Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Hannah Borg in season1, episode 5.

Hannah is a sixth-generation farmer from Wakefield, Nebraska. In 2019, she returned home to the family business, Borg Farms. She and her family raise crops, cattle, and chickens for Costco. She holds a degree in agricultural communications from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the episode, Hannah discusses what it was like to grow up on the farm, navigating the transitions between generations, how she came to be raising chickens for Costco, among many other topics.

Listen to the episode.

Find Hannah on Instagram: itshannahborg

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured A.G. Kawamura in season 1, episode 4.

A.G. is a third-generation farmer in Southern California and operates Orange County Produce with his brother. He served as California Secretary of Agriculture from 2003 to 2010. He is founding chair of Solutions for Urban Agriculture, which grows produce for area food banks. He is involved in many other organizations, including as founding co-chair of Solutions from the Land, and with Farm Foundation as a Roundtable Fellow since 2011, and currently serving on the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves on the board of Western Growers.

In this episode, A.G. discusses what it means to be a landless farmer, his work to solve food insecurity, and some of the dynamics of the fresh produce industry that are not widely known.

Listen to the episode.

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Steve Kaufman in season 1, episode 3.

Steve is a fifth-generation farmer. He returned to his family’s Idaho farm full time in 2014 when his uncles and father were ready to retire. He and his two brothers farm 14,000 dryland crop acres, growing primarily winter wheat, spring wheat, peas, garbanzo beans, and canola. Prior to that, he worked at Northwest Farm Credit Services while also farming part time. Steve is an alum of Farm Foundation’s Young Farmer Accelerator Program.

In this episode, Steve talks about how gratifying it is to produce enough grain for 30 million loaves of bread on his farm, the hard work of trying to balance life with young kids and farm life, and what the process was like to switch over to no-till.

Listen to the episode.

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Amanda Butterfield and her daughter, Evelyn, in Season 1, Episode 2.

Amanda Butterfield is director of corporate partnerships at The Meat Institute, and she also owns and operates a farm in Pennsylvania. With her husband and daughter, they raise beef cattle at Maple Valley Cattle Company, a 180-acre cow-calf operation. The farm was recently selected as a finalist for the 2024 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award, which honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.

At her farm, Amanda uses strategies like rotational grazing, cover crops, integrated pest management strategies, and has preserved the farm’s woodlands and wetlands and native grasslands to improve soil health and support biodiversity.

The conversation covered some of the logistics of rotational grazing and land restoration on the farm, Amanda’s path to farming as a first-generation farmer, and what the future holds for young people on the farm today.

Listen to the episode.

Find Maple Valley Cattle Company on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcbutterfield2/

See the farm on this video by the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQhbW3MRfeo

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Klaas Martens in season 1, episode 1. Klaas is a third-generation farmer in New York. He operates Martens Farm and Lakeview Organic Grain Mill with his wife Mary Howell Martens and their son Peter. On 1,600 acres, he produces numerous crops, including corn, soybeans, spelt, wheat, einkorn, emmer, triticale, buckwheat, oats, barley, rye, cabbage, dry beans, and hay. He’s been farming since the 1970s and shifted to organic farming in the 90s. Klaas is a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow (since 2015) and also serves on the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves as a mentor in our Young Farmer Accelerator Program.

In this episode, Klaas discusses being the son of immigrant farmers, how his farming practices changed over the years, and one of his favorite things about wheat. He also shares some stories of how he has helped young farmers get into farming and the importance of community.

Listen to the episode.

Video presentation referenced in episode: My Organic Grain Journey with Klaas Martens, recorded at the 0Grain 2024 Winter Conference.

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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The December Farm Foundation Forum, Tax Year 2025: Potential Impacts and Opportunities for Farmers and the Agriculture Sector, covered the possible outcomes and impacts for farms and the greater agricultural sector from potential changes to taxation policy in 2025 and beyond. Some key aspects discussed included the impact of expiring tax provisions, and specific issues like estate tax and bonus depreciation. 

The conversation was moderated by Todd Van Hoose, president and CEO of Farm Credit Council, and included input from Mark Albright, public affairs specialist in tax outreach partnership and education at the Internal Revenue Service; Kent Bacus, executive director of government affairs at National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; Tia McDonald, research agricultural economist with USDA Economic Research Service; Paul Neiffer, agribusiness and business advisor with Farm CPA Report; and Elizabeth Swanson, national tax senior manager with Pinion. 

Below are some of the main points presented by the panel. 

1. Expiring Tax Provisions: Expiring tax provisions, including key provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), will impact farm households. These include the child tax credit, earned income tax credit, estate tax exemptions, and bonus depreciation, set to expire by the end of 2025. 

2. Impact on Tax Liabilities: Expiring provisions are expected to increase tax liabilities by nearly $9 billion, with $650 million coming from the estate tax exemptions. The most significant increase will come from the expiration of changes to federal income tax rates, the removal of the state and local tax cap, and the reinstatement of the personal exemption. 

3. Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction: The QBI deduction, which allows farm businesses to deduct 20% of their income, will be affected by expiring provisions. Larger farms benefit more from this deduction, but moderate-sales farms face the highest percentage increase in taxes due to the expiration of this provision. 

4. Estate Tax and Exemptions: A major concern for farm households is the estate tax exemption, which will be halved in 2026, potentially leading to higher estate tax liabilities for farm families.  

5. Concerns Over Bonus Depreciation: The phase-out of bonus depreciation, which allows faster write-offs of equipment costs, poses a risk to farm businesses that rely on capital-intensive equipment. The expiration could lead to significant tax burdens unless replaced with alternative provisions. 

6. CTA Compliance and Penalties: The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) mandates reporting beneficial ownership information for entities like LLCs. Failure to comply with CTA filing requirements can result in significant penalties. However, on December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered a preliminary injunction suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its implementation of regulations nationwide. 

