The announcement to open up Conservation Reserve Program acres is meant to help livestock producers in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas who were hit by the wildfires at the beginning of...
- Bryce Anderson
- John Baranick
- Alan Brugler
- Joel Burgio
- Jennifer Carrico
- Chris Clayton
- Lori Culler
- Katie Micik Dehlinger
- Brian Ethridge
- Myke Feinman
- David M Fiala
- Mike Fontaine
- Liubov Georges
- Anthony Greder
- Jerry Gulke
- Jerry Hagstrom
- Chris Hill
- Gregg Hillyer
- Greg D Horstmeier
- Duane Howell
- Todd Hultman
- Cliff Jamieson
- Jason Jenkins
- Joel Karlin
- Scott R Kemper
- Mary Kennedy
- Rick Kment
- Elaine Kub
- Urban C Lehner
- Loren Lindler
- Dana Mantini
- Rod Mauszycki
- Dan Miller
- Darren Miller
- Brian L Milne
- Kathy Myers
- Victoria G Myers
- Todd Neeley
- Linda Nellson
- Richard Oswald
- Mike Palmerino
- Jim Patrico
- Susan Payne
- Russ Quinn
- Joel Reichenberger
- Mary Roth
- Kim Ruberti
- Nick Scalise
- Robin Schmahl
- Beth Schweitz
- Philip Shaw
- Elaine Shein
- Pamela Smith
- Richard Smith
- DTN Staff
- ShayLe Stewart
- Lin Tan
- Tara Trenary
- Emily Unglesbee
- Doug Webster
- Teresa Wells
- Matt Wilde
- Scott Williams
- Elizabeth Williams
- Lance Woodbury
- Cheri Zagurski
Chris Clayton
Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton has been writing and editing for DTN/The Progressive Farmer since 2005 after working more than seven years as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris has been recognized as writer of the year by the American Agricultural Editors' Association and won story of the year multiple times from the organization. He also has won the Glenn Cunningham Agricultural Journalist of the Year Award from the North American Agricultural Journalists and served as the group's president in 2012-13. The National Farmers Union and American Coalition for Ethanol also each have named Chris communicator of the year.
Chris graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1993 with a degree in journalism. He has worked for news organizations in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Nebraska. Chris lives in Glenwood, Iowa, with his wife and children.Recent Blogs by Author
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While there were complaints about how USDA uses the Commodity Credit Corp., on Thursday, there were also several members of Congress who want CCC used to help producers with specific...
More From This Author
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Officials Confirm HPAI Dairy Infections
USDA stated the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state veterinarians and public health officials are investigating the illness that has recently hit "primarily older dairy cows in...
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Help Wanted for Farm Labor Challenges
Farmers lobbying last week for changes to the H-2A guest worker program are frustrated that Congress or USDA are not offering any help to provide more labor or slow the constant increases...
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Pressing for GREET Model Update
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack explained Thursday the changes to the emissions model for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits will recognize some key climate-smart farming practices, but more work will be needed to include all...
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Examining Chinese Threats to Ag
The House Agriculture Committee delved into some of the risks of China attempting to expand its agricultural footprint in the U.S., while looking to steal intellectual property. Lawmakers highlighted the need to further restrict...
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Ag Day and Recognition for Farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted a National Ag Day event Tuesday morning which included speeches from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. A first-generation farmer also...
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Avoiding SAF Flight Cancellation
The ethanol industry is primed for an alcohol-to-jet conversion, but that will require both tax credits and changes to how EPA scores out corn-based ethanol in the Renewable Fuel Standard. That was a major discussion at a policy...
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Sage Grouse Protections and Livestock
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a new draft plan on Thursday to protect the greater sage grouse, a bird that nests on the ground and is known for the strutting displays by...
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DTN Ag Policy Blog
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the near rule at the National Farmers Union annual convention on Monday in Scottsdale, Ariz. The rule tightens the language on what products can be defined as Product of USA or Made...
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The Looming Tax Hit on Ag
An analysis by USDA's Economic Research Service shows farmers could see higher tax liability through changes in the Child Tax Credit, income tax rates, Alternative Minimum Tax and estate taxes...
