agricultural economy

Farmers across much of the American West are living through the second historic drought in a decade. The snowmelt never came this year, depleting reservoirs and forcing farmers back to their own wells and groundwater. Protecting California’s capacity to grow food has long been a top priority of American Farmland Trust. AFT opened its first field office in California, where it protects farmland, helps keep farmers on the land, and encourages environmentally sound farming practices.

In this episode of No Farms No Future, we talk with Bruce Rominger, a fifth-generation farmer in California’s Sacramento Valley. Rominger Brothers Farms is nationally recognized as a model of sustainable farming practices, but it is experiencing the same challenges caused by severe reductions in water for irrigation that other farms face. You’ll also meet Kara Heckert, a native Californian and AFT’s resilient agriculture west advisor, and Greg Plotkin, AFT's director of digital communications, who are working to help farmers adapt to climate change and drought.

No Farms No Future is a podcast created through a collaboration between Heritage Radio Network, American Farmland Trust, and The Food Voice.

Resources:

Rominger Brothers Farm website
Rominger Brothers blog
California Production Statistics
Drought in California
California Water Watch
California State Water Resources Control Board

To learn more about American Farmland Trust go to farmland.org. 

Episode photo by Rominger Brothers Farms.

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Commodities are often referred to as a “hedge against inflation” in the financial markets. With inflation at generational highs, what is the outlook for agricultural commodities – particularly feed grains – as harvest gets underway?

Prices are always a hot topic in agricultural circles, and they were certainly on the minds of many farmers attending the Farm Progress Show in late August. Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead spoke with a pair of analysts from Rabo AgriFinance to get to the bottom of what the industry should expect as combines start rolling in earnest later this month. 

Sarah spoke first with Andrick Payen Diaz de la Vega about the inherent volatility in the current markets; later, you'll hear from Sam Taylor about a global perspective on the seed and inputs underpinning the cost of producing feed grains.

Inflation is running rampant, with the cost of energy driving everything higher, including prices of meat and protein products at retail. And yet, inflation may also be removing some tariff barriers to U.S. meat exports.

In this episode we focus on the broader agricultural implications of nearly double-digit inflation, and then focus more specifically on its effects at the meat case.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by Topigs Norsvin, the second largest swine genetics company in the world. The TN70 is the flagship parent sow of Topigs Norsvin, described as being a self-reliant sow capable of raising her own pigs and requiring less human intervention in the farrowing house. When challenged with finding qualified employees, hire the TN70. Visit tn70.topigsnorsvin.com to see what producers are saying about their experience with the TN70. 

In 2022 it seems that the only certain thing in business is uncertainty. Supply chain issues, never experienced to this degree before, have created uncertainties in product availability, technology deployment, exports, processing, equipment repairs, and more, and Russia’s war in Ukraine has thrown in a multitude of additional uncertainties for food and ag that have not been seen in decades. 

Along with rising input costs for feed, fuel and fertilizer, overall the specter of inflation is front and center after being mostly absent for decades. Interest rate direction will also impact agriculture, particularly with regard to what all these uncertainties might hold for land prices.

During the main thrust of planting season we spoke with Randy Dickhut, Senior Vice President – Real Estate Operations with Farmers National Company during a segment on Feedstuffs 365, our live video streaming channel.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

You can read more about the markets and overall agricultural economy in the pages of Feedstuffs – just visit Feedstuffs.com and click on “digital editions” – or watch interviews with industry leaders like Randy via our livestream video channel, Feedstuffs365.com.

John Schmeiser, CEO for the Western Equipment Dealers Association. 
Caps off 2020 with a year in review, intending to point out some of the significant political and government events of the past year that have impacted our country, government, businesses, and lives. 

This week on What Doesn't Kill You, host Katy Keiffer is joined by Jonathan Gelbard, lead scientist at Grasslands Alliance and conservation scientist and sustainable agriculture specialist at Conservation Value, which serves clients interested in developing and implementing programs that benefit our environment, climate and economy alike. In partnership with other conservation entities, Dr. Gelbard’s work for Grasslands Alliance and Conservation Value focuses devising innovative programs for distinguishing the livestock producers who demonstrate verifiably good ranch and farm management, and rewarding them with economically valuable benefits.