7. IRS Resources for Farmers: Various IRS resources are available to farmers, including the Farmers Tax Guide, tax tips for farmers, and an online Agricultural Tax Center. These tools help farmers navigate tax complexities, especially regarding crop insurance, disaster payments, and updated provisions like mileage rates and self-employment tax thresholds. 

The two-hour discussion, including the audience question and answer session, was recorded and is archived on the Farm Foundation website.  

Please note: This summary was created with the help of ChatGPT. Please refer to the recorded session for full details. 

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In the Perspectives guest blog series, Farm Foundation invites participants from among the varied Farm Foundation programs to share their unique viewpoint on a topic relevant to a Farm Foundation focus area. Dr. Sandro Steinbach, the 2024 Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellow, contributed this guest blog. He can be reached at sandro.steinbach@ndsu.edu. A version of this blog, co-written with Martha King, then Farm Foundation’s vice president of programs and projects, was published in October 2024 as part of the 2024 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) report from the GAP Initiative at Virginia Tech. It can be found on page 17 and 18 of the report.

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As climate pressures and sustainability demands grow, the agricultural sector faces challenges in adopting productivity-enhancing innovations. Golden Rice, a revolutionary crop, offers valuable lessons in overcoming barriers to innovation, which is critical for a resilient and sustainable agricultural future.

Addressing the Urgent Need for Sustainable Productivity

The global population is set to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, amplifying demands on food production amidst climate change impacts. Sustainable productivity growth—measured by total factor productivity (TFP) and environmental impact—is essential to meet these needs. TFP growth depends on effective resource use and adopting new technologies that can deliver more food with less environmental impact. The Golden Rice initiative exemplifies how trade, innovation policies, and R&D can work together to foster TFP growth and meet global food security needs.

Golden Rice: A Collaborative Innovation

Rice, a staple for billions, became the focus of an ambitious global health initiative to address vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1982, Golden Rice resulted from decades of international collaboration. Figure 1 illustrates its development timeline, from lab research to regulatory approval. However, the journey faced significant challenges, including regulatory hurdles and public skepticism. Golden Rice’s story underscores the importance of supportive policies for adopting innovations that can profoundly impact global nutrition and agricultural productivity.

Figure 1. Innovation and Adoption Timeline of Golden Rice

How Trade Enables Cross-Border Innovation and Development

International trade is pivotal in advancing agricultural innovation by facilitating the exchange of ideas, resources, and technology. The development of Golden Rice brought together scientists from multiple countries, including Switzerland, Germany, the United States, and the Philippines, showcasing how trade fosters collaborative breakthroughs that address global challenges. This cross-border cooperation exemplifies the value of international R&D networks in scaling agricultural technologies across diverse environments, regulatory frameworks, and public needs.

The Role of Innovation Policies in Agricultural Advancement

As illustrated in Figure 2, R&D investment in the United States initially spurred significant TFP growth, with public R&D investments driving agricultural productivity. However, recent declines in public R&D funding have coincided with slower TFP growth, highlighting the need for robust innovation policies. Supportive policies, including intellectual property protections and transparent regulatory frameworks, are essential for translating scientific discoveries into practical technologies. Golden Rice’s development benefited from these policies, yet its adoption has been slowed by regulatory barriers, particularly concerning genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This experience highlights the role of flexible, science-based regulatory frameworks that balance public safety with innovation needs.

Figure 2. Agricultural TFP Growth Stalling due to Limited Public R&D Investments

Lessons from Golden Rice on TFP Growth Potential

Golden Rice offers significant potential to boost TFP by providing enhanced nutrition without requiring additional resources. This crop addresses vitamin A deficiency and aligns with sustainable agricultural practices by reducing dependency on supplements. However, its success relies on supportive trade and innovation policies allowing global distribution. Countries like the U.S. and Canada, which have open trade policies, facilitated quicker adoption, while regions with GMO restrictions face delays. Aligning trade policies with innovation objectives can remove barriers, allowing beneficial technologies to contribute to TFP growth and broader sustainability.

Overcoming Barriers to Agricultural Innovation

Golden Rice’s journey from innovation to adoption is a case study of the challenges faced by agricultural technologies. Major obstacles include restrictive regulatory frameworks, trade barriers, and socio-economic challenges such as limited infrastructure and market access. To ensure these innovations reach farmers, streamlined and science-based regulatory approaches are essential. Figure 3 summarizes three key policy recommendations: harmonizing trade policies, developing adaptive regulatory frameworks, and fostering public-private partnerships to support innovation and adoption.

Building a Framework for Future Agricultural Innovation

The Golden Rice experience emphasizes the need for aligned global trade and policy frameworks that support sustainable productivity. As new agricultural technologies emerge to address pressing issues like climate change and food security, streamlined policies can accelerate their adoption. Policymakers must encourage R&D investments that drive TFP growth, ensuring innovations reach regions where they are needed most. Golden Rice is a valuable lesson in leveraging trade and policy to support the rapid dissemination of agricultural technology, enabling a more resilient and food-secure world.

The post Golden Rice and the Path to Sustainable Agricultural Innovation appeared first on Farm Foundation.

In the Perspectives guest blog series, Farm Foundation invites participants from among the varied Farm Foundation programs to share their unique viewpoint on a topic relevant to a Farm Foundation focus area. Dr. Sandro Steinbach, the 2024 Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellow, and Claire Citeau, a distinguished fellow at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, contributed this guest blog. In July 2024, they attended the Global Forum on Farm Policy & Innovation‘s second workshop, held in Washington D.C. on the topic of measuring sustainability outcomes to facilitate agricultural trade. An in-depth paper summarizing the event’s key takeaways and next steps is also now available.