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Rice Farmers Face Challenges in Texas
Most rice production in Texas is concentrated in a handful of counties south of Houston. A big chunk of rice acreage relies on canal water from the Colorado River in Texas. Last year, nearly 71,000 rice acres were idled in the...
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Walmart Dairy Processing Expansion
Walmart stated a new $350 million milk processing facility will produce milk products sourced largely from Texas dairy farmers. The operation will create nearly 400 jobs in Robinson, which is...
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Farm Bill Debate: All About Base Acres
The major commodity groups representing corn, soybean and wheat farmers are divided on what, if anything, should happen to base acres. All three major groups see a need to increase reference prices, even though they know it's...
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White House 'Strike Force' on Inflation
The White House is rolling out plans for a new task force on inflation as President Joe Biden looks for ways to highlight that his administration is trying to reduce high prices facing consumers. The effort comes as Biden will hold...
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Climate-Smart Spending and Livestock
A top USDA official pushed back against some criticism from environmental groups about funding conservation practices for livestock facilities. Critics such as the Environmental Working Group...
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DTN Ag Policy Blog
After months of stalled funding bills, the chairs and ranking members for appropriations on Sunday released funding packages for USDA, FDA and related agencies, along with five other major funding bills for federal departments as...
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Headwinds for Corn and Soybeans
Farmers and others at the Commodity Classic annual gathering for corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum producers are trying to find some rays of light, especially in the face of declining prices.
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DTN Ag Policy Blog
Right now, the House appropriations bill for USDA includes language that would prevent USDA from spending any money further drafting or implementing new competition rules under the P&S Act. A pair of U.S. senators wrote...
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E15 Year-Round Waiver Granted
The latest EPA decision still creates a problem for the ethanol industry and fuel retailers for this year because they will need an emergency waiver from the EPA to sell 15% ethanol for the 2024 driving season. That impacts more...
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Sewage Sludge and Contaminated Farms
A pair of small farm operations in Johnson County, Texas, allege that their farms were contaminated after Synagro provided a neighboring farmer with a biosolid fertilizer that contained high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl...
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USDA Livestock and Poultry Outlook
The livestock sector will benefit from lower feed prices in 2024 as cattle and beef producers are projected to see higher prices as well. A trend in the livestock and poultry sectors is that...
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Risks and Complication of Prop 12
Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack has increasingly become more vocal over the impacts of California's law, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last May. The court's ruling now appears to grant the ability of states to...
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2022 Ag Census Released
USDA released its 2022 Ag Census on Tuesday, a five-year survey that takes a snapshot of American farmers and their operations. The report showed a decline in farms and farm acreage overall...
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Trying to Stem a Rural Veterinary Crisis
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) was in Washington, D.C., last week to lobby on legislation to boost the number of rural veterinarians. The shortage of rural veterinarians also was a major point of discussion of...
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Best Blog of the Week
Leaders at the National Association of State Directors of Agriculture (NASDA) winter policy meeting in Washington were stunned Monday by news that Iowa farmer Bill Northey, a former USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and...
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Best Blog of the Week
While the 2023 crop is highly unlikely to generate an ARC or PLC payment, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln webinar highlights new wrinkles to consider for ARC-PLC decisions involving the 2024...
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Tax Bill Overwhelmingly Clears House
The House voted 357-70 on Wednesday evening to pass a tax package that includes a mix of business tax credits along with an expansion of the child tax credit.
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Land Controversy Over Chinese Owner
Chinese gaming-industry billionaire Tianqiao Chen has owned 198,000 acres of forest in the U.S. since 2015, USDA officials were unaware of the purchase until January when the Land Report listed him as a newcomer to the magazine's...
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Congress and the Snake River Dams
A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing over an agreement announced back in December that could eventually lead to removal of the four dams on the lower Snake River in southeastern Washington...
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Best Blog of the Week
Six Republican lawmakers are declaring their opposition increasing reference prices, which are tied directly to the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. That could put the House GOP in a bind...
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DTN Ag Policy Blog
Six Republican lawmakers are declaring their opposition increasing reference prices, which are tied directly to the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. That...
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AFBF Policy Change on Guest-Worker Caps
Delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) convention in Salt Lake City on Tuesday voted for changes in the group's policy book used to lobby Congress for legislation. One of the group's bigger debates revolved...
