June 9, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Valley. This is aglife. My name is Bob
Quinn with you for the next hour talking about agricultural
production here in the valley and all across the country.
Well friends and resources becoming available for elders and their
children and caregivers to help protect them from issues such
as scams and abuse. Rod bain starts us off.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Ohio State University Extension expert Kathy Touch shared a while back.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Into the year twenty thirty, we're talking approximately twenty percent
of our population is going to be over the age
of sixty.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Five, with seniors facing some unique lifestyle changes and concerns,
especially in rural areas.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Some of those that were surveyed by the National Institute
of Aging, a lot of them were talked about the
concern of loss of independence. That was the number one thing,
as well as isolation.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
And it is that increased state of vulnerability that factors
into concerns such as elder abuse add greater susceptibility to scams.
In addition, there are concerns about safety related to rural seniors.
For example, the average age of a farmer in the
US US is almost fifty eight years old.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Our older farmers are not stopping their work. They don't
retire from their jobs, they continue to work throughout their
whole life.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
With these concerns for our elder population, rural or urban
lab ret universities and cooperative extensive programs such as Ohio
State's Aging Smart are working to improve senior independence at
Social Capabilities at tut says not only that, but to
educate children and caregivers of elders of resources available. The

(01:31):
intent is to foster a proactive approach when it comes
to elder care, especially when challenges arise.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
So much of our measures now in our siety are
reactive measures. Once the crisis happened, then we are working
very quickly. We may not have all the right information,
the right resources, and even the right questions to ask
when it comes time to take care of our parents.
So we wanted to create something that would be on
the front end of that, educating our consumers, working with
our young old and our older old, try to help

(01:59):
them understand and what they could use and what they
could have in place to help them primarily age in
place in their own home.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Within the Aging Smart system is a module dedicated to
personal safety for elders and how they can identify at
avoid potential scams.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Whether are the right questions to ask? Who can you
contact if you do have concerns? How do you take
care of yourself even if you're just outside working, or
if you're out in the community, if you're shopping, what
are those things? If you're traveling, how do you keep
yourself safe? All of those different places that you might
choose to.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Be online offerings are available for this classroom based education program.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Really helpful sometimes in our rural communities that they can
stay at home, they don't have to drive to the
class and they can story see that information. A lot
of those modules are interactive and it gives them links
to USDA National Institute of Health, National Institute of Aging
so that they can go on and then keep their
mind active and keep learning ways to help them remain independent.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Broadbane reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington,
D C.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Well Friends the American Farm Bureau Federation calling on Congress
to extend some current tax provisions That stories ahead on Aglife.
Bob Quent back with some farm news this morning. Friends.
Farmers and ranchers will face a significant increase in taxes
this year of Congress fails to act. Chad Smith has
our story.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to expire
at the end of twenty twenty five. If it's not renewed,
farmers and ranchers will face significant tax hikes. Samantha Ayub
and associate economists with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says
letting these provisions expire puts farmers at risk.

Speaker 5 (03:33):
At the end of the day, taxes are an expense.
We already see farmers and ranchers across the country suffering
from above average input expenses across the board, and if
taxes were to increase next year, that is just another
hit to the expenses on a balance sheet that is
already struggling.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
Ayub says several provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act were designed to boost economic activity and encourage investments.

Speaker 5 (03:58):
If taxes increase, that takes out dollars that farmers can
then invest back into their business and back into their community.
Ey A consulting firm estimates that expiration of TCJA provisions
would lead to agriculture alone losing forty nine thousand jobs,
which is three billion dollars in wages that then can
trickle out into ten billion dollars of economic activity.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
She says some progress has been made on making these
provisions permanent, but there's more work to do.

Speaker 5 (04:25):
We've seen the Reconciliation Package, the One Big Beautiful Bill
past the House, and it provided permanency which is ultimately
certainty and improved upon a lot of the provisions that
important to farmers and ranchers. That is obviously not a
completed process. It's important that those provisions that were kept
in a House continuing to the Senate.

Speaker 4 (04:43):
You can learn more on the market Intel page at
fb dot org. Chad Smith, Washington.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Well Friends RCAF USA is calling on Congress to pass
the Pet and Livestock Protection Act of twenty twenty five.
The legislation, introduced in late January by Colorado ROAs Presentative
Lauren Bobert and Wisconsin's Tom Tiffany, seeks to remove the
gray wolf from the Endangered Species list and return management
authority to individual states. Our CALF CEO Bill Bullard says

(05:12):
gray wolves are an issue for ranchers across the West,
and the problem is spreading.

