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Tuesday, December 24, 2024

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American Airlines is boarding flights again, and the FAA lifts its nationwide ground-stop; Santa Cruz, CA wharf collapses in storm, tossing three people into water; Toxic 'forever chemicals' taint rural CA wells. Has Ohio lost its battleground state status? Opponents of factory farms regroup after mixed election results.

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Biden commutes the sentences of most federal death row inmates, the House Ethics Committee says former Rep. Gaetz may have committed statutory rape, and the national archivist won't certify the ERA without congressional approval.

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Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

Farmers no longer feeling Farm Bill anguish, but relief might be fleeting

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Tuesday, December 24, 2024   

Farmers in Nebraska and across the nation might not be in panic mode anymore thanks to another extension of the Farm Bill but they still want Congress to look past political divisions to ensure producers are getting the right support for the long haul.

As part of their budget deal to avoid a government shutdown, federal lawmakers also decided to keep the current Farm Bill, which technically expired in 2023, in place for another year. It is usually updated every five years.

John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said it is a tough market right now and they were happy to see economic and disaster aid included. But he pointed out farming communities still feel overlooked.

"Those of us who represent agriculture see a deepening financial crisis that a lot of farm families are facing," Hansen explained. "We look to Congress for relief."

He noted farmers are still largely working under 2018 spending levels even as their operational costs go higher. The National Farmers Union said it is especially unhappy about a key provision kept off the table, which was granting nationwide year-round sales of E-15 blends of ethanol. It said it would open more markets for farmers but it faces a broad range of opponents, including the oil industry.

Hansen and other advocates hope a new Congress does not fall into the same trap it did last year, urging them to develop a permanent plan.

"As we look into the next year, we hope that the Farm Bill does not languish for another September 30th deadline," Hansen stressed.

It's uncertain how newly shaped agriculture committees, as well as the budget-cutting goals of a new Trump administration, will influence debate over certain elements of Farm Bill funding, including food assistance programs and conservation aid.


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