Johnson wins gavel on first ballot after flipping holdouts
From Roll Call
The new Congress got off to a stumbling start Friday, as Mike Johnson initially appeared to fall short of winning the speakership on the first ballot, before some last-minute arm-bending convinced two Republican holdouts to switch their votes. Johnson was elected speaker with 218 votes, the bare minimum.
Full story.
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Craig calls new farm bill her top priority
From Brownfield
The next Ranking Member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee says completing a new farm bill is her number one priority.
Full story.
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Judge rules DFL House candidate ineligible, throwing majority to GOP for now
From The Minnesota Star Tribune
A newly elected Democrat failed to meet the residency requirement and is ineligible to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives, a Ramsey County district judge ruled Friday in a decision that will shift partisan power in St. Paul, at least for a time, to Republicans.
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Rep. Rick Hansen – Legislative Update: Nitrate Contamination Response
Last November, I asked the Legislative Audit Commission to look into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) finding that Minnesota state agencies needed to take additional action to protect drinking water from nitrate contamination. They have completed their review of Minnesota’s work plan, which you can find here.
The audit found that “Minnesota’s work plan shows how the state intends to address almost all components of EPA’s November 2023 directive to address immediate public health concerns. However, it is not clear that the state’s long-term strategy outlined in the work plan fully addresses EPA’s expectations.”
I will continue working on this issue in the upcoming legislative session and I will push to ensure that our state is taking the necessary steps to protect clean drinking water throughout Minnesota.
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Taking Stock of All That’s Good in Agriculture
From CropLife
This year has been extremely tough for farmers. The combination of rising input costs, extreme weather, and instability in commodity prices, not to mention a stalled Farm Bill, weighed heavily on U.S. farm incomes.
Fortunately, there are silver linings among the clouds. Young people who choose agriculture as a profession and likewise view it as a meaningful endeavor, give me a lot of hope. Another is the ongoing progress in ag tech and how certain “tried and true” technologies are making measurable and positive impacts for farmers.
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U.S., Global Ag Economies Face Uncertainties Heading Into 2025
From Successful Farming
CoBank reported earlier this December that “the U.S. continues to benefit from solid economic growth, low unemployment, and moderating inflation. From today’s vantage point, the U.S. economy seems likely to continue on that trajectory into 2025. However, the outlook for the rural economy is more volatile and uncertain. Rural industries are disproportionately exposed to federal policy, and the outcome of the 2024 election cycle promises to bring significant changes in the federal government’s approach to everything from international trade and immigration to energy exploration and rural economic development.”
Full story.
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Best Agriculture Apps for 2025
From CropLife
A new era of mobile app development in agriculture is upon us. Tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have given developers the ability to create apps that are more personalized, intuitive, and engaging than ever before.
Full story.
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Sugar production and sugar demand stay high in the U.S.
From Agweek
It's been a big year for sugar production, but demand has been keeping pace.
Rob Johansson, director of economics and policy analysis for the American Sugar Alliance, speaking at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri, in November, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture pegged the marketing year 2023-24 combined crop of sugarbeets and sugarcane at nearly 9.4 million short tons — a record. The November Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook from USDA put beet sugar at 5.236 million short tons.
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Breaking Down the 2025 American Relief Act: What It Means for You
From The Scoop
In addition to a farm bill extension through Sept. 30, 2025, the American Relief Act of 2025 recently passed by Congress contains $9.8 billion in market relief payments for 20 covered crops. According to analysis by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), the top 10 states based on estimated total payments for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sorghum, rice, barely, oats and peanuts are:
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5 questions to ask before buying generic pesticides
From Farm Progress
The pressure is on to cut input costs in crop budgets. List price for generic herbicides will be cheaper. So, should you leave name brands on your dealer’s shelves and take home generic brands?
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10 Understated Things Economists Say Could Impact Agriculture in the New Year
From Ag Web
This past year was definitely full of surprises, but there were also happenings in agriculture that economists warned about at the end of 2023.
The bleak outlook for commodity prices, along with elevated interest rates, created a downturn in the ag economy, which is something many economists warned would happen. It’s the speed of which margins crumbled that might have been the bigger surprise.
Full story.
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Sustainability Is a Start, Stewardship Is the Future in Agriculture
From CropLife
Many conversations around agricultural “sustainability” are frustratingly narrow in scope. A hyper-focus on specific products or practices often fails to include the economic factors that determine whether a farmer is able to embrace those practices or products.
Sustainable farming practices are unobjectionable – in theory, at least. Everyone benefits from practices that make it possible for a farm and its operators to thrive for the long term and continue to produce food.
Full story.
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U of MN Extension - Minnesota Crop News
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Iowa Ag Retail Survey Results (Webinar – Recorded on December 19)
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