Speaker 6 (05:17):
We have to achieve a balance between the desire of
people to have wolves in the wilderness, but we also
have to protect the economic and financial interests of those
whose livelihoods depend on their ability to maintain their livestock herd.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Bullard says the wolf is an apex predator and livestock
animals are prey and the only way you can remove
conflict is by keeping the two separated. He also said
the wolves don't have to kill an animal to financially
devastate a rancher.

Speaker 6 (05:47):
The wolves will traumatize an entire herd and cause problems
with conception, cause problems with gaining weight for calves, separating
calves from the cows. There's all kinds of problems that
associated with wolves that are preying upon a cattle farmer
or rancher or super producer's livestock.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Bill Bullard Arcafusa with us well friends pork producers from
all across the cut. We spend time in the Midwest
or the World Pork Expo. Dwayne Sttler, president of the
National Pork Producers Council, says it's a very important event
for pork producers to attend.

Speaker 7 (06:22):
I think it's very important, and I think that comes
from the fact that you have a lot of them
that always make sure they get time to get back.
It's got to be something bad on the farm or
something that needs perfect attention for them not to try
to get here. Because one of the biggest things is, yes,
there's educational events, there's a trade show, there's everything that
everybody needs. But a big thing of it is that
networking that you get amongst producers. Sometimes when you're talking

(06:43):
to drug companies that they've got recommendations for you and
things like that, but sometimes you can find out from
just other farmers something that has worked for them that
hasn't worked for you, or maybe you can provide that
to someone else, and that's a big benefit. That networking
in our industry is really important, whether it's dealing with hogs,
whether we're dealing with crops or whatever. That's the part
that really helps a lot.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
The expo is a chance to see firsthand how rapidly
technology is evolving.

Speaker 7 (07:05):
It's amazing the technology that we have. I mean, people
might have heard about the technology that has went across
the crop side of it, as far as being able
to get in the tractor and push the button and
get the perfect straight rows. That's sort of become a commonplace.
But to see the technology coming into where we're actually
taking that to an individual sow on the feeder and
following that sow through and making sure her diet is
correct and everything. The technology is evolving into our barns

(07:28):
just the same ways as involved in the fields. It's
really something to behold and it's something to try to
get yourself educated on, and it's also something to try
to keep up with it because technology changes faster than
what we can.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Dwayne Stateler, president of National Port Producer's Council farm News.
This morning, you're listening to WAG Life.

Speaker 8 (07:45):
It's another agnews update. What's easier? Yes or no?

Speaker 9 (07:51):
More?

Speaker 8 (07:52):
After this.

Speaker 10 (07:54):
Meet Blue Blue is not feeling well the prescription generic
medication Blue one.

Speaker 11 (08:00):
Do they really work as well as name brands?

Speaker 10 (08:02):
Yes, generics and name brand medications do work the same,
even though they may look different. Generics have the same
key ingredients. FDA approval is equally rigorous for generics to
make sure they're is safe and effective as name brands
and Blue even save some green making him a.

Speaker 12 (08:17):
Little less well.

Speaker 10 (08:18):
Blue, talk to your doctor about generics and visit FDA
doc ofv slash generic drugs.

Speaker 8 (08:23):
Former New York Representative Mark Molinaro last year at a
houseag Committee hearing on the Farm Bill.

Speaker 13 (08:31):
Really on both sides of the aisle, there's been some
thoughtful conversation, certainly about how perhaps over time and through
negotiation with the Senate, we can enhance provisions.

Speaker 12 (08:39):
But I serve seven years of the New York State Assembly.

Speaker 13 (08:42):
If you don't know this, Republicans are in the eternal
minority of the New York State Legislature. And I recall
many times thinking, well, you know, it's really easy to
get to know the voting NO is simple, It requires
very little exercise, and quite frankly, doesn't require any ability
to think how I would get ts the other I
recall many times, as I've heard even today, when you

(09:03):
serve with the minority.

Speaker 12 (09:04):
And I'm not suggesting this is every case.

Speaker 13 (09:05):
It's easy to suggest the bills and bipartisan enough, but
I would suggest it is not entirely honest to suggests
this is not a bipartisan piece of legislation. The Farm
Bill inherently has a language carried over from generations that
has garnered significant bipartisanship support.

Speaker 12 (09:23):
Perhaps there are components of.

Speaker 13 (09:24):
This particular farm bill that some of my colleagues don't
see as enough, but We have colleagues on both sides
of the aisle that seem to think that we can
only get and should only get one hundred percent of
what we want.

