Farmers are feeling more confident about the ag economy.  The November Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbing 30 points to a reading of 145.  This marked the highest level of farmer optimism since May 2021, driven by considerable gains in both the Current Conditions and Future Expectations indices.  The Future Expect...

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of U.S. food systems and federal nutrition scientists, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and take on the "industrial food complex."   “HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and foo

Election Day may be in the past, but that doesn’t mean the divisive political rhetoric is done.  Both sides of the political isle have asked the other to turn down the temperature on-line and on social media.   Adrienne Evans, head of United Vision for Idaho, says there's been a troubling trend where rhetoric turns many minds into an “us v. them” situation.  And som...

Farmer sentiment saw an unexpected surge in October just ahead of the 2024 general election.  The latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose to 115, marking a 27-point increase from September.   This boost in sentiment was primarily driven by a rise in producers' confidence in the future, with the Future Expectations Index jumping 30 points to 124.  While the Cu...

The American Farm Bureau Federation is looking past Tuesday’s election in hopes it might improve prospects for a new Farm Bill.  Farm Bureau Director of Government Affairs Joe Gilson said getting the election out of the way could be a plus for AFBF’s top priority, which is an updated, modernized farm bill.   “Well, I thi...

Oil prices have been pulled in several directions over the past couple of weeks, but making very little movement one way or the other.  West Texas Crude was trading around $71 in Monday’s action.  Patrick DeHaan with GasBuddy.com says one of the bigge...

With the expiration of the Farm Bill extension at the end of September, many in the agriculture community have called on Congress to act.  Samantha Parrott, Executive Director of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association, says the sugar industry is a Title One commodity, they are somewhat insulated from the uncertainty of a lack of a Farm Bill.   “...

Last month was a rough one for American farmers.  The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer for September recorded its lowest readings since March 2016.  Declining income expectations pushed farmer sentiment down as the barometer fell 12 points to 88, and the Index of Future Expectations dropped 14 points to 94.  The Index of Curr...