Our ‘little tree’ needs a little love: Why agriculture deserves better policy
Farmers and ranchers are remarkable people. Collectively, farms in the United States earned $159 billion in take-home pay in 2025. That earned income seems astronomical until the gross income is considered – $624 billion in 2025, meaning about $465 billion was spent on overall operating costs. It is not easy to be a farmer or rancher. If you’ve ever seen A Charlie Brown Christmas, you know the call for a “great big, shiny aluminum Christmas ...
LA divorces itself from coal. Is it really a defining moment?
With the immodesty of an experienced braggart, the city of Los Angeles announced on Dec. 4 that it has ended its relationship with coal. No longer will it receive power generated from that particular fossil fuel. Mayor Karen Bass called it “a defining moment” that will take the city closer “building a clean energy economy that benefits every Angeleno.” The announcement was hardly more than a photo-op that will do little to improve LA air quality. By “clean,” she means ...
The abundance of Thanksgiving hides the challenges in agriculture
We are a nation that celebrates with food. Birthdays are synonymous with cake and ice cream. Easter is all about eggs and chocolate. Halloween is everyone’s favorite day for candy. But the ultimate in food-related holidays is Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, Americans will consume about 46 million turkeys, 77 million hams, 250 million pounds of potatoes, 50 million pounds of sweet potatoes, and 40 million rolls to celebrate the holiday. Farmers and ranchers are rarely at ...
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