Speaker 8 (09:34):
Former New York Representative Mark Nolnaro. It's another RAG news update.

Speaker 11 (09:40):
At the American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention in Denver,
we caught up with doctor Kerry Ryan, pet cloning and
genetic preservation expert with ViaGen in Cedar Park, Texas.

Speaker 14 (09:50):
We've been working with dogs and cats for three years.
We're the only company in the United States that clones
dogs and the only company in the world that clones cats.
And we've also been cloning horses in livestack for about
fifteen years. So I think this will be here to stay,
and I think as we get better and better at it,
the costs will come down and people will be more
and more interested in it.

Speaker 11 (10:06):
There's more information at AVMA dot org.

Speaker 8 (10:09):
American Cattle News. We talk land owner rights today with
the Cattleman.

Speaker 10 (10:17):
More after this meet Blue Blue is not feeling well
the prescription generic medication. Blue wonders do they really work
as well as name brands? Yes, generics and name brand
medications do work the same, even though they may look different,
generics have the same key ingredients. FDA approval is equally
rigorous for generics to make sure they're is safe and

(10:37):
effective as name brands, and Blue even save some green,
making him a little less well.

Speaker 11 (10:43):
Blue.

Speaker 10 (10:43):
Talk to your doctor about generics and visit FDA dock
ov slash generic drugs.

Speaker 8 (10:48):
Brian McLaughlin is an attorney and cattleman from Midland, Texas.
On landowner rights.

Speaker 15 (10:55):
Well, there's lots of there's lots of interest that would
like to be a part of that ownership. I would
say that Texas and southwestern count of Razors we've been
the largest proponent of private land ownership with our state legislature.
We're down there advocating on behalf of the landowner during
the session and outside of the session. Fortunately, the session
the government legislature only meets or once every two years,

(11:17):
but there's a lot that goes on in the timeframe
that they're not meeting. But we've been a large part
in advocating for rural property rights and for rural land
ownership and those people that own the lands to help
them at the legislature. There's lots of groups that would
like to have or horn In on what is owned.
I mean, there's the big question now the Supreme Court
is ownership of water. Well, it produced water specifically, which

(11:40):
is what is produced with oil and gas. The oil
and gas industry is claiming ownership of that water. Well.
Texas statue says the Texas surface owner owns the water.
He doesn't say shallow water, deep water, dirty water, brine water.
It says water. But they want ownership of that water.
And that's a very important property right that's associated with
the surface ownership because that produce waters extremely valuable in

(12:03):
the only gas marketplace. That water can be treated, reused,
it can be used for drilling operations, it can be
reused for fracking operations, and it's a high priced commodity
in West Texas. As they always said, you know that
the largest commodity we have in West Texas and the
most valuable commodities not a well.

Speaker 12 (12:20):
It's water.

Speaker 15 (12:21):
That's what makes everything work. And so there's lots of
different ownership rights involved in tsra's been on the forefront
of protecting those for the rural land.

Speaker 8 (12:30):
Arm American Cattle News.

Speaker 9 (12:34):
This is Dairy Radio now, Melkie Monday.

Speaker 16 (12:37):
Dave Krazowski, Stone Neecks Dairy Group, broker in Chicago, Dave.
We're recording this before the April Dairy Products Report was
issued last Thursday, but I'd like to take a look
at the changes that occurred in June in Federal order
milk pricing.

Speaker 12 (12:51):
What are your thoughts.

Speaker 17 (12:52):
I don't really have an opinion on how it's going
to impact. We know the price changes on the milk
price for Class three and Class four and how that
impacts producers. I mean, it's going to be a case
by case basis, depending on where they're at. It's already
been priced into the market, what hasn't And what I
guess is maybe the key thing that I'm watching right
now is just the spot cheese market, because the barrel
price no longer floats into the NDPSR report and it

(13:16):
doesn't get reported, doesn't get figured into the price of milk,
but we still trade spotloads of barrel cheese on the exchange.
So the question I have is, now that we remove
barrels from the pricing formula for milk, what happens with
barrels on the spot market? I mean, do people trade it?
Does it swing widely? Does it unhinge everything else? Does
it have an impact on blocks. I mean, all of

(13:37):
these questions so far business as usual. But that's my question.

Speaker 16 (13:40):
So let's look at the markets last week.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
What did you see.

