Each week we highlight essential legislative and policy conversations affecting agriculture nationwide. Host Sabrina Halvorson is a 30-year media veteran known nationally for her award-winning, balanced, and accurate reporting. For more than 10 years, she has specialized in agriculture news focused on political issues. While most agriculture news podcasts focus primarily on Midwest crops, we uniquely understand specialty crops, their regions, and their related industries. AgNet Weekly also traverses the legislative issues of the livestock industry and other matters related to California and Southeast agriculture.
Episodes
Saturday Jan 13, 2024
Saturday Jan 13, 2024
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.
Saturday Jan 06, 2024
January 6, 2024 - What’s Ahead for Ag This Year with guest Brian Kuehl of Pinion
Saturday Jan 06, 2024
Saturday Jan 06, 2024
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.
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
December 16, 2023 - USDA Assistance for Distressed Borrowers
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
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.
Saturday Dec 09, 2023
December 9, 2023 – Alexis Taylor on Trade Missions for Specialty Crops
Saturday Dec 09, 2023
Saturday Dec 09, 2023
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.
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
December 2, 2023 - Jaime Castaneda on the USMCA Dairy Dispute
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
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.
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
November 11, 2023 - Senator Kevin Cramer on WOTUS and the Farm Bill
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
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.
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
November 4, 2023: Secretary Vilsack on Rural Investments
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
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.
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
October 28: NCBA on New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
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.
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
October 21, 2023: Farmer in Favor of OFF Act
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
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.
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
October 14, 2023: Tomato Suspension Agreement Pt 2
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
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.