Previous Weeks
Down on the Farm
June 14 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
I’m talking to you today by telephone from the farm in Illinois.
I was last here a little over a month ago. We were just wrapping up soybean planting then. What a difference that short time span can make. I was…
Time for Sugar to Get with the Times
June 7 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the
Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
Both the House and Senate seem to be moving forward, for now, with reauthorization of the Farm Bill. Senator Stabenow has passed a package out of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The House has hung back a…
Farm Programs
May 31 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
This is the year that we are supposed to write a new farm bill. Every 5 years, we write a farm bill. Over the years, farm programs and supports have evolved, driven by a series of changes in the U.S. and global…
A West Point Cadet
May 24 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the
Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
This week, I attended my West Point class reunion. Memories came flooding back. I had been out of Knoxville High School only a month. I climbed on a train in Galesburg, Illinois – on to Chicago – on to New York…
Obesity & Hunger
May 17 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
Just this week on Tuesday, May 15, we celebrated the establishment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. President Abraham Lincoln signed the legislation 150 years ago. It has been a very successful 150 years.…
Ag Issues of the Day
May 10 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
As you know, we win a few and lose a few.
After thousands of comments criticizing the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to disallow children under 16 years of age to work on farms, they withdrew the rule. If…
NAFTA
May 3 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
Let me review with you a success story that has been a major plus for the U.S. and especially for our ag industry. I’m talking about the North American Free Trade Agreement between U.S., Canada, and…
USDA Anniversary
April 26 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This is Rick Frank sitting in for John Block who is on vacation. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Wal-Mart Stores, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
May 15 is almost here. Look back 150 years. Abraham Lincoln was President and he signed a bill establishing the U.S. Department…
Race For The White House
April 19 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This is Rick Frank sitting in for John Block who is on vacation. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Wal-Mart Stores, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
With only about 6 months to go before we vote in November, we have a two-man race for the White House. Mitt Romney appears to be…
Jackson-Vanik
April 12 2012
Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now for today’s commentary—
The Presidential campaign is in the headlines every day. And the number one priority is to create jobs. Well, if we are serious, there is one thing the Congress can do that will be a big help.
They need to pass…