“If not us, who? If not now, when?” These questions have been posed by many over the years in an attempt to draw attention to causes both large and small. For Farm Bureau farmer and rancher members, the answers to these questions should hold more meaning today than ever before.
Our company, Freres Lumber Co., wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for the people who work for us. More than 450 employees strong, Freres Lumber relies on its community as much as the…
We hate to sound like the little boy who cried wolf, but for U.S. farmers there really is a wolf out there and that wolf is called low prices. While the pain is not evenly spread across the na…
Although the saying “Failure means you’re trying” is supposed to bring comfort, hearing it doesn’t always make it easier to accept our failures.
Too often, science and facts fall victim to fear mongering and emotion. Recently, we have seen an uptick in false narratives around wheat growers’ use of the herbicide glyphosate. The reality …
“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to ri…
The U.S. Forest Service released its budget justification for Fiscal Year 2020 and it includes a lot of information about the agency and its finances. Buried in this voluminous document are de…
Our neighbors to the north and south play an integral part in Idaho’s economy.
As the next generation buys out, is gifted, or inherits the farm, what are frequent sticking points that arise?
Sustainability is a word we hear a lot today. For a cattle rancher it has a lot of meanings. Just like any business, our ranch must be financially stable. We must make enough to support our fa…
BOISE — St. Patrick’s Day bears some unique traditions. The idea that forgetting to wear green for the day could cause you to get pinched could be described by some as crazy or even loony. Yet…
During Agricultural Safety Awareness Week (March 3-9), the Oregon Farm Bureau Health & Safety Committee reminds farmers and ranchers to remember the importance of hearing protection.
A Capital Press Feb. 21 editorial correctly questions cap-and-trade legislation currently in the Oregon legislature. It states that this law would increase costs of fossil fuels used by agricu…
Growing up in Eastern Washington, agriculture was the formative experience of my life. I could look out the living room window of my family home and see fields of wheat ripening, corn tasselin…
If the question could be resolved via citizens’ initiatives, there’s little doubt about the outcome: Pacific Northwest states would follow California in supporting a move toward year-round day…
A recent article in the Herald and News titled “Scaled Back Klamath Groundwater Regulation Debated” was extremely misleading.
A recent report published in the Lancet medical journal claims that people must drastically reduce their meat and dairy consumption to be healthy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change is real, and as Republican Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, we are focused on solutions. A serious, solutions-oriented discussion about how to address this ch…
Farmers, many of whom are also sportsmen, take duck habitat preservation seriously and the results are something to quack about.
Last Thursday we introduced HJM 2, which focuses on our need to raise the Anderson Ranch Dam.
This December, approximately 30,000 of the world’s top climate experts and state leaders gathered in Poland for COP24, also known as the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Fr…
On Dec. 11, 2018, with my support, the U.S. Senate passed the final version of the new Farm Bill by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 87-13.
We are all seeing the impacts to farming and ranching operations from extreme weather events, such as reduced mountain snowpack, droughts, flooding, wildfires, invasive species, and even the s…
Like all Americans, I am extremely frustrated in Congress' inability to compromise. My message to Idahoans is that I am sorry for the failure of your elected leaders to fulfill their most basi…
At a time when thousands of U.S. dairy operators of all sizes are starved for revenue, declaring bankruptcy or selling off multi-generational operations, the latest inequity is a particularly …
On Jan. 9, the Washington Post article titled “Trump farm bailout money will go to Brazilian-owned meatpacking firm, USDA says” reveals that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is deceiv…
Coming off one of the worst years that we’ve ever had, knowing that the farm bill had been passed by the end of December was a relief that we weren’t expecting. Just before Christmas, we were …
Some new developments for agricultural employers in Washington state to keep in mind during the new year.
Christmas and other December holidays have changed a lot over the years, but even amidst wide-scale, rapid transformation, many holiday season traditions and ideals that have been influenced b…
Burdensome federal regulations often delay or prohibit American businesses from investing in infrastructure or land development projects that will create jobs, grow crops, and improve how we m…
In their well-intentioned effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, the French government announced it would increase fuel taxes to discourage driving and encourage …
Farmers and ranchers are under increasing pressure to produce more food to feed the world while improving their stewardship of critical land and water resources.
Agriculture is a large economic driver for the state of Wisconsin, contributing $88.3 billion annually to the economy and providing 413,500 jobs, according to the state’s Department of Agricul…
Now that the election is behind us, we can put the rhetoric aside and get back to work on policy solutions for our most important challenges.
Oregon farmers and ranchers face many challenges. In a global economy, they often cannot be assured of a decent price. In a changing climate, they might get too much or too little water in any…
Most farmers are skilled at managing risks, but some risks, such as weather and natural disasters, are completely out of their control. As American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duval…
Lawmakers in the Oregon State Legislature are meeting this fall to consider adopting a new law called “cap and trade,” which is intended to reduce our state’s greenhouse gas emissions. While t…
This summer, the U.S. House and Senate passed their versions of the 2018 Farm Bill. With the Sept. 30 expiration of the 2014 Farm Bill, the pressure is on to pass a finished product by the end…
Thomas Jefferson, one of the leading architects of our republic, is often quoted as Election Day nears. His words serve as a reminder that every American has a responsibility to participate in…
One of the core promises that swept President Donald Trump into office was that he would renegotiate better deals for the United States with our traditional trading partners.
Blockchain record-keeping is more than just a fad — it’s something leaders at the world’s largest food companies have decided is the future of their businesses. And that means your farm or ran…
No one should be surprised at the continued overreach of some Oregon state agencies. The expanding use of computer modeling to “prove” points that actual, on-the-ground science does not prove,…
While we tend to talk about millennials as a homogenous group and characterize them with sweeping statements, trust research from The Center for Food Integrity shows there’s a distinction in a…
It was a very difficult summer. We suffered through more 90-degree days than any year in history. It was just plain hot and dry, the worst season that anyone around here could remember.
Arizona is known for its exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. It’s also one of the few places in the country where people can farm 365 days a year. This makes the Grand Canyon State a p…
If you were to poll farmers, orchardists, dairymen and ranchers across the country asking why they chose agriculture as a profession, few, if any, would say “I am in it for the money.” The rea…
I farm grain in Montana on the Rocky Mountain Front. Sixty miles to the west are mountains with gorgeous rolling hills, but the rest of our landscape is flat — not exactly prime grizzly bear h…
Our right to farm is under attack. I’m not talking about attacks from state laws. Think of this in the context of our social license to farm. We see this threat in varying degrees nationwide, …
Those of us who understand the existential threat posed by climate change have been waiting for the “Pearl Harbor moment” that galvanizes people and politicians alike into taking action to min…
August presents a huge opportunity for agricultural advocacy, with federal lawmakers in their home districts, hosting constituent meetings and interacting directly with the people they were el…
Hi, I live close to Medford, Ore., and we are having smoke so bad a person cannot go outside for anything. Today I think it is hazardous. Bad stuff.
In a recent interview, I reiterated my support for President Trump’s stated objectives on recasting American trade policy. The international trade playing field is fundamentally unfair to the …
There’s a reason it’s called a trade war. There are casualties. The first of victims on this battlefield are American farmers. Like any battle, the element of surprise can be advantageous, but…
A storm is brewing in farm country in the form of a dragging agricultural economy, a shaky outlook for our export markets and a dire ag labor shortage. Farmers and ranchers are used to dealing…
In the Olympics, if opposing athletes continuously broke the rules while the officials let them get away with it, American fans would want our coaches to raise a fuss. That’s what has been hap…