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As climate pressures increase and sustainable practices become a priority, the agricultural sector faces a unique challenge: balancing trade policies with the need for sustainable farming. In July 2024, global experts gathered at the Global Forum for Farm Policy & Innovation (GFFPI) workshop in Washington, D.C., to tackle these pressing questions. Here, we highlight key takeaways from the workshop on aligning global trade with sustainable agriculture.

Why Integrating Sustainability into Trade Matters

Global agriculture is at a crossroads as countries strive to boost productivity and meet sustainability goals without causing unintended trade disruptions. Trade plays a vital role in food security, yet poorly coordinated policies can lead to barriers, especially as more nations adopt individual sustainability measures. To keep the agricultural sector competitive and resilient, there’s a growing need for a unified framework to guide trade and sustainability.

The Challenges of Harmonizing Trade with Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture protects natural resources, maintains profitability, and supports community well-being. While the concept is widely understood, applying it consistently across countries and trade agreements takes time and effort. The workshop underscored that each country faces unique hurdles in integrating sustainable practices. For example, while some regions prioritize carbon reduction, others focus on reducing food insecurity or supporting local farmers. As a result, a “one-size-fits-all” approach to sustainable trade isn’t feasible.

What Role Can Trade Agreements Play?

Trade agreements hold the potential to foster sustainability, but they must be crafted carefully. Adding sustainability chapters focused on environmental and labor standards can help, as can voluntary incentive-based programs that encourage best practices without restricting farmers’ flexibility. Workshop participants agreed that trade policy can be a powerful tool, but only if it promotes shared goals while respecting local contexts.

Adopting an Outcome-Based Approach to Measure Sustainability

One key takeaway from the workshop was shifting from traditional, input-based sustainability measures (such as mandating specific farming practices) to outcome-based approaches. This shift allows farmers to adapt and innovate while focusing on measurable results like soil health, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Though more complex, outcome-based metrics can yield more meaningful insights and foster an environment where sustainable practices are both encouraged and achievable.

The Importance of Global Standards and Local Flexibility

Global standards are essential for assessing sustainability fairly across different countries. However, rigid frameworks may overlook local realities, particularly for smallholder farmers who face unique challenges. Workshop discussions emphasized the importance of balancing global standards and local flexibility to ensure sustainability goals are relevant and achievable worldwide. This balance is critical for creating trade policies that don’t stifle innovation or penalize farmers in resource-limited regions.

Supporting Sustainable Innovation in Agriculture

International trade enables innovation by allowing the transfer of knowledge, technology, and best practices. Golden Rice, an innovation born of global collaboration to address vitamin A deficiency, was one example discussed at the workshop. Cross-border cooperation accelerates such breakthroughs, underscoring the need for open markets that allow agricultural innovations to reach areas most needed.

Recommendations for Sustainable Trade

The workshop concluded with actionable steps for aligning trade and sustainability:

1. Adopt Flexible, Science-Based Policies: Avoid rigid policies and instead focus on outcome-oriented, science-based standards that allow flexibility for farmers to adopt practices locally.
2. Invest in Consistent Metrics and Data Management: Developing universally accepted metrics will make sustainability more transparent and achievable, especially with emerging technologies like remote sensing and real-time data tracking.
3. Strengthen Global Cooperation: Collaborating with institutions like the WTO and FAO can help establish frameworks integrating trade with sustainability. Global collaboration is essential to create cohesive, effective standards.
4. Position Sustainability as a Trade Opportunity: Rather than viewing sustainability as a trade barrier, policymakers should consider it a pathway to new markets and greater competitiveness.
5. Involve Farmers in Policy Development: Policies should reflect the realities on the ground, including the needs and challenges of farmers. Ensuring farmers’ participation in policy discussions helps craft practical and impactful solutions.

The Path to a Sustainable Agricultural Future

As agriculture faces mounting challenges, aligning trade with sustainable practices is essential. With thoughtful policies and collaborative efforts, global trade can support a more sustainable and food-secure world. The insights from the GFFPI workshop provide a strong foundation for future discussions, reminding us that trade policies should empower, not hinder, the transition to sustainable agriculture. With aligned policies and a shared commitment, the agricultural sector can advance toward a more resilient, sustainable future.

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Claire Citeau is a distinguished fellow at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. She is also a senior fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. Sandro Steinbach is an associate professor in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics and the director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University. They can be reached at cciteau@uottawa.ca and sandro.steinbach@ndsu.edu, respectively.

The post Rethinking Trade for Sustainable Agriculture in a Changing World appeared first on Farm Foundation.

A new report from the Global Forum on Farm Policy & Innovation (GFFPI) highlights the complexities of balancing trade and sustainability objectives, emphasizing the pressing need to align trade rules with sustainability goals while avoiding unintended consequences.

The report, Policy and Practice for Sustainable Agriculture and Trade, is based on observations from the second workshop held by GFFPI, held in Washington D.C. in July 2024. The first workshop was hosted at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris in 2023 and focused on the ideal state of agriculture sustainability and trade.

The second workshop explored ways to integrate sustainability into global trade frameworks and develop standardized measurements to avoid unintended consequences. The workshop brought together over 70 participants representing 17 countries, including government officials, industry representatives, and trade policy experts. The discussions grappled with fundamental questions, including whose sustainability should be prioritized in trade agreements—the exporting country, the importing country, or global outcomes—and trade-offs between the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability.

Key points identified in the report include:

• Adopting an outcome-based approach to sustainability, starting with soil health, water, biodiversity and carbon measures as benchmarks.
• Developing a Sustainable Agriculture Trade Framework with clear definitions, science-based standards and guiding principles.
• Strengthening international cooperation to promote policy coherence GFFPI representatives were pleased to be able to further develop insights from the Paris workshop and push this important conversation forward.

