Agriculture
Agriculture
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 ...
Agriculture
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, ...
Agriculture
Pam Lewison – How Much Will Your Holiday Dinner Cost This Year?
With holiday meal planning in full swing, PRI fellow in agriculture policy Pam Lewison – a farmer in Eastern Washington and also fellow at PRI’s sister think tank, the Washington Policy Center – joins us to discuss just how much our holiday meals will cost this year. She and Tim ...
Agriculture
Potato chips, strawberry milk, and the case for food ag-vocacy
Most Americans do not grow their own food. This disconnect between the farm gate, and the dinner plate has long been a concern for “ag-vocates” who’ve noted more people are unable to connect directly with reasons why agriculture is important. The recent announcement from Lays Potato Chips that 42 percent ...
Agriculture
Beef purchase plan escalates concerns in ag country
The comments sparked responses from various ag groups. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association responded with the following statement: The reality is that ranchers’ success is driven by their own hard work. America’s cattlemen and women operate in one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world. U.S. cattle producers ...
Agriculture
U.S. beef prices don’t need “fixing”
The comments came recently while the president was flying from Florida to Washington D.C., according to several reports. The plan to drive down the cost of American beef prices by purchasing Argentinian beef and dropping it into the American market has sparked outrage since the news broke. According to the ...
Agriculture
Read the latest on how tariffs hurt employers and workers
Soybean squabble points to larger ag problems to come
During the first Trump Administration Americans were asked to adopt the motto, “short term pain for long term gain.” During the current Trump Administration, the tariff war was kicked off with “Liberation Day.” With harvest season upon ag country, soybeans are taking center stage in the current trade war. China ...
Agriculture
Ag labor myths persist, posing challenges to reform
The national average for the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) is $17.33/hr., with individual states being held to a fluctuating rate. California’s current federally mandated AEWR is $19.75/hr., making it one of the top five highest in the nation. However, wage rates are not the only cost associated with the ...
Agriculture
Livestock showing, public policy are more similar than it seems
As a veteran livestock exhibitor – rabbits, market lambs, and cattle – and as someone now involved in public policy, drawing parallels between the two was easy. Here are three things required in livestock showing and public policy: Patience If you’ve ever tried to train a wild animal, you know ...
Agriculture
New World Screwworms arrive in the U.S. Now what?
Given the global environment we live and work in today, New World Screwworms have always been a threat to the U.S. cattle herd. The confirmation of New World Screwworms being found in a person in Maryland who had traveled from Guatemala should put livestock raisers on alert. Complacency in a ...
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 ...
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, ...
Pam Lewison – How Much Will Your Holiday Dinner Cost This Year?
With holiday meal planning in full swing, PRI fellow in agriculture policy Pam Lewison – a farmer in Eastern Washington and also fellow at PRI’s sister think tank, the Washington Policy Center – joins us to discuss just how much our holiday meals will cost this year. She and Tim ...
Potato chips, strawberry milk, and the case for food ag-vocacy
Most Americans do not grow their own food. This disconnect between the farm gate, and the dinner plate has long been a concern for “ag-vocates” who’ve noted more people are unable to connect directly with reasons why agriculture is important. The recent announcement from Lays Potato Chips that 42 percent ...
Beef purchase plan escalates concerns in ag country
The comments sparked responses from various ag groups. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association responded with the following statement: The reality is that ranchers’ success is driven by their own hard work. America’s cattlemen and women operate in one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world. U.S. cattle producers ...
U.S. beef prices don’t need “fixing”
The comments came recently while the president was flying from Florida to Washington D.C., according to several reports. The plan to drive down the cost of American beef prices by purchasing Argentinian beef and dropping it into the American market has sparked outrage since the news broke. According to the ...
Read the latest on how tariffs hurt employers and workers
Soybean squabble points to larger ag problems to come
During the first Trump Administration Americans were asked to adopt the motto, “short term pain for long term gain.” During the current Trump Administration, the tariff war was kicked off with “Liberation Day.” With harvest season upon ag country, soybeans are taking center stage in the current trade war. China ...
Ag labor myths persist, posing challenges to reform
The national average for the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) is $17.33/hr., with individual states being held to a fluctuating rate. California’s current federally mandated AEWR is $19.75/hr., making it one of the top five highest in the nation. However, wage rates are not the only cost associated with the ...
Livestock showing, public policy are more similar than it seems
As a veteran livestock exhibitor – rabbits, market lambs, and cattle – and as someone now involved in public policy, drawing parallels between the two was easy. Here are three things required in livestock showing and public policy: Patience If you’ve ever tried to train a wild animal, you know ...
New World Screwworms arrive in the U.S. Now what?
Given the global environment we live and work in today, New World Screwworms have always been a threat to the U.S. cattle herd. The confirmation of New World Screwworms being found in a person in Maryland who had traveled from Guatemala should put livestock raisers on alert. Complacency in a ...
