archive
The Salt
Congress: Where Food Reforms Go To Die?
May 16, 2013 As Congress gets to work on the farm bill, two common-sense, bipartisan reform measures seem to have gotten run over somewhere along the way. The first would set minimum standards for housing egg-laying chickens. The second sought to change how the U.S. provides food aid to people in foreign nations.
The Salt
Big Ag Agrees to Conserve Cropland, But At What Cost?
May 9, 2013 Farmers say they are ready to compromise with some environmental groups on the issue of conservation compliance. But critics say the price tag for the taxpayer may be too high.
The Salt
Farm Bill Critics Claim Partial Victory Despite Stalemate
January 8, 2013 Payments to farmers survived in the latest extension of the farm bill. But not all of the groups that argued for the end of the subsidies see this as a loss. They've just been given nine more months to make their case to Congress.
The Salt
Milk Producers Peer Over The Dairy Cliff
December 5, 2012 The expiration of the farm bill has left dairy farmers without a milk pricing program — and a safety net. While all farmers are watching closely, milk producers face an environment where cow feed costs more than cow milk.
The Salt
So What Happens If The Farm Bill Expires? Not Much, Right Away
September 19, 2012 The farm bill is likely to be left on the table when Congress leaves for recess, but don't panic. The nutrition and commodity programs will likely be extended after Election Day at current funding levels for a while, if the last session is any guide.
The Salt
U.S. Pig And Cattle Producers Trying To Crush Egg Bill
July 11, 2012 The egg industry and the Humane Society of the United States support a bill to require egg-laying hens to be raised in bigger cages, but a new organization backed by the pork industry and others is urging Congress to kill the egg bill.
The Salt
California Dairy Farmers Split Over Milk Payments In Farm Bill
June 25, 2012 KXJZCalifornia is the top dairy-producing state in the nation. And its dairy farmers are split over the impact of the latest farm bill's impact on the government's antiquated milk price support system.
The Salt
Report Urges Food Stamp Program To Clarify Purchases, Corporate Profits
June 14, 2012 While Congress debates food stamp cuts, the government should disclose where the program's costs are going and how much retailers and banks are profiting, says a new consumer watchdog report, Food Stamps: Follow The Money.
The Salt
Farmers Split Over Subsidies As Senate Farm Bill Debate Begins
June 13, 2012 Midwestern farmers experiencing unusually good yields are OK with losing some farm bill subsidies as Congress negotiates changes this year. But some of their Southern counterparts are arguing against it.
The Salt
Government Takeover Of Farm Subsidy Would Save Billions, Economist Says
April 20, 2012 Crop insurance is a sticky issue in the debate over the shape of the farm bill this year. But what if a simplified version of the program could save taxpayers billions of dollars? One economist says it could.
The Salt
Hey Locavores, Are You Creating Jobs?
February 29, 2012 Obama appointees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture say grants and loans supported by its Know Your Farmer initiative are a win-win that create new jobs and more locally produced food. Critics say the program serves the foodie elite and urban locavores at the expense of conventional farmers in rural America.
The Salt
Farm Subsidies Birds And Fish Would Choose
October 17, 2011 In farm communities, there are mixed feelings on conservation payments. Farmer Don Teske, of Wheaton, Kansas, says "the perception is that you're being paid to do nothing." They don't want to be park rangers, they want to farm.