“We are proud of and grateful for the global collaboration we have built over the last few years via GFFPI for respectful and evidence-based dialogue to elevate and advance possible pathways forward for agricultural trade and sustainability,” said Shari Rogge-Fidler, president and CEO of Farm Foundation.

Mark Titterington, co-founder and director of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, agreed saying, “This is another strong contribution to the ongoing discussion on the role of trade policies in supporting the development of a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system. There is certainly a worthy case to consider for developing a global sustainable agriculture trade framework, underpinned by robust science, measurement and data, and which is outcome based. We were delighted to work with our partners in GFFPI in facilitating the discussion that led to this report and look forward to building on the key insights that emerged, also by bringing the European point of view and sensibilities to the discussion.”

The benefit of being able to share their specific point of view was shared by other GFFPI representatives. “As a trade-focused nation, Australian farmers know that our food-secure future depends on collaborative global action to meet shared goals,” said Katie McRobert, executive director of the Australian Farm Institute. “Trade can be a powerful lever to incentivize action on building natural, social, and economic capital in agricultural systems, provided that policies recognize unique local environmental and cultural contexts.”

When considering what comes next, the workshop highlighted the complex interplay between trade policy and agricultural sustainability and acknowledged there are many steps to make towards meaningful progress.

“The dialogue at the Washington workshop built on GFFPI’s past work, but underscored how much more work needs to be done to find solutions to the challenge of agriculture sustainability and trade,” said Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. “This work needs to be done between countries and must include leaders in trade and sustainability to lead to meaningful outcomes.”

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The Global Forum for Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) leverages evidence and dialogue leading to increased understanding, substantive action, and enhanced outcomes for more sustainable agriculture around the world. GFFPI members include the Australian Farm Institute, the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute, the Farm Foundation (United States) and the Forum for the Future of Agriculture (Europe).

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The November Farm Foundation® Forum, Growing Together: Trends and Transformation in U.S. Agriculture Labor, highlighted some of the findings from a recent multi-day symposium that explored the future of the U.S. agricultural workforce. The symposium, held by Farm Foundation and the Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aimed to convene a network of researchers and stakeholders to engage in productive discussions focused on farm labor issues. The primary goal was to strengthen and enhance ongoing farm labor research.

This forum highlighted the critical importance of farm labor to the competitiveness of US agriculture, particularly for labor-intensive commodities like fruits and vegetables. The discussion was moderated by Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, and featured panelists: Philip Martin Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis; Andrew Padovani, senior research associate with JBS International; and Alexandra Hill, assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

The Forum covered a wide range of topics, including wage rates and competition, legislative and regulatory challenges, litigation and legal actions, mechanization and labor alternatives, and economic and demographic trends.

Numerous Issues to Consider

One point brought up was that there has been no significant agricultural labor reform since 1986, making it difficult to address current labor issues. Farmers must also contend with many new regulations, including those related to wage rates and worker protection. The impact of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate and competition with countries like Mexico was also discussed.

One solution to rising labor costs is a push toward mechanization, which brings about its own set of questions around adaptation to this change. In some cases, robotic harvesters are not yet fast enough or inexpensive enough to replace human hand pickers, but the gap may be closing fastest for crops like apples.

The H2-A program was also a large part of the discussion. The use of H-2A workers is increasing, but the program’s costs and regulatory requirements are significant. The anticipated impacts of the incoming administration on the potential for ag labor reform was also briefly discussed during audience question and answer session.

Overall, the Forum underscored the urgent need for comprehensive agricultural labor reform to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of US agriculture. The discussions highlighted the complex interplay of wage rates, regulatory challenges, and the need for mechanization and alternative labor sources.

The two-hour discussion, including the audience question and answer session, was recorded and is archived on the Farm Foundation website. 

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Farm Foundation and National 4-H Council recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a focus on a deeper collaboration in leadership, education and youth workforce readiness for young people who seek careers in food and agriculture.

The organizations’ current partnership on the Farm Family Wellness Alliance (FFWA)  provides free access to mental health and wellness services to farm families across the United States, including youth ages 16 and up. Now, the two organizations will align on career exploration, leadership training and skill-building opportunities for youth through Farm Foundation’s Next Generation programs and 4-H’s recently launched Beyond Ready initiative. This collaboration will help strengthen young learners’ interest in food and agriculture career pathways as early as elementary school. Additionally, it will help create a ready pipeline of future leaders as they graduate high school and college.

“Farm Foundation looks forward to closer collaboration with 4-H, which has already been such a wonderful partner in working towards practical solutions for agriculture,” said Shari Rogge-Fidler, president and CEO, Farm Foundation. “There are so many synergies between our two organizations that will lead to a natural multiplier effect in our ability to accelerate young people in their paths into food and agriculture. It is an exciting moment for Farm Foundation, and we look forward to a fruitful and valuable partnership.”

“The extended partnership with Farm Foundation further strengthens our ability to prepare young people for success in agriculture, food science and beyond. Building on the positive impact of the Farm Family Wellness Alliance, our enhanced collaboration will equip youth with the leadership, skills and confidence they need to be Beyond Ready for the workforce of tomorrow,” said Jill Bramble, president and CEO, National 4-H Council.

Farm Foundation
Naomi Millán
Marketing and Communications Manager
naomi@farmfoundation.org

National 4-H Council
Yolanda Stephen
Senior Manager, Public Relations
YStephen@fourhcouncil.edu

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About Farm Foundation:
Farm Foundation® has accelerated practical solutions for agriculture for over 90 years. Farm Foundation’s mission is to build trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society. This is accomplished by leveraging non‐partisan objective dialogue, information, and training, catalyzing solutions, and creating multi‐stakeholder collaboration. Farm Foundation’s vision is to build a future for farmers, our communities, and our world. For more information, visit farmfoundation.org.  