Speaker 17 (13:43):
Well, we've had a really good past couple of months
in terms of like upward price momentum for you know,
certainly better prices overall for dairy producers. One of the
interesting things I think is the futures market basically led
the rallies for cheese and for butter specifically, both of
those contracts have been up quite a bit, most recently
the butter market. Butter has moved up almost twenty five

(14:05):
cents in the past couple weeks, and it's been led
by really strong futures markets. Futures are still running a
premium to the spot market. But the interesting thing about butter,
there's plenty of cream out there, and this we're in
early June. We really haven't turned the heat up. There's
a lot of cream out in the country anecdotally, and
it would appear that that would be plenty. There's also
plenty of double A salted butter, which is what we

(14:26):
trade on the camb spot market. So in the last
two weeks we've traded over one hundred loads of Ceme
spot butter. So there's butter out there, there's product available.
In fact, the same thing is true on cheese, but
the markets remain pretty strong. It's good to see, but
it tells us that, hey, you know, maybe we don't
have to go to three dollars butter, Maybe we don't
have to go to two dollars and forty cent cheese
just yet. That's still maybe out there ahead of us,

(14:48):
but it's not the story for early June.

Speaker 16 (14:50):
Dave Krazowski Stonenacks Dairy Group, broker in Chicago.

Speaker 9 (14:54):
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Speaker 18 (15:23):
Here's dairy farmer Hank Wagner and his daughter Laura with
another simple Miracle moment.

Speaker 19 (15:28):
There are three words that can instantly transform a relationship.
The words I am sorry seem simple, but can sometimes
be extremely hard to say, and they can even be
more difficult to actually mean.

Speaker 20 (15:40):
To harvest the miracles attached to these three words, the
appropriate behavior is necessary. Using the correct tone of voice
can make all the difference, for example, I am sorry
versus I am sorry.

Speaker 19 (15:53):
Having the right body language is also crucial. People can
see if your facial expressions line up with what you
are saying, and of course, your actions after your apology
must also confirm that you are indeed sorry.

Speaker 20 (16:06):
Person's apology should never depend on the other person. Your
choice to apologize must be based on your own heart's condition.
Be quick and sincere when you apologize, and never allow
the word but in the same sentence.

Speaker 18 (16:18):
That's Hank Wagner and Laura Rodd's, author of the book
Simple Miracles for More. Go to Become Better Leaders dot com.

Speaker 21 (16:25):
When is the best time to talk to your family
about staying in touch during a disaster amid the chaos?
Where's the best time? Perhaps today? Go to Ready dot
gov slash communicate and make your emergency plan today. Don't wait. Communicate.
Brought to you by FEMA and the AD Council.

Speaker 12 (16:40):
This is Dairy Radio Now.

Speaker 18 (16:42):
Payments have been sent or are being sent to livestock
producers eligible for qualifying drought or wildfire losses under USDA's
Emergency Livestock Relief Program. Farm Service Agency Administrator Bill Beam.

Speaker 22 (16:54):
If you qualified with the loss, you should be receiving
a payment in the mail if you've not received it already.
Farm Service Agency is diguling emergency relief payments to ranchers
who have approved applications through the Livestock for each disaster
program for grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire.

Speaker 18 (17:12):
More details at FSA dot USDA dot gov. I'm Bill Baker,
Darry Radio now.

Speaker 23 (17:21):
And I'm an and pistachio grower talks about well the
health benefits of consuming these nuts. I'm Patrick Kavanaugh with
a California tree nut report, part of the Vastag Information Network.
William Burdeaux is executive vice president of Harris Farms, a
major operation producing many crops in western Fresno County. He
personally farms pistachios but he also oversees a lot of

(17:43):
pistachio and almonds with Harris Farms. He talks about the
health benefits of these nuts.

Speaker 24 (17:49):
I think it's a great product. Both almends and pistachios
are are very good for you. There's a lot of
health studies that substantiates that, and so I think as
global can assumption increases and even domestic consumption increases for
a wide variety of reasons, and I think the health
benefits are a large factor in that. I think these

(18:11):
products will continue to be in demand, not just in
the United States, but across the world.

Speaker 23 (18:17):
And we asked Bordeaux about pest pressure, especially naval orange worm.

Speaker 24 (18:22):
I have heard some of that, but we didn't experience it.
And maybe because we are pretty proactive and we donating
disruption and different things to make sure that, you know,
we don't get hit by naval orange worm. We have
really good farm managers that run first class operation and
so we were able to avoid this damage this last year.

(18:42):
And I feel pretty good about the crop on the trees.

