Weekly Update for
October 5

On September 30, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution, which will fund the federal government through November 17, 2023. While the stopgap appropriations bill is necessary to avoid a government shutdown, the lack of a full fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations package continues to slow down the 2023 Farm Bill process. The lapse in Farm Bill authorization on September 30 marks a critical juncture for American agriculture, demanding urgent action from Congress to resolve the full FY 2024 appropriations process so the work can proceed with Farm Bill reauthorization. “The Farm Bill plays a pivotal role in supporting American farmers, rural communities, and sustainable agricultural practices,” said NAWG President and Oregon wheat farmer Brent Cheyne. “While we are glad Congress worked to pass a short-term CR, our leaders need to set aside their differences, pass a long-term appropriations package, and commence work on a Farm Bill without additional delay. We would like to express our appreciation to the agricultural committees for their diligent efforts and hard work in crafting the Farm Bill. We hope that all of Congress will prioritize passing the Farm Bill to serve the best interests of Americans and the agriculture sector by the end of the year.”

On October 3, NAWG CEO Chandler Goule shared the Continuing Resolution's impacts and the Farm Bill's expiration with the Capital Press. "We find ourselves in a similar situation as we did five years ago in that the existing farm bill lapsed temporarily," said Goule. The article shared that crop insurance is permanently authorized and is not impacted by the 2018 farm bill expiration. The farm commodity and dairy support programs expire after the 2023 crop year, so the effects of their expiration will not be seen until January 1, 2024. Upon this expiration, the programs revert to “permanent law”, or outdated laws that are overridden when the Farm Bills are passed about every five years. "Once Congress funds the federal government through the rest of fiscal year 2024, we are optimistic the focus will shift and efforts to bring a bill before the committees will ramp up," Goule said.

On September 29, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its 2023 Small Grains Annual Summary report, which presents ta on the acreage, area planted and harvested, yield and production of wheat, oats, barley, and rye, by state and U.S., also wheat production by class. This resource is a supplement to Crop production. According to the 2023 Summary, all wheat production increased 10 percent from 2022, from 1.65 billion bushels to 1.81 billion bushels. Winter wheat production increased 13 percent from 2022 to 1.25 billion bushels, other spring wheat increased 5 percent to 505 million bushels, and Durum wheat decreased 7 percent to 59.3 million bushels. The United States' overall yield was estimated at 48.6 bushels per acre, which shows a 2.1 increase from last year. The area harvested for grain also increased by 5 percent, which led to 37.3 million acres being harvested this year.

On October 3, the USDA announced the newly appointed and promoted individuals to senior staff positions in Washington D.C. Tate Mitchell, a Texas native, has been appointed as Chief of Staff for the Office of Communications. Mitchell’s previous experience includes serving as Associative Director of Press Operations in the White House Office of the Vice President. Rudy Soto, previously the USDA’s Acting Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs, has been promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations. Soto held the USDA’s Rural Development State Director for Idaho position before this, where he promoted economic development and worked to improve infrastructure in rural Idaho communities. Steffanie Bezruki has been promoted to Senior Advisor for the Office of the Deputy Secretary, from her position of Chief of Staff for the Under Secretary of Rural Development. Bezruki will be aided by her varied experience on the Hill in the policy areas of agriculture, rural development, health care, and small businesses.

On October 4, the USDA announced $27.6 million in grants will be awarded to underserved and veteran farmers, ranchers and foresters through training, technical assistance, and outreach. 41 organizations in 27 states will be awarded, including the Recirculating Farms Coalition’s Growing Local Veterans in Agriculture project. The grants are funded by the USDA’s 2501 Program. “The 2501 Program demonstrates USDA’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of the country’s underserved and veteran farmers, ranchers and foresters by ensuring that they have access to and are equipped with the resources, knowledge and tools to be successful,” said OPPE Director Lisa Ramirez. The 2501 Program was created in the 1990 Farm Bill and was expanded to include veterans in the 2014 Farm Bill.

On September 29, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator John Boozman (R-AR), announced Caleb Crosswhite as the new chief counsel for the committee. “Caleb’s extensive background in agriculture policy and his innate knowledge of the current negotiations will greatly help our efforts to draft a bipartisan Farm Bill in the Senate. He served as a trusted counsel for Chairman Thompson, and I am confident that he will serve our team in a similar capacity. I look forward to working with him as we enter this pivotal period in the Farm Bill process,” Boozman said. Crosswhite has experience as an advisor in the USDA’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs and has served for nine years on the House Agriculture Committee.

On October 2, Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) introduced a privileged motion to vacate the speakership, which means it can be put on the floor ahead of other House business. The following day, the motion was considered by the full House of Representatives and passed by a vote of 216 to 210. The House Republican conference is expected to hold a candidate forum next Tuesday, with the opportunity to elect a new speaker the following day. As the conference considers the next steps, it has been reported there are internal discussions about increasing the threshold to put forward a motion to vacate, which could strengthen the next speaker’s ability to govern. While the election is scheduled for next week, some of the names that have emerged include Congressman Scalise (R-LA-1), Congressman Jordans (R-OH-4), and Congressman Hern (R-OK-1).

On October 3, Laphonza Butler was sworn in as a U.S. Senator from the state of California. Butler was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to finish the term of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. Butler was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Butler served as a campaign advisor for in the previous presidential race. Butler has not indicated whether she will run for the Senate seat next year, but candidates must file for the seat by December 8 in order to run for the office.

National Wheat Yield Contest contenders Greg Messer and his sons in North Dakota were interviewed for This Week in Agribusiness’s September 9 episode. The Messer's have competed in NWF’s National Wheat Yield Contest for four years, and they showcased one of their prized spring wheat fields on the show. “We want to encourage people to try new things with their wheat, be innovative, and then enter the contest,” said Anne Osborne, NWF Director. The Messer's use variable rate technology and good genetics to make sure their wheat is not only high-yielding, but high quality as well.

Join the NWF Fall Board Meeting at Fall Conference on Tuesday, November 7th from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati. The panel of guest speakers includes the founder and principal of The Agri-Nutrition Edge, Marianne Smith Edge and Dr. Romulo Lollato from Kansas State University. Speakers will be focusing on wheat nutrition, and prioritizing quality while increasing yields. Please join us to learn more about the National Wheat Foundation and to hear from our excellent speakers.

Did you know you can incorporate most of the food groups into a sandwich? The Grain Foods Foundation, National Association of State Ag Departments, and Haas Avocado Board are partnering up to promote Building a Better Sandwich. Using the MyPlate model, we would like you to send us photos of your better sandwiches. Email pictures to aosborne@wheatworld.org. Photos will be used on social media to promote eating wheat and Building a Better Sandwich!