About National 4-H Council:
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. Through Beyond Ready, 4-H will increase that number to ten million youth annually. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3,000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.

Learn more about 4‑H at 4-H.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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In the Perspectives guest blog series, Farm Foundation invites participants from among the varied Farm Foundation programs to share their unique viewpoint on a topic relevant to a Farm Foundation focus area. In this post, Gillian Villa discusses the impact of attending a professional conference with her cohort of the Field to Future program. The Farm Foundation Field to Future Program engages underrepresented undergraduate students studying at an accredited university and/or land grant institution in a two year-long program of learning experiences focused on gaining a deeper understanding of production agriculture, food processing, marketing, and agribusiness. Gillian is a sophomore at Kansas State University, studying agribusiness with a secondary major in global food systems leadership and a minor in agronomy. 

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Attending the Women in Agribusiness conference in Denver, Colorado, left a lasting impact on my perspective as a young woman in agriculture. The agricultural sector can often be daunting, and I frequently find myself facing challenges that can feel discouraging, leading me to question my qualifications and value within the field. However, meeting accomplished women from diverse backgrounds in the agricultural industry was incredibly inspiring. Their stories of resilience and success demonstrated the strength of women in this sector and highlighted the vital role we play in feeding, housing, and clothing the world.

I gained a deeper understanding of how innovation is reshaping our industry, from the growing interest in AI and its applications to the advancements in research and development, as well as the vital role of agricultural policy and advocacy in driving innovation forward. Further, I discovered many avenues where I, as a next-gen leader, can contribute meaningfully to the industry.

I felt empowered by the collaboration among like-minded women who share a passion for making a positive difference in agriculture. Back on campus, I am actively fostering conversations about the insights I gained at the conference. I even had the opportunity to connect with a company represented at the conference that has proven to be beneficial to my undergraduate research.

Overall, it’s clear that we must work together to foster innovation that will positively impact our food system. While it was centered around female leadership, it’s essential to recognize that both men and women, regardless of age or experience, must collaborate to drive progress in agriculture and create a sustainable future for all. Sharing knowledge, experiences, and resources is so important to the development of leaders and industry. This conference reaffirmed my commitment to being an advocate for change and a voice for the future of agriculture. I left Denver with not only newfound knowledge and connections but also a sense of purpose and determination to contribute positively to this essential field.

The post Perspective: Gaining a Deeper Understanding on Innovation and Collaboration in Agriculture appeared first on Farm Foundation.

Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Farm Foundation hosted a Farm Foundation Forum to examine the agricultural platforms of the candidates for president of the United States. Held on September 9 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., the Forum was moderated by Kristina Peterson from the Wall Street Journal, with Kip Tom, co-lead of the Farmers and Ranchers for Trump Coalition, representing the Republican platform and Rod Snyder, former senior advisor for agriculture for EPA in the Biden-Harris Administration, representing the Democratic platform. 

The speakers touched on a variety of issues, including the farm bill, tax policy, environmental policy, nutrition, agricultural trade, farm labor and immigration, and biofuels. 

“In such a wonderful Farm Foundation-way, they engaged on some really difficult topics and different perspectives,” said Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler, reflecting on the tenor of the conversation between the two speakers. While not official members of the campaigns, each speaker is closely connected with the campaigns but was careful to anchor their statements on past policies while clarifying where they thought each platform might go on policy in the future. 

The event marked Farm Foundation’s return to in-person Forums at the National Press Club since moving the Forums virtual at the start of the pandemic. It attracted 769 registrants from seven different countries, with 522 attending live either in person or via livestream.  

The two-hour discussion, including the audience question and answer session, was recorded and is archived on the Farm Foundation website.  

Farm Foundation plans to hold another Forum at the National Press Club in 2025 but will maintain its virtual strategy for the bulk of future Forums to preserve greater audience access and reach. Forums are free to watch or attend, due to the generous support from Farm Credit Council. 

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The Farm Foundation Book Club is open to Farm Foundation Round Table Fellows and meets virtually once-per-quarter to discuss works related to agriculture, industry, and our world. This blog post was submitted by Round Table Fellow Jonah Kolb, president of Moore & Warner Ag Group, LLC. Round Table Fellow John Power, president of LSC International Inc., introduced the author and guest. Round Table Fellow Bonnie Brayton, venture associate at Fulcrum Global Capital, moderated a lively and engaging discussion.

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The Farm Foundation Book Club held its third-quarter event on October 3^rd to discuss The New Breadline by Jean-Martin Bauer, which centers on hunger and food security. The wide-ranging conversation between the author and Roundtable Fellows centered around three themes: the weaponization of hunger and geopolitics of food, food insecurity, and the production and distribution system of the future.

Theme 1: The weaponization of hunger and geopolitics of food

The main cause of acute hunger is war and civil conflict.  Currently about 300 million people worldwide are experiencing conflict-driven hunger.

The international community was slow to develop laws formally forbidding the use of famine and starvation as a weapon.  While these laws now exist, a successful first prosecution is still likely years away.  The potential exists for these laws to be applied both in wars between states and in internal conflicts within states.

The price spike that occurred in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine had major impact on wheat markets especially, but a deeper crisis was averted by multilateral negotiations allowing exports to continue from Ukrainian ports.  While this resolution was an example of success in problem-solving amid conflict, it highlights the challenge to the international community when dealing with crisis:  each crisis is unique and requires an individual response.

Theme 2: Food insecurity

An estimated 1 billion people globally are food insecure, including about 40 million in the U.S.   The lack of food and nutrition is a long-term problem for each community and a wide range of strategies are being used across the world. 