Speaker 25 (18:45):
It's been popping up in orchards and vineyards all over
any origin.

Speaker 26 (18:49):
Theori scholars, Oh, yeah, it's a fund aside from BASF,
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Speaker 25 (18:54):
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Speaker 26 (18:57):
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Speaker 25 (19:04):
So a fungicide that is out of this world, I
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Speaker 27 (19:13):
For over forty years, the AG Information Network has been
providing news and information for the most important industry in
the world, agriculture. The egg Information Network gives you worldwide
updates from local producers to regional organizations, from major crops
like wheat and corn, to animal agriculture to specially crops
like apples, almonds, and cherries. We report on stories that

(19:34):
mean the most to you online at aginfo dot net.
The AG Information Network trusted and transparent journalism lasting for
the next generation.

Speaker 23 (19:42):
With the AG Information Network, I'm Patrick Kavanaugh.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
At the end of the Western water seas at April
first and beyond.

Speaker 28 (19:49):
We were heading into really the month of May in
pretty good shape across the western US, especially along the
north of a line from this Aeronvada to the central Rockies.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
Yet recent warm spells during May, according to USDA beurologist
Brad Rippee, is resulting a premature mountain snowpack belt.

Speaker 28 (20:04):
And that has led to reduced expectations for.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Runoff runoff essential to fill Western water reservoirs for agg
irrigation at municipal water supplies. Other complications include thirsty soils
across the West, periods of dry weather creating sublimation of
snowpack and dust storms accelerating snow melt on mountain slopes
in some areas.

Speaker 28 (20:22):
The far northern tier of California, much of Oregon, and
even extending into parts of the Northern Rockies looking pretty
good for water supply, but areas further to the north,
as we move up into Washington State and then especially
to the south from the Sierra Nevada and Central Rocky southward,
we have lost some potential on how much water is
going to be available for this summer. We do have
a less optimistic outlook for Western water supply than we had,
say a month ago, due to some of these warm

(20:44):
spells that we've been seeing now. Other complications related to
this have included soil seemed to be unusually thirsty across
much of the West, so we're not seeing all of
that runoff go right into the reservoirs. If that were happening,
we really wouldn't have as much of a problem because
that water would still be conserved. It would be held
in a different form than the snowpack, but at least
would be stored in reservoirs. But we are seeing some
loss due to thirsty soils. Other complications have included some

(21:06):
periods of very dry weather that has actually led to
some sublimation of snow. That is, when you go directly
from the solid form snowpack or ice into the gas form,
which is just evaporating it right into the thin air,
you are not retaining any water for irrigation purposes when
sublimation happens. Then a third complication, especially in the Southwest,
we have had a number of dust storms. Some of

(21:27):
that dust has ended up on the slopes on the
mountain sides, and that has led to an accelerated snowmelt
of an already subpar snowpack in parts of the Southwest,
so we have lost some snow there. We did have
that sweet spot stretching from the northern Sierra Nevada and
Southern Cascades into parts of the Northern Rockies. Those areas
have also lost a little bit more snowpack than we
would have liked to have seen, but at the same time,
there was so much snow in those areas that we're

(21:48):
still going to end a year with above average runoff.
It's outside of that sweet spot that banned from the
Southern Cascades in northern Sierravada to the Northern Rockies that
we do have more concerns because we just don't have
optimal runoff that we expected to see earlier. On what example,
on that the Sierra Nevada as a whole, we had
basically an average snowpack this year. By the time we
came out of the Memorial Day weekend, that liquid equivalency

(22:09):
of the existing or the remaining snowpack was down to
under two and a half inches. This time of year,
we still expect to see almost ten inches contained in
that snowpack. So we lost it very quickly. Some of
it has made it into reservoirs, so it's not a
complete loss. Still looking pretty good areas that are served
by the Sierra Nevada, and that includes many of the
one hundred and fifty four interrastate reservoirs in California, but
not quite as optimistic on just how much water will

(22:30):
be available as we move through the hot season and
the dry season. In California. The biggest concern would be
our southwestern areas that are a in drought b did
not have much snow and c especially in the areas
where we have low reservoirs that pertains to our Colorado
River basin where we have chronic issues, as well as
moving into New Mexico where we also have some water

(22:51):
supply shortages that are long term. Those areas already have
stressed rangeland and pastures, and areas where those rangeland of
pastures are irrigated there may be water shortages, and those
that operate on natural grazing where they don't irrigate. Obviously,
the rangeland of pastures are in much worse shape as
you move into the southwestern quadrant of the country. Moving
to the north a little bit more optimistic, we have

(23:13):
had enough moisture there to sustain the rangeland of pastures
that are coming into this spring and early summer looking
pretty good, but again just not quite as much water
availability overall is what we originally expected when we reached
that peak snowpack date back in early April.

