Republicans and Democrats in Congress have reached a tentative agreement on a two year deal to finance the nation’s highways. The $8.4 billion dollar bill comes just days before the previous Transportation Bill expires on Saturday June 30, 2012. The legislation will reportedly help to create around 3 million jobs.

By seeing actual growing conditions at the In The Field Conference, farmers can see results from different practices.  Fred E. Below, Professor of Crop Physiology at the University of Illinois, will discuss Fertilizer: Placement plus Timing equals Profitability at AgXchange, June 28-29 north of Pierre.

More than 20 bloggers and columnists from across the nation gathered in Manhattan this week to participate in the first-ever “Wheat Safari,” sponsored by the Wheat Foods Council. Wheat Safari participants were registered dietitians who are considered “influencers” in the field of food and nutrition. They have gained an active following in the health/nutrition/food community through social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or blogs. Many had authored books or articles, or appeared on television or radio.

After nearly two weeks of commendable effort, the Senate moved for full passage of their version of the 2012 Farm Bill, S.3240 the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 by a 64-35 vote.
 

‘When you do what you’ve always done, you get what you've always got.’  

Wednesday June 20, 2012 – 1:30 p.m.

116 North Euclid, Pierre, South Dakota

In a letter dated June 13, 2012, 80 members of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports strongly opposed an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to S. 3240 (Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012) to reduce annual funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) by $40 million and prohibit the use of MAP funds for certain activities. U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers signed the letter.

The conference committee charged with coming to a final agreement on long-term surface transportation legislation ran into new and politically-charged roadblocks this week, threatening the effort just weeks before current law expires.  Negotiations appeared to break down for political reasons, with bill leaders from both parties making negative statements in the press even as talks toward a compromise continue. The 47-member committee is charged with bridging the gap between the House’s five-year, $260 billion extension and the Senate’s two-year, $109 billion bill.

Agriculture and Congressional leaders continue to negotiate an agreement that would allow the 2012 Farm Bill draft pending on the Senate floor to gain approval. More than 250 amendments have been filed for the bill to date, necessitating an overarching plan for processing them in a timely fashion.