As Congress works toward a new Farm Bill, a House Ag Subcommittee talked conservation.
Lawmakers heard from five ag groups, including Tim Fink of the American Farmland Trust, who said that there is room to improve on how crop insurance interacts with conservation.
“I’ll say first and foremost, we need to make sure that the crop insurance system is not conflicting with these good farming practices. There’s been a lot of progress on that front, and there’s still probably progress to be made. I think the other aspect is that when we look at the crop insurance system, if we’re talking about creating additional incentives, it’s something that has to be actuarially sound, and the good news is, when we look at cover crop adoption, we’ve seen a lot of the research, it is reducing overall indemnity payments in the face of a lot of these extreme weather events. It’s also reducing prevent planting payments, and so whatever we can do that looks at the actuarially soundness, builds the research to make that case, and ultimately, our goal is to reward farmers for practices that are saving the public money and saving themselves money.”
Fink says that the Ag Land Easement Subprogram is crucial to preventing land loss. Without policy intervention, AFT estimates 18 million acres of farmland will be lost by 2040.
Placements and marketings beat expectations, but declining on-feed totals and feeder constraints keep the supply story supportive for cattle prices into 2026. Dr. Derrell Peel, with Oklahoma State University, joined us to break down cattle-on-feed numbers and provide his broader market outlook.
January 23, 2026 04:40 PM
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USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
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Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the recent Fifth Circuit Court decision overturning a prior Tax Court decision on self-employment tax for limited partners, the ruling’s impact on farmers, and potential next steps in Congress.
January 23, 2026 02:00 PM
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Americans for Prosperity Arkansas Director Ryan Norris talks energy infrastructure, regulatory reform, and the role of critical minerals in supporting rural America.
January 23, 2026 01:54 PM
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Congressman Adrian Smith of Nebraska joined us with the latest on efforts to secure year-round E15 sales.
January 23, 2026 01:12 PM
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Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
January 23, 2026 11:56 AM
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