Farm Bill

A breakdown of the work yet to do for the 2023 Farm Bill, and some potential stumbling blocks that may be in store for the U.S. agricultural economy.

Congress won’t pass a new farm bill prior to the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill on September 30th, the USDA lowers its forecast for total milk production this year by 400 million pounds, and low water levels are affecting ship traffic through the Panama Canal.

The complexities of The Farm Bill, low water levels in the Mississippi River once again create concern for agricultural barge traffic, the world’s biggest agribusiness corporations record record profits in the face of widespread food poverty and starvation, and U.S. wheat exports are expected to decrease to levels not seen in over 50 years.

Fallow sugarcane plantation fields may have fueled the devastating fires in Maui, a California law that sets confinement standards for pigs and poultry gets push back amid calls for changes from animal advocates, the 2023 Farm Bill is languishing in Congress, and sales of plant-based meat alternatives are slipping.

A breakdown of what appropriations will be included in the new Farm Bill, the USDA boosts farm loan relief for producers, and Colorado State University is selected to run one of 12 regional food business centers as part of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture program.

The Farm Bill is up for renewal this year, and lawmakers in Congress have been holding hearings on this massive once-every-five-years piece of legislation. Democratic United States Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado says he has high hopes for the bill. And Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo of Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District, introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would protect access to abortion medication.

Farming and ranching operations are complex businesses. Unlike factories that produce consumer goods, which can ramp up or scale down production quickly,…

Representative Scott Tipton was raised in Cortez, Colorado and is currently serving his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. KSJD's Bob…