Bauer was the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) director in Haiti when WFP warehouses were attacked and looted.  Social media was a major driver of this event, and in response Bauer increased transparency and communication through social media channels to better communicate the activities of WFP in Haiti. 

In addition to the war and civil conflict driving food insecurity, climate change, lack of support for local farmers, and rapid population growth contribute to hunger in many countries. Much of the projected global population growth through 2050 will take place in Africa, and Niger is a case study in the challenges of climate and growing population.  When Bauer worked in Niger 20 years ago, the population of 11 million could largely be fed by local food production which took advantage of the 90-day rain season.  Today, a population of 24 million—on its way to a projected 50 million by 2050—is experiencing more irregular rain patterns which negatively impacts that local food production.  There is likely to be a significant movement of population to regions where food is available since there is no other viable option. 

Theme 3: Production and distribution system of the future

Bauer’s family and professional background in Haiti was interwoven through much of The New Breadline and the author highlighted the challenges of opening the Haitian market for rice imports.  Haiti went from a country that provided 80% of its rice consumption domestically to a country importing 80% of its rice.

This interplay between free markets, government subsidies, and food aid and local production is a significant focus of Bauer’s writing.  Local production and distribution are keys to addressing hunger. Food aid and trade policy displacing these local systems can have long-term negative impacts on hunger.

In his book and in the Farm Foundation book club, Bauer covered the use of direct cash provided to food-insecure individuals in lieu of food distribution.  A pre-requisite of such aid is the ability of local production and distribution systems to meet food demand. In such cases, $1 of direct aid has been shown to have a 1.3 to 1.4 multiplier effect in the local economy, without contributing to inflationary food prices.

World Central Kitchen, which has been active both in the domestic U.S. and countries around the world, sources much of its ingredients to produce prepared meals from local producers, which reinforces local food production capabilities, all the more important in times of duress.

Conflict, undercapitalized small farmers, and climate change will continue to contribute to global hunger. Bauer encourages a push-back against “selective empathy,” the idea that there are good disaster and bad disasters.  There are, more simply, just humans in need.  Fully addressing hunger requires more elastic thinking on building resilient independent food systems on a global scale, operated at a local level. 

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Farm Foundation has added a book award to its prestigious roster of annual awards. The Farm Foundation Book of the Year Award is open to a non-fiction English language work focused on food and/or agriculture published within the last 24 months.

“We are excited to expand the scope of the Farm Foundation Awards to honor the importance of a contemporary author exploring food or agriculture,” says Tim Brennan, Farm Foundation vice president of programs and strategic impact. “With so much exciting scholarship in these fields, we anticipate a robust pool of candidates and a difficult choice ahead.”

The book award joins the two lifetime achievement awards and two innovator awards recognizing leaders and change makers who exemplify Farm Foundation’s mission and values. They include:
–R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award In the mid-1990s, Farm Foundation began awarding the R.J. Hildreth Award for Career Achievement in Public Policy, an award open to those in the field of public policy, through government service, as educators, or those researching agricultural policy.
–The Farm Foundation Transformational Leadership Award This lifetime achievement award honors an individual who has demonstrated innovative and transformational leadership in food and agriculture.
–The Farm Foundation Innovator of the Year Award The focus of this award is to recognize those changemakers that are an integral part of solving some of the most difficult challenges we face today in the food and agriculture sector.
–The Farm Foundation Emerging Leader Award This award recognizes a young emerging leader who is on the trajectory to make transformational change within the agriculture and food sector.

The official awards recognition ceremony will take place at the July 2025 Farm Foundation Round Table meeting in Spokane, WA. Award recipients will be invited to participate in the Round Table meeting.

The awards are open to any candidate involved in the agriculture and food sectors. For other nomination requirements and more information on each award, visit farmfoundation.org/farmfoundationawards.

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Additional Promotions Also Announced

Farm Foundation, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, is pleased to announce that Timothy Brennan has been selected as their vice president of programs and strategic impact, a new role reflecting the increased emphasis on prioritizing work with clearly defined impact.  

“Tim brings both breadth and depth to this role,” said Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler. Brennan, who comes from an Ohio farm family and maintains his own hobby farm south of Chicago, joined Farm Foundation nearly 12 years ago to manage external relations. Brennan previously served in a variety of externally facing roles at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.  Brennan also currently serves as the co-chair of the Chicago Wilderness Growing with Agriculture Green Vision Goal which seeks to bring conservationists and farmers together to protect and improve land in the states surrounding Lake Michigan.  

“As Farm Foundation continues to build on our past and expand our programs at our new Innovation and Education Campus (IEC) at our farm just outside of Chicago, Tim’s experience in fundraising, innovation, and coalition building makes him ideally suited for this role” said Rogge-Fidler.   

“I am thrilled for this opportunity,” Brennan said.  He goes on to say that “the Innovation and Education Center allows us to bring our programs and projects to life in new and exciting ways. Even though we are a 91-year-old organization, we have the spirit and drive of a start-up that fosters an exhilarating, enabling environment focused on real-world impact.” 

Additional Promotions Announced

Two additional promotions will bolster the next chapter of growth and impact at Farm Foundation.  Morgan Craven has been named as the director of programs and events, and Dr. Amanda L. Martin has been designated the new senior director of external relations.  

Craven came to Farm Foundation in 2015 as the events manager, then moved into the senior manager of events role before her latest promotion. Prior to joining the Farm Foundation team, Morgan served as the conference and events manager at Trinity Christian College and as a premium hospitality game-day staff member for the Chicago Bears NFL team. Craven also worked at various Hilton brand properties furthering her hospitality experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, in recreation, sports leadership, and tourism management. 