Speaker 2 (23:28):
I'm Rod Bain, reporting for the US Department of Agriculture
in Washington.

Speaker 6 (23:32):
D C.

Speaker 29 (23:36):
This is the Agricultural Law and Tax Report, brought to
you by Helena agg and Agency's and Nutrition with Qoran Metra.
Visit Helenaagro dot com for more information. I'm Roger mcgohan.
For many farm families, leaving a legacy for subsequent generations
is important. Often that involves land ownership, but it can
be much more. A legacy also involves your character. Each

(23:57):
day is an opportunity to build a more positive leggo
to influence future family generations. Your legacy dovetails into a
state and business planning. Give consideration to the best structure
for your farming business to have future success, and maybe
think about creating a donor advised fund or a private
foundation to help family members that need a boost. Your
legacy is more than just the stuff you own. It

(24:18):
includes the choices you make that influence the future trajectory
of your family and business. This has been the Agricultural
Law and Tax Report. I'm Roger McGowan.

Speaker 23 (24:30):
You've been listening to focus on AG. Thanks for being
with us today.

Speaker 30 (24:35):
It is time for California AG Today. On the AG
Information Network, I am Haley's Ship. A major tax shift
could be coming, and California's farman to ranch families are
watching closely. According to the American Farm Bureau, several provisions
from the twenty seventeen Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are
set to expire at the end of the year. That

(24:56):
includes tax breaks that helped small and mid sized ag
operation keep more of what they earned. While corporate tax
cuts were made permanent, many individuals and business deductions were
not without congressional action. The Farm Bureau estimates that farmers
and ranchers could be an extra nine billion dollars annually
in federal taxes. That's roughly five thousand dollars more per farm.

(25:19):
That is on top of California's al already steep production costs,
regulatory pressures, and ongoing climate challenges. For many growers, especially
those with thin margins, these changes could force hard decisions
about labor upgrades and investment. Larger operations are also at risk,
especially those relying on capital expensing tools and facing complex

(25:40):
state planning. Beyond the farm, the concern is ripple effects.
Fewer dollars on the ground could mean fewer jobs, lower
local spending, and added strain on rural economies statewide. The
Farm Bureau says tax policy doesn't have to be another
wild card, but right now it.

Speaker 31 (25:58):
Is enhanced tree fruit quality and your marketable yield with
the best protection under the sun, easy to tank mix
full Your applied PARKA from Cultiva is proven to improve
tree fruit cuticle health before sun. Rain, insects, and other
natural stressors cost you yield loss. Make the most of
your season with easy, efficient, season long protection.

Speaker 12 (26:19):
Put PARKA on it.

Speaker 31 (26:20):
Ask your retailer or Cultiva representative about Parka today. Visit
Cultiva dot com for more information.

Speaker 32 (26:27):
Today, we're talking with aphids and white flies about sefena
insecticide from basf. We just get nailed with it, So
tell us how you feeling really really weird and you
still want to devour this few No way, bro, There
you have it, folks. Safena insecticide is specifically engineered to
disorient aphis and wife flies so they can't eat, and

(26:48):
when they can't eat, they can't destroy.

Speaker 31 (26:50):
He'll protect your alfalfa from aphids with sefena insecticide always
read and follow label directions.

Speaker 30 (26:56):
On the AG Information Network. I am Hatley, Ship.

Speaker 1 (26:59):
Bob quinback farm us this morning. Friends. Farmers and ranchers
will face a significant increase in taxes this year if
Congress fails to act Chad Smith as our story.

Speaker 4 (27:08):
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to expire
at the end of twenty twenty five. If it's not renewed,
farmers and ranchers will face significant tax hikes. Samantha Ayub,
and associate economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says
letting these provisions expire puts farmers at risk.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
At the end of the day, taxes are an expense.
We already see farmers and ranchers across the country suffering
from above average input expenses across the board, and if
taxes were to increase next year, that is just another
hit to the expenses on a balance sheet that is
already struggling.

Speaker 4 (27:44):
Ayube says several provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs
ac were designed to boost economic activity and encourage investments.

Speaker 5 (27:52):
If taxes increase, that takes out dollars that farmers can
then invest back into their business and back into their community.
Ey insulting firm estimates that exploration of TCJA provisions would
lead to agriculture alone losing forty nine thousand jobs, which
is three billion dollars in wages that then can trickle
out into ten billion dollars of economic activity.