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Vilsack Lays Out Farm Bill Struggles
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack gave a speech at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting Monday in Salt Lake City. He announced USDA is releasing $157 million for on-farm...
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Tackling Mental Health Among Farmers
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) on Sunday announced a pair of collaborations related to rural mental health. One effort takes a project started by the Farm Foundation to offer free, anonymous online mental health...
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Farm Bureau Policy Push for 2024
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) kicked off its 105th annual meeting Sunday in Salt Lake City. Zippy Duvall, a Georgia farmer and president of AFBF, stressed in his opening speech the importance of rallying producers...
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Business, Family Tax Breaks Proposed
The GOP chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee announced a proposed $78 billion deal Tuesday that provides a mix of business tax credits along with an expansion...
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Best Blog of the Week
Reports are piling up about governors choosing to opt out of a new nutrition program for low-income public-school children, Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer, or Summer EBT. Governors so far have opted not to offer the program...
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An Option to Raise Reference Prices
One way for Congress to raise reference prices for the ARC and PLC programs is to figure out a way USDA could tap the Commodity Credit Corp. fund to raise the prices, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday.
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Biofuel Politics, E15, SAF, GREET
Every positive biofuel policy, such as boosting E15 or Sustainable Aviation Fuels, is caught in a regulatory complication. Presidential contenders speaking at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit explained biofuels were part of their plan...
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China Latest Flashpoint Over Ag Land
Foreign land ownership was a topic for a panel discussion at the Land Investment Expo on Tuesday in Des Moines, and as if on cue, Iowa's governor proposed new restrictions even though the state already has strong laws limiting...
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Farmland Values and Fed Policy Risks
Speaking Tuesday at the Land Investment Expo in Des Moines, a pair of former presidents of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City raised concerns about the national debt, the Fed's increased role in credit markets, and the...
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Ag Property Tax Debates in Legislatures
Lawmakers in states across the country are looking at ways to ease the burdens of property taxes, but mainly for residential homeowners. Nebraska, which has some of the highest property taxes on farm ground in the country, is...
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Poultry Farmers V. Tyson Foods
The suit filed in Stoddard County, Missouri, is against Tyson Foods, its chicken and sales divisions and a pair of managers at the Dexter facility. Farmers who produced eggs for Tyson's hatchery in the area allege Tyson officials...
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GOP Sprint to the Iowa Caucuses
Iowa Republicans will go to the caucuses on Jan. 15 with the possibility that the Republican nomination could be decided as early as "Super Tuesday" on March 5. Former President Donald Trump has a strong lead going into the Iowa...
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Top 10 Ag Stories of 2023: No. 1
No. 1 on DTN's list of the Top 10 Ag Stories of the Year looks at how the 2023 farm bill collapsed as the House of Representatives took down its leader.
- Bryce Anderson
- John Baranick
- Alan Brugler
- Joel Burgio
- Jennifer Carrico
- Chris Clayton
- Lori Culler
- Katie Micik Dehlinger
- Brian Ethridge
- Myke Feinman
- David M Fiala
- Mike Fontaine
- Liubov Georges
- Anthony Greder
- Jerry Gulke
- Jerry Hagstrom
- Chris Hill
- Gregg Hillyer
- Greg D Horstmeier
- Duane Howell
- Todd Hultman
- Cliff Jamieson
- Jason Jenkins
- Joel Karlin
- Scott R Kemper
- Mary Kennedy
- Rick Kment
- Elaine Kub
- Urban C Lehner
- Loren Lindler
- Dana Mantini
- Rod Mauszycki
- Dan Miller
- Darren Miller
- Brian L Milne
- Kathy Myers
- Victoria G Myers
- Todd Neeley
- Linda Nellson
- Richard Oswald
- Mike Palmerino
- Jim Patrico
- Susan Payne
- Russ Quinn
- Joel Reichenberger
- Mary Roth
- Kim Ruberti
- Nick Scalise
- Robin Schmahl
- Beth Schweitz
- Philip Shaw
- Elaine Shein
- Pamela Smith
- Richard Smith
- DTN Staff
- ShayLe Stewart
- Lin Tan
- Tara Trenary
- Emily Unglesbee
- Doug Webster
- Teresa Wells
- Matt Wilde
- Scott Williams
- Elizabeth Williams
- Lance Woodbury
- Cheri Zagurski