Martin joined the team in 2022 and has an extensive career in agriculture and higher education. Working within the colleges of agriculture at Auburn University and Louisiana State University, Martin most recently served as an assistant dean at LSU. Prior to making the move to Farm Foundation, Martin worked with the executive team at the American Egg Board. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at Louisiana State University and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Agribusiness Economics. She currently serves as one of ten members selected to the National Agriculture Future of America Alliance Advisory Council. 

For over 90 years, Farm Foundation has been a pioneering force in agriculture, consistently leading the charge in developing ideas and fostering conversations that champion farmers and the agricultural community. In 2022, Farm Foundation took a bold step forward by becoming place-based, acquiring a century farm to deepen the understanding and experience of farming. This farm, alongside the Innovation and Education Center, will serve as the national headquarters for the organization.  

With this strategic addition, the latest innovations in agriculture, conservation, and technology will have a dedicated space to be showcased, allowing Farm Foundation to collaborate with stakeholders across the food and agriculture sectors in advancing the people and ideas that will shape the future. Rather than functioning as a tourist attraction or a research facility, this farm will provide agriculture leaders with authentic on-farm experiences through new programs. 

The Farm Foundation Innovation and Education Center (IEC) was officially opened on September 28^th with a public celebration that included food tasting stations, high-tech agriculture demonstrations and site tours.  The IEC is a state-of-the-art facility supporting a variety of uses, including gathering program participants to collaborate, community building, and engagement. There are also conservation projects, a variety of crops, and historic buildings on the campus.  

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Nearly 150 people joined Farm Foundation in Libertyville, Illinois, to celebrate the grand opening of the Farm Foundation Innovation and Education Campus at 31330 North Milwaukee Avenue. The blustery weather on Saturday, September 28, 2024, couldn’t keep the crowd away as they gathered to learn about the importance of this special new hub for the food and agriculture sectors.  

Newly constructed on the campus, the Innovation and Education Center (IEC), designed to be in visual harmony with the property’s historic barn and farmhouse, houses a multi-media room, flexible gathering spaces, and a demonstration kitchen. These spaces along with the outdoor fields will all help to engage the senses and bring agriculture to life in unique ways for stakeholders across food and agriculture through new programs, such as the AG101 Bootcamp. The facility is also envisioned as an ideal meeting space where key players can come together to advance solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture.  

Farm Foundation built the 4,000-square-foot building on its 14-acre property which operated as a grain and livestock farm for a large part of the 19^th and most of the 20^th centuries. It was selected from over 40 sites that were considered in the Chicagoland area as the perfect location to anchor Farm Foundation’s mission to build understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society.  The farm campus was selected for its ease of access by all forms of transportation, the natural beauty of the farm and surrounding area, and the multiple purposes the property enables. 

Key Moments

After the Illinois State FFA officers presented the colors, Farm Foundation Board Chair Dan Basse and Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler provided opening remarks. Reflecting on multiple inspirations and the efforts of many that came together to make the IEC a reality, their opening remarks anchored the vision for the new campus in place-based purpose for Farm Foundation’s programs and engagement.  

The audience then heard from the Honorable Michael Johanns, former United States Secretary of Agriculture. “This building will house experts and advocates in collaboration working together to build ideas and solutions to take action to change agriculture for generations to come,” said Johanns.  

He was followed by Ambassador Darci Vetter, head of global public policy at PepsiCo, who spoke to innovations in the agri-food supply chain; and Chancellor Robert Jones of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who addressed the importance of radical collaborations and place-based strategies, hallmarks of the vision for the Farm Foundation IEC. “The challenges that we face are too large and too complex for any one entity to solve alone,” Jones said. 

After the ribbon cutting, the campus was open for visitors to explore. A highlight of the event was the several in-field demonstrations of innovations in agriculture from Beck’s Hybrids, InnerPlant, John Deere, Purdue Extension UAV, Syngenta, and the University of Illinois Center for Digital Ag. Attendees also enjoyed food samples from Calvetti Culinary Creations, Eli’s Cheesecake, Kraft Heinz, and Quaker from PepsiCo Foods. 

The Innovation and Education Center will be Farm Foundation’s new home, replacing the office space currently held in Oak Brook. The project team included architecture firm Kahler Slater, project manager JLL, and general contractor Summit Design + Build. Construction began in August 2024 and completed in roughly 12 months. 

For further information and additional photos from the grand opening ceremony, please access the media kit. For inquiries into space rental, please contact elizabeth@farmfoundation.org, or to learn more about collaboration, reach out to amanda@farmfoundation.org. 

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Farmworkers play an “essential role in keeping food on our tables,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during opening remarks at a symposium held September 17-19, 2024, in Santa Cruz, California. The three-day event, “The Changing Landscape of Farm Labor Conditions in the United States: What the Future Holds and How to Prepare for It,” was hosted by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) and Farm Foundation. The symposium consisted of a two-day conference plus a one-day farm tour centered around the theme of U.S. agricultural labor conditions, challenges, and solutions. Dr. Jessica Crowe, chief of the Rural Economy Branch at the USDA’s ERS, along with ERS’s farm labor team, organized the event along four key themes: 

1. Trends in the farm labor force—including presentations on worker migration and the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program
2. Labor costs—including presentations on the effects of H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) and overtime laws on farmworkers
3. Farmworker conditions—including presentations on workplace safety; effects of climate change on worker health; workplace harassment
4. Workforce development and technology—trends in training current farmworkers and a new generation to develop, operate, and repair new technologies in the field and lead packing operations

In her opening remarks, ERS Assistant Administrator Kelly Maguire stressed that although critical to the Nation’s food security, “farm work is potentially hazardous and ERS data show that farmworkers receive lower wages when compared with nonsupervisory workers outside of agriculture.” Complicating the issue, both the private and government sector will need to “accelerate adaptation to a changing landscape of farm labor,” said Maguire. This will be necessary for the United States to remain competitive as a producer of labor-intensive commodities like fruit and vegetables, she said.