Speaker 4 (28:13):
She says some progress has been made on making these
provisions permanent, but there's more work to do.

Speaker 5 (28:19):
We've seen the Reconciliation Package, the One Big Beautiful Bill
past the House, and it provided permanency which is ultimately
certainty and improved upon a lot of the provisions that
important to farmers and ranchers. That is obviously not a
completed process. It's important that those provisions that were kept
in a House continuing to the Senate.

Speaker 4 (28:36):
You can learn more on the Market Intel page at
fb dot org. Chad Smith, Washington Well Friends.

Speaker 1 (28:43):
They Make America Healthy Again Commission report caused some pushback
from US agriculture. Several groups are concerned that the report
casts doubt on the integrity of the EPA's Federal review
for Crop protection products. Kenneth Hartman, Junior President of the
National corn Rollers, said they're offering significant feedback on a
number of ideas in that report.

Speaker 33 (29:02):
We definitely are providing feedback trying to talk to them.
We are somewhat frustrated because we haven't had the relationship
as far as discussing with the Maha folks. We're hoping
to have some meetings with them to discuss some of this.
We definitely think EPA is where pesticide should be, and
we have definitely have concerns that pesticide area stays in EPA.
As I said before, we've had bipisade and acrosine has

(29:25):
been studied many many years. They're reviewed every fifteen years.
We feel like they're good product and we definitely think
that EPA should be the one that's taking care of
the regulation of that.

Speaker 1 (29:33):
N CGA is continuing to reach out to administration and
MAHA officials to ensure farmers keep these necessary tools for
safe prop production.

Speaker 33 (29:41):
We want to reach out to the administration and to
the Maha folks and we want to communicate and talk
to them, and we're hoping that we can have some
meetings and work together on some of these issues to
make sure that we keep our pesticide tools that we
use because you know, we need these tools because we've
gotten more sustainable, We've went down more of a conservation
area with no tail and cover crops. So we need
some of these products in order to stay in that

(30:03):
process versus going back to the thirty forty years ago
where we were doing more tillage.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
Corunrower President Kenneth Hartman Junior with us A foreign aid
program near and dear to the hearts of Kansas is
now in jeopardy. Mike Davis has our story.

Speaker 34 (30:15):
Food for Peace, a federal initiative that sends commodities and
other aid to hungry people overseas, is one of the
programs caught in the crosshairs of DOGE when USAID was
shut down by the Trump administration in February. Congressman Tracy
Mann of Kansas says the program actually began in his
district in the early nineteen fifties and points to the
bags of wheat shipped overseas as great tools of diplomacy.

Speaker 35 (30:39):
It comes in a big burlap white bag, and on
the front of it there's a United States flag, and
there's a picture of two people shaking hands, and in
the below that in that person's language, it says, a
free gift from the American people, and I would just
submit to you all, and if you were able to
feed your child because you know you're getting food that

(31:01):
comes in bags that say.

Speaker 12 (31:02):
A free gift from the American people.

Speaker 35 (31:04):
The question b are you predisposed to like America or
not like America?

Speaker 34 (31:08):
The program changed over time, and Man says not necessarily
for the better.

Speaker 35 (31:12):
I've been disappointed to see how the makeup of the
program has really switched from being all commodities, no dollars,
actually sending cash overseas to that pendulum really swung where,
in my view way at a whack, where the purpose
of the program was to send American grown commodities to
MOUs that would be needed overseas, not just to send money.

(31:37):
Because when we're sending American grown commodities, it's good for
rag producers, it's good for the shippers, and it's good
for the mouths that will receive them.

Speaker 34 (31:44):
Congressman Man has put forth a bill to save Food
for Peace and bring it back to its roots.

Speaker 35 (31:50):
I authored legislation along with Senator Moran. Good friend for
a long time, but to move Food for Peace back,
it's actually moving it back to us DA. So it
used to usually it reacently was it USDA. So we
just want to return it home to USDA. Whether it
goes to USDA or ends of with the state Department,
the most important thing is that the program continues because
I think it does good work.

Speaker 1 (32:09):
I'm Mike Davis farm US this morning. You're listening to
WAG Life.

