News Update
April 19, 2018
2018 Auxiliary Scholarships Reminder
The American Angus Auxiliary scholarships are presented annually. Ten scholarships will be awarded. The total amount awarded will range from $16,000 to $17,000. The exact amount of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth place awards given to both boy and girl qualified applicants will be determined May 1, 2018. Scholarships may be defined as financial grants for which no equivalent work is required.
Each state Angus Auxiliary is entitled to submit one girl and one boy application for the national scholarships. The two applications must be submitted by the state or regional scholarship chairperson to the American Angus Auxiliary chairperson. The recipients will be announced at the National Junior Angus Show in July.
The application for the American Angus Auxiliary Scholarships is available online. Interested junior Angus members may download the application, access directions and general information online. The postmark for applications from the state contact is May 1. Additional questions about the American Angus Auxiliary scholarships can be directed to:
- Cindy Ahearn, scholarship chairperson
- 1615 Van Zandt CR 3416
- Wills Point, TX 75169
- Phone: 214-957-4895.
Read more about the scholarships online.
Perdue Statement on House Committee
Passage of 2018 Farm Bill
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue April 18 said regarding approval of the 2018 Farm Bill by the House Committee on Agriculture:
“I commend Chairman Conaway and the House Committee on Agriculture for passing a comprehensive farm bill out of the committee today. The bill closely aligns with the Farm Bill Principles released by USDA in January and is nearly identical to the legislation first introduced last week. We are encouraged that the committee heard the voices of their constituents, who want to preserve and enhance programs contained in the 2014 Farm Bill, as I learned in my conversations with farmers, ranchers, foresters and producers in 35 states in the last twelve months. As the bill heads to the floor, I hope the House recognizes the long-term certainty it provides for America’s farmers, just as it preserves nutrition programs for people who need help feeding themselves and their families. USDA stands ready to provide technical assistance as the bill progresses in the House, and we look forward to working with our friends in the Senate, as well.”
Read the full statement online.
Current House Farm Bill Fails to
Meet Needs of Family Farmers
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee April 18 marked up the 2018 Farm Bill, H.R. 2, sending the bill to the full U.S. House of Representatives for its consideration.
National Farmers Union (NFU), the nation’s second largest general farm organization, opposes the legislation as it is currently written, as it fails to provide an adequate safety net to family farmers and consumers, fails to support the long-term sustainability of family farms and ranches, and fails to ensure fair and diverse markets for farmers and ranchers. In a series of recommendations released April 18 NFU urged House members to make significant improvements on the floor prior to passing the bill.
“This bill is wholly inadequate for providing family farmers with the resources they need to endure the worst decline in the farm economy in decades,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “Congressional leadership’s directive to withhold any additional support has hamstrung the committee’s ability to address the six-year, 50% drop in net farm income. This bill lacks the improvements needed to provide sufficient farmer and consumer safety nets, it upends programs that improve sustainability, and it removes programs that aid the growth of fair and diverse markets for family farmers.”
Read the full NFU news release online.
Farm Bureau Statement on Farm Bill Markup
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said regarding the farm bill markup:
“The 2018 Farm Bill is ready for debate and amendments a mere six days after its introduction. A vote by the full House of Representatives is expected to soon follow. This is great news for farmers and ranchers everywhere. H.R. 2 — The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 — takes us one step closer to bringing certainty to families who face the toughest farm economy in more than a decade.
“We look forward to working with members of both the House and Senate to complete work on a bipartisan, bicameral bill that can be signed into law by the president before the current law expires.”
Coalition Works to Expand Rural E-connectivity
A coalition of stakeholders committed to the expansion of broadband services in rural America April 18 launched the first in a series of workshops to focus attention on the wide-ranging challenges to achieving connectivity and the opportunities improved e-connectivity could bring to the people and economies of the nation’s rural regions.
Perdue and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai joined executives from the five partner organizations — Farm Foundation, The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA), National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), CoBank and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) — in kicking off the listening sessions by highlighting the importance of e-connectivity to all sectors of rural America.
The next listening session will be in June 2018 in Minnesota, with additional sessions to be completed over the next six months.
“Broadband is vital to the rural economy in what is now a highly interconnected global marketplace,” said Tom Halverson, president and CEO of CoBank. “We need leaders on both sides of the aisle in Washington to work together to facilitate broadband investment and ensure that rural America remains competitive and strong.”
For more information, please view the full release online.
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