Thankful for our Agriculture Community this Holiday Season

Now that we have entered the holiday season, this is the perfect time to reconnect with loved ones, give thanks for those who are most important to us, reflect on the past year, and celebrate the farmers and ranchers who continue to provide food for our table and keep our shelves stocked.

Read on to hear what we’ve been working on in the ag world this month…

The Rising Cost to Farm

While inflation continues to weigh heavy on the wallets of all Americans, our rural and agricultural communities are facing the worst of it. The end of harvest season marks the time to start locking in prices for fuel, seed, fertilizer, and other inputs for next year’s planting season.

We have been sounding the alarm on soaring input costs since April of this year, when I sent a letter to President Biden with 96 of my colleagues urging action to curb rising fertilizer costs. A few months later, We supported a resolution expressing our support for American oil and gas production as part of an all-of-the-above domestic energy policy. Most recently, we signed another letter to President Biden urging him to address the high cost of diesel fuel, which is a primary input cost for our producers.

Our office continues to monitor rising prices very closely. Should your operation need additional resources to manage risks or if you are having trouble engaging with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or other federal agencies, our casework team is here to help.

Resources for Woman in Agriculture

We are excited to share information about a series of upcoming workshops designed for women in agriculture.

Starting on January 26, the University of Minnesota Extension, in conjunction with Annie’s Project, will be offering classes for farm women to learn risk management tools and network with their colleagues. Find out more about this opportunity here.

ICYMI: USDA Launches the 2022 Census of Agriculture

Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the opening of the 2022 Census of Agriculture. This census is conducted once every five years and is a complete count of U.S. farms, ranches, and the folks who operate them. Accurate information will give the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) the best possible picture of land use and ownership, production practices, income, and expenditures. That data, in turn, allows the USDA to advocate as effectively as possible on behalf of the entire ag community.

If you do not currently receiving materials from the NASS, please sign up to be counted by completing a form here.

We will always advocate for our agricultural communities and the producers, farmers, and ranchers who feed and fuel our world. As always, you can stay up to date on our work here.

Sincerely,