Weekly Update for
January 30

On the December/January podcast, NAWG’s incoming President, Pat Clements, gives an overview of NAWG’s annual winter meeting in Washington D.C. NAWG CEO Chandler Goule discusses Ag Ball and Commodity Classic 2025. Matt Mulica from Farmers for Monarch also discusses the proposed Endangered Species Act listing for the monarch butterfly. To register and get hotels for Commodity Classic 2025, visit https://commodityclassic.com/. Commodity Classic 2025 is in Denver, CO, from March 2 to 5.  

This week, NAWG President Keeff Felty participated in a producer leader meeting in Washington, D.C., which was graciously hosted and organized by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Leaders and staff from agricultural organizations gathered at NCGA’s office to discuss priorities and opportunities for collaboration in 2025. The group discussed challenges and opportunities facing agriculture, which include the upcoming tax package, farm bill, trade, and regulatory expectations.

On February 5, NAWG President Keeff Felty will join a panel of producers in testifying in front of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to explain why producers need a long-term farm bill. Panel one will comprise Zippy Duvall from the American Farm Bureau Federation and Rob Larew from the National Farmers Union. Panel two will be Nathan Reed National Cotton Council, Kenneth Hartman Jr. National Corn Growers Association, Keeff Felty NAWG, Chris Engelstad National Barley Growers Association, Amy France National Sorghum Producers, Josh Gackle American Soybean Association, Garrett Moore U.S. Peanut Federation, Tim Deal American Sugarbeet Growers Association and American Sugar Alliance, and Jennifer James USA Rice. Tune in on Wednesday, February 5, at 10:30 AM EST.

The 2025 Commodity Classic is right around the corner! NAWG hopes to see you in Denver, CO, from March 2 to 5. When you register, make sure to mark the National Association of Wheat Growers as one of your associations. Please encourage any wheat grower in your state to attend the largest agriculture trade show in the country.

On January 27, the Trump administration released a memo stating that Federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” causing widespread confusion on which programs are affected. The freeze is to allow for a comprehensive analysis of all Federal financial assistance programs. The Trump administration cites that of the $10 trillion that the government spent $3 trillion was on Federal financial assistance. The White House issued a fact sheet to quell some of the alarm and questions and stated, “funds for small businesses, farmers, Pell grants, Head Start, rental assistance, and other similar programs will not be paused.” Tuesday evening, right before the order went into effect at 5 p.m. ET, a federal judge temporarily blocked it. Wednesday afternoon, The White House budget office rescinded the order freezing federal grants.

On January 27, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig and Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson spoke on a farm bill panel at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Thompson said he wanted to limit cuts to SNAP that fellow Republicans will attempt through reconciliation. Craig expressed doubt about whether he would be able to prevent those cuts and how deep SNAP cuts will doom a new farm bill. Thompson also stated that he was opposed to rolling back the increase in SNAP funding that happened during the Biden administration for the update of the Thrifty Food Plan. Craig said the farm bill proposed last year was skewed to benefit southern farmers and harm farmers elsewhere. Other issues discussed included Congress having a role in deciding whether and how farmers are compensated if losses occur from a trade war, the scope of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), preventing California from imposing regulations on how food is produced in states outside their borders, and allowing the sale of E15 year-round.

On January 29, the Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing to examine the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of California to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. The following day, January 30, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions also held a hearing for RFK Jr. He stated that he is not the enemy of food producers. He wants to work with farmers and food producers to remove burdens and regulations and release American ingenuity. Kennedy wants to work with Agriculture Secretary Nominee Brooke Rollins to transition farmers to regenerative agriculture techniques and move away from being chemically dependent what he relates to chronic health issues plaguing Americans. He also said he would never tell Americans what they can and can’t eat, but they should be educated about the health impacts. Additional topics he was asked about included abortion, vaccines, and Medicaid. You can watch recordings of the hearings below.

On January 29, The United States Senate confirmed Lee Zeldin to serve as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator by a vote of 56 to 42, with three Democrats voting for him. “We will take great strides to defend every American’s access to clean air, clean water, and clean land,” Zeldin said in a statement issued after his confirmation. “We will maintain and expand the gold standard of environmental stewardship and conservation that President Trump set forth in his first administration while also prioritizing economic prosperity.” Zeldin also thanked President Trump and the senators who voted for him in a post on X. “Thank You to the 56 Senators for your vote and confidence. Grateful to President @realDonaldTrump for having the faith in me to be part of his Cabinet as @EPA Administrator. Make America Great Again!”

On January 28, the Senate Committee on Agriculture released a summary of support for the confirmation of Brooke Rollins as USDA Secretary. Sources varied from the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson, Senate Agriculture Committee members, various other Senators, and from Policy Leaders and Stakeholders. Rollins’ previous agriculture experience, her close relationship with President Trump, and her experience leading large public policy organizations were major points brought up in favor of her quick confirmation. If confirmed, she will join Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

This week, NWF Project Manager Anne Osborne traveled to Michigan to discuss the National Wheat Yield Contest (NWYC) with growers in the YEN (Yield Enhancement Network) and growers attending the Great Lakes Crop Summit. “Michigan, Ohio and Great Lakes wheat growers are very interested in growing high yield, high quality wheat. They have been very involved in the NWYC for years and several national winners have come from these states. It is wonderful to be on the ground in Michigan with the terrific Michigan Wheat people,” said Anne Osborne. Growers can enter both the National and their state (Michigan and Ohio) contests with the same entry using the www.wheatcontest.org website. Entries open for 2025 on March 1.

Teagan Macy, a Junior at the University of Idaho and Ryland Peters, a sophomore at the University of Nebraska Lincoln were each awarded a $2500 scholarship by the National Wheat Foundation and BASF. Learn more about the winners and the scholarship program below.

The National Wheat Yield Contest encourages contestants to strive for yield, quality, and profit. Everyone who enters the contest saves a 10lb. sample of wheat and the National Winners ship their samples in to be tested for milling and baking quality. The three winners of the Hard Red Winter Wheat Contest were all from Oklahoma farms. First place was David Ebers of Wellston, second place was Zach Balahtsis of Tonkawa, and third place was Tom Hill of Tonkawa. See more details of the competition and the winners below.