Housing and Registration Opens for the 2019 NAWG/USW Fall Conference
NAWG and U.S. Wheat will be holding their 2019 Fall Conference at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay, Florida from October 30th to November 2nd. NAWG’s schedule of events, registration, and information on housing can be found here. Visit this link to go to straight to the registration page.
NAWG Holds Fly-In, September 11-13, 2018
NAWG will be holding a policy fly-in next week to speak with Members of Congress and the Administration on the Farm Bill Conference process and trade. NAWG Officers and more than 20 other NAWG wheat farmers from across the country will arrive on Tuesday and hit the USDA first on Wednesday, September 12th, where they will be meeting with key USDA staff from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Follow @wheatworld and #WheatinDC for live updates from the event.
USDA Trade Aid Program for Application Opens
On September 4, 2018, USDA launched the trade mitigation package aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. Producers of certain commodities can now sign up for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), while USDA will also begin to purchase identified commodities under a food purchase and distribution program. Additionally, the Agency has begun accepting proposals for the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP), which will help American farmers find and access new markets for their products. In total, USDA will authorize up to $12 billion in programs, consistent with World Trade Organization obligations. For more details visit their site here.
NAWG Provides Farm Bill Conference Update to Oregon Wheat Board
On September 7, 2018, NAWG VP of Policy and Communications will provide an overview of the current Farm Bill conference process as well as what to expect in the coming weeks to the Oregon Wheat Growers League Board. Email Josh Tonsager if interested in having NAWG do a similar presentation for your board.
NWF Blog: Celebrating Whole Grain Month!
The month of September is dedicated to celebrating whole grains. Wheat is the most widely grown crop in the world and serves as an excellent source of nutrition. Benefits of eating whole wheat food products include increased fiber intake, decreased risk for heart disease, lowered cholesterol and much more. Read the Foundation’s recent blog highlighting Whole Grains Month!
Roberts, Stabenow Announce Ag Trade Hearing
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on agricultural trade on Thursday, September 13, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., have announced. The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. in Room 328A of the Russell Senate Office Building.
Witnesses will be Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Agriculture Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney; and USDA Chief Economist Rob Johansson.
Trump Appoints Angle to Be NIFA Director for Six Years
President Donald Trump today appointed J. Scott Angle to be director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a division of the Agriculture Department, for a term of six years. Angle was the president and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center, an organization based in Muscle Shoals, Ala., that helps agriculture in developing countries use fertilizer and other technologies. Angle assumes the position of NIFA director, which does not require Senate confirmation, just as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced controversial plans to move most of the NIFA staff to a location outside the Washington area.
ICYMI: NCIS To Launch State-By-State Crop Insurance Website in September
National Crop Insurance Services has established a new website providing information on the role of crop insurance in each state, just as the House and Senate conference on the farm bill is scheduled to begin in September.
NWF Seeking for WILOT Applicants
The National Wheat Foundation’s Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (WILOT) program will be taking place in St. Louis, MO, from November 11-16th, 2018 and seeks applicants to participate. This week-long training program that is sponsored by Monsanto is geared towards current leaders and those who soon could take on leadership positions at the state and national levels for wheat organizations. The program will focus on personal leadership, communicating to earn the public’s trust, agricultural policy, advocacy skills, and media and messaging training. Thanks to Monsanto, this program will not cost state associations or farmers any money to participate. Please contact Craig Berning, if you are interested or would like to nominate someone to participate by ASAP.
Source: National Association of Wheat Growers