The symposium’s opening remarks continued with Secretary Vilsack highlighting that “the USDA, Department of Labor, and employers can all play a role in addressing systemic challenges” while emphasizing the importance of building “a system that works for everyone… by creating value and opportunity for employers and farmworkers.”

In his keynote address, Dr. Philip Martin, professor emeritus at the University of California-Davis, outlined three responses to rising farm labor costs: an increase in mechanization, an increase in the number of migrant workers with H-2A visas, and an increase in imported produce. However, questions remain as to the extent machines can lessen labor needs by commodity, the number of workers the U.S. will need in the future and where they will come from, and whether the U.S. can import more fruits and vegetables from Mexico, Central and South America.

Day 1 Overview: Farmworker Well-Being

After opening remarks, the first day’s sessions focused on the changing farm labor force, farmworker wages, workplace safety, and farmworker health. Presenters described the changing demographics of domestic crop workers as one that is aging, increasingly coming from Southern Mexico, and more likely to have at least one chronic health condition. In addition, the number of farmworkers on migrant H-2A visas continues to increase. Several speakers discussed farmworker wages from the perspective of the farmworker and farm owner. Audience members contributed to these discussions by considering how high costs of housing factor into the discussion on wages. With respect to H-2A wages, Dr. Zach Rutledge, assistant professor at Michigan State University, discussed the adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) including how the AEWR is calculated, problems with its calculation, whether the rate is too low or too high, and how changes to the AEWR would affect H-2A and non-H-2A farm wages.

Speakers discussed the impact of farmworkers being excluded from many federal workplace protection laws on farmworker well-being. State laws are patchwork with some states providing more protection for farmworkers than other states. For example, six states have implemented (or are finalizing) heat standards for agricultural workers while three states have regulations in place for wildfire smoke. Despite agricultural workers having fewer workplace protections at the federal level than other occupations, farmworkers are exposed to hazardous conditions including extreme weather, wild animals, hazardous plants, dangerous tools, hazardous chemicals, and poor living conditions. These risks found in the workplace can lead to injuries and illnesses that are often left untreated until the problem becomes severe. Dr. Brenda Berumen assistant professor at Texas State University, described several barriers that farmworkers face to seeking medical treatment including the high cost of care, unpaid sick leave to receive treatment (resulting in lost wages), long travel times to receive certain health services, and a lack of information and resources (including information in their native language).

Day 2 Overview: Technological Innovations, H-2A Visa Program

The sessions on the second day focused on workforce development, technology, and the H-2A visa program. Advances in technological aids in orchards and fields, such as platforms used in apple orchards, can increase labor productivity while reducing injuries associated with previous picking methods. However, adoption rates are slow as the structure and architecture of existing orchards and fields have to adapt to the new technology. In addition, robotics in fields and orchards are continuing to advance, but have a ways to go before the technology is efficient enough to be cost effective. However, patents for artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture have increased substantially in the past few years. It is yet to be seen how the increase in agricultural AI will impact farm labor.

The H-2A visa program is an increasing source of temporary agricultural labor. Presenters discussed the problems of the program, including scams and illegal fees associated with the recruitment of migrant workers, lack of oversight and accountability for employers who break laws tied to H-2A, and the tethering of farmworkers to employers by visa status. While speakers and audience members debated the impacts of H-2A wages on farmworkers and employers, overall, symposium attendees agreed that H-2A is a significant program that employers increasingly seek out to secure farm labor. Furthermore, attendees agreed that problems exist that can result in exploitation of farmworkers, during recruitment and employment. Dr. Kelly Maguire closed the symposium by thanking those involved who organized the three-day event, including the interpreters, reflecting on what was learned through formal and informal conversations, and encouraging attendees to continue to build on newly formed relationships and to nurture new perspectives and information gained during the symposium.

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This post-event summary of “The Changing Landscape of Farm Labor Conditions in the United States: What the Future Holds and How to Prepare for It” symposium was written by Dr. Jessica Crowe, chief of the Rural Economy Branch in the Resource and Rural Economy Division in the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).

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The 2024 USDA ERS/Farm Foundation Agricultural Scholars recently completed their cohort year, presenting their capstone projects at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to USDA Economic Research Service staff during the second week of September.  

The group of 20 Ag Scholars presented on topics ranging from utility-scale solar energy, to labor markets, supplemental irrigation, and food loss and waste practices.  

After their presentations, the students met with USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Sanah Baig, USDA Chief Economist Dr. Seth Meyer, and met with the House and Senate Ag Committees.  

At the end of the week, the Ag Scholars also attended the September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Lockup. 

The 5th cohort’s productive year connected the students with their field of study in a deeply meaningful way and forged connections across the industry that will serve them well as they continue to develop as leaders.  

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Although critical to the nation’s food security, farm work is potentially hazardous, farmworkers receive lower wages when compared with nonsupervisory workers outside agriculture, and many hired farm workers lack legal work authorization and access to basic public services. For the United States to remain competitive as a producer of fruit, vegetables, and other labor-intensive commodities both private and government institutions will need to accelerate adaptation to a changing landscape of farm labor.

An upcoming conference on farm labor seeks to strengthen ongoing farm labor research by convening and developing a network of researchers and stakeholders. The Changing Landscape of Farm Labor Conditions in the United States: What the Future Holds and How to Prepare for It conference will take place September 17 to 19, 2024, in Santa Cruz, California.

The conference is presented by the USDA Economic Research Service and Farm Foundation. It will cover four key themes: trends in the farm labor force, including worker migration and the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program; labor costs, farm worker conditions, and workforce development.

Visit https://farmfoundation.swoogo.com/farmlabor for more information and to register.

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