Speaker 36 (32:15):
Information Network. This is your agribusiness update. As California farmers
look for drought tolerant crops. Production of agave, the key
ingredient in tequila or mezcal when produced outside certain parts
of Mexico, is gaining momentum. In recent years. More than
eighty farmers have started growing a gave, with some seven
hundred acres in production. President County farmer Stuart Wolf, who

(32:36):
pulled out almond trees to plant three hundred and fifty
acres of agave, says it's the right crop at the
right time for California. The Center for Environment and Welfare
launched a new educational campaign urging Congress to stop the
far reaching consequences of California's Proposition twelve. The Food Price
Fixed campaign has a website, educational video, and a letter

(32:57):
writing initiative asking voters to contact their lawmakers and urge
them to pass a federal fix. CEW Research director Will
Coggan says consumers who have never been to California are
paying the price for its overreaching inflationary law. Ex Secretary
Brook Rawlins announced the congressionally mandated Emergency Livestock Relief Program
payments to cover grazing losses due to drought or wildfires

(33:19):
in twenty twenty three or twenty four. The USTA's Farm
Service Agency is leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program data
to streamline the calculations and expedite relief. Emergency relief payments
are automatically issued to producers who have an approved LFP application.

Speaker 25 (33:35):
It's been popping up in orchards and vineyards all over
any origin theories callers, Oh hey, yeah.

Speaker 26 (33:40):
It's Seva fungicide from BASF, a category leader in disease control.

Speaker 25 (33:45):
How do you explain these healthy crops well.

Speaker 26 (33:47):
Longer lasting residual. Plus it's built for current regulatory standards
and prepared for what's to come, which improves crop marketing flexibility.

Speaker 25 (33:54):
So a fungicide that is out of this world. I
knew it seveethung aside from BAI for is it always
repressions For.

Speaker 27 (34:03):
The last forty years, the AG information network has been
the source of news for farmers and ranchers. Yet we
have never seen such an assault on farming and our
food supply as we do today, from fuel to fertilizer.
Farmers are facing unprecedented economic challenges. This is why agriculture
news that farmers receive comes from the AGG Information Network,
reaching coast to coast, deep roots and farming. In decades

(34:26):
of reporting, the AGG Information Network trusted and transparent journalism
for generations.

Speaker 12 (34:32):
From the Egg Information Network. I'm Bob Larson with today's
agribusiness update.

Speaker 1 (34:36):
Bob Quinn back to wrap up AG life for today
friends well. The AG Secretary recently rolled out a new
initiative focused on long term viability of small family farm operations.
Rod Main has our story.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
Building upon the inaugural Farmers First Roundtable at USDA headquarters
in May and subsequent meetings with AG producers around the
country throughout the month. This announcement of Agriculture Secretary Brook rawlins.

Speaker 37 (35:02):
Our Small Farmer Family Farmer First initiative.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
The announced BACAB during a recent Farmers roundtable session in Nebraska.
The intent of the initiative improving both viability and longevity
of smaller scale family farms to.

Speaker 37 (35:18):
Ensure that those farms can start and stay in business
and pass along to the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth generations.

Speaker 2 (35:26):
Small family farm operations make up almost eighty six percent
of all US farmers. Tech components comprise the Small Family
Farm Initiative, starting with.

Speaker 37 (35:35):
Number one, ensuring simple and streamline and transparent tools that
we have through USDA and across the government and application.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
Next, a series of goals to ensure greater access to
resources for small family farmers and their operations.

Speaker 37 (35:51):
Number two ensuring reliable access to credit, so opening up
the capital market, especially for new and entering farmers, but
also for multigenerational farmers. Number three ensuring working farmland is
used to farm. Number four ensuring that small farms can
be passed on to the next generation and for many
generations to come.

Speaker 2 (36:10):
Other aspects of the Small Family Farm Initiative include.

Speaker 37 (36:14):
Number five hyper focusing USDA programs on our farmers.

Speaker 11 (36:19):
Number six is labor reform.

Speaker 37 (36:20):
If our farmers can't have the workforce that they need,
which many cannot don't.

Speaker 12 (36:24):
Have access to, we've got to fix that.

Speaker 37 (36:26):
Number seven enhancing access to risk management and business planning tools.

Speaker 2 (36:30):
As for the remaining three components of the initiative.

Speaker 37 (36:33):
Number eight ensuring the definitions of farm size reflect modern
day realities. That's more for grant making and grant applications.
Number nine enhancing farmer access to educational resources, and number
ten expanding the rest of the small farm toolkit.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
I'm broad Dane, reporting for the US Department of Agriculture
in Washington, d C.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
With that, friends, r out of time for today. Thanks
for joining us back tomorrow morning with another edition of
Aglife