AgNet Weekly with Sabrina Halvorson

The Environmental Protection Agency announced its final rule to designate the two most common PFAS chemicals as hazardous materials under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or CERCLA, and while these chemicals are not used on farms, this rule could have a big financial effect on many farms around the nation. To get more understanding and information, we’re talking with Courtney Briggs, Senior Director, Government Affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation.

This week we visit with Congressman Austin Scott (R-GA) who tells us why he thinks there should be separate farm and nutrition bills. He also discusses farm labor and trade with host Sabrina Halvorson.

In this week's episode, we talk with Jacqueline Heard, the founder and CEO of Enko Inc. about starting an ag tech company in the current business environment, the successes she's had, and the importance of building up the future of ag.

This week we’re talking about prescribed fires, the protection they can bring, and the policies needed to improve implementation. Joining us on the phone is Fire Advisor and the Director of University of California’s Ag and Natural Resources Fire Network - Lenya Quinn-Davidson.

Joining us this week is Fran Miller, senior staff attorney and professor with the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School. We’re talking about policy recommendations to address issues facing U.S. agriculture, especially smaller or underserved farmers.

Congress couldn’t pass a farm bill in 2023, but will it happen this year? Congressman John Duarte, a Republican from California, is unsure if we will see it pass in 2024. That’s just one of the topics discussed in this week’s AgNet Weekly with Sabrina Halvorson.

Sabrina Halvorson stops by the National Sorghum Producers booth at the Commodity Classic and speaks with Executive Director Greg Ruehle. Topics include the Farm Bill and sorghum in California.

We're reporting from Commodity Classic this week, where Sabrina talks with Brian Kuehl about a tax bill that's important to agriculture and the future of the farm bill.

The USDA is putting a focus on specialty crops with new investments and the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Initiative (SCCI), which is part of a larger effort to support specialty crop producers. In this episode of the AgNet Weekly, Sabrina Halvorson talks with USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, and fifth-generation California farmer, Jenny Lester Moffitt about these new initiatives.

Friday morning, the Biden administration issued a temporary pause on pending decisions on Liquefied Natural Gas exports – with the exception of unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies. During this period, they will "take a hard look" at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America’s energy security, and the environment. Within a few hours, a group of Senators sent a letter to President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. CC’d on the letter was Ali Zaidi, Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor. Host Sabrina Halvorson talks with Ziadi to get more information about the decision.

With the new year comes new regulations, new laws, a new chance to get the farm bill done. There’s a lot going on for our nation’s farmers and ranchers. To get a perspective from the livestock industry, host Sabrina Halvorson talked with Vice President of Government Affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Ethan Lane. You can hear why he says the consistent threats of a government shutdown are toxic for ag businesses.

2023 was an active year for agricultural issues, so what can we expect for 2024? Host Sabrina Halvorson talks with Brian Kuehl, Director of Government and Public Affairs with the ag business consulting and accounting company Pinion.

The deadline is fast approaching for farmers who have done everything they can and simply remain behind on their loans, and want some help. The Inflation Reduction Act provided more than $3 billion for USDA to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct and guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations are at financial risk. But the deadline to apply is in less than two weeks. Host Sabrina Halvorson talks with USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux to get more details.

USDA Undersecretary for Trade, Alexis Taylor, keyed in on trade missions that could be particularly beneficial to the nation’s specialty crop industries. Sabrina Halvorson talked with her at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention.

U.S. dairy organizations along with elected officials, U.S. trade officials, and ag leaders are expressing disappointment over the recent decision by the USMCA dispute panel in the challenge against Canada’s dairy trade quotas. The U.S. charged that the quotas don’t line up with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). Last year, a USMCA panel ruled with the U.S. However, Executive Vice President for Policy Development and Strategy for the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council Jaime Castaneda says that case didn’t solve the problem. Another challenge was filed this year and the decision came on November 24 in Canada’s favor. Castaneda joins host Sabrina Halvorson this week to discuss the dairy dispute.

Last month, the Senate committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on Examining the Implications of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency for Clean Water Act Protections of Wetlands and Streams. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota is on that committee and was at the hearing, and in fact asked several questions of the witnesses. Host Sabrina Halvorson talked with Senator Cramer shortly after about the hearing and about WOTUS in general. This was just before the House selected the new Speaker, and Senator Cramer and Sabrina also discussed the delays in the House and what that could mean for the new farm bill.

President Biden visited a farm in Minnesota this week, where he announced more than $5 billion in new investments from his Investing in America agenda to advance rural prosperity, economic development, competition, and sustainability. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined him on the trip. Sabrina Halvorson spoke with Secretary Vilsack over the phone about the announcement and how the funding for the different programs involved will affect farmers.

The nation has a new Speaker of the House, and he’s someone already trusted by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Host Sabrina Halvorson talks this week with NCBA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, who said though Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has not served on the Agriculture Committee, he has a strong voting record when it comes to agriculture.

In a recent story for Southeast AgNet and AgNet West, Sabrina Halvorson talked with a representative of the National Cattlemens Beef Association on why they’re against the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act. The OFF Act would make some changes to checkoff organizations. After that aired, Sabrina heard from a farmer and organization leader who is in favor of the OFF Act and invited her to share her thoughts. In this episode, Sabrina is chatting with Angela Huffman, Vice President of Farm Action Fund. To keep everything clear on what the act actually says, Sabrina put a link to it in the post for this episode of the podcast on our websites, so you can check it out for yourself: southeastagnet.com and agnetwest.com. You'll also find a link to the original story with the NCBA, so you can get their thoughts as well.

In the second episode in our 2-part series on the tomato suspension agreement, we hear from Michael Schadler with the Florida Tomato Exchange, on why the organization wants the agreement terminated and what it could mean for growers. Last week we heard from Lance Jungmeyer, President of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, which is against terminating the agreement and the effect it could have on importers and some businesses. If you missed that, you can always go back and listen to last week’s episode.