Weekly Update for
September 25

Registration and hotel booking are now open for the 2025 Joint NAWG/NWF/USW Fall Board Meeting, taking place Tuesday, November 4 through Thursday, November 6, 2025, in Austin, Texas at The Westin Austin at The Domain. We encourage all attendees to arrive by late morning on Tuesday, November 4. The Board of Directors meeting will conclude at noon on Thursday, November 6, so please plan your return travel accordingly. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is approximately 26 minutes from the hotel. The deadline to register and reserve your hotel room is October 13. Register and book your accommodations below.

On September 25, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) issued the following statement in response to Trump's White House budget office memo outlining a plan to continue firing USDA employees. “The Trump administration has already taken an axe to 15 percent of USDA’s workforce this year due to the administration's shortsighted, ill-informed actions. To now threaten additional mass firings – in the middle of an economic crisis in farm country – is malicious and cruel and would only further the pain in farm country. I’ve had enough with how much this administration says it loves farmers. And enough of my Republican colleagues who continue to do whatever this administration wants – no matter the cost to rural communities and the ag economy.”

On September 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D. was sworn in as the National Advisor for Nutrition, Health, and Housing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Along with being the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children’s Center for nearly 30 years, Dr. Carson is the Founder and Chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute and recently served as the 17 Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Through common-sense policymaking, we have the opportunity to give our most vulnerable families the tools they need to flourish,” said Dr. Carson. “I am honored to work with Secretary Rollins on these important initiatives to help fulfill President Trump’s vision for a healthier, stronger America.”

On September 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing changes to strengthen the stocking requirements for retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Currently SNAP retailers are required to stock three varieties of food in each of the four staple food categories: dairy, protein, grain, and fruits and vegetables. The proposed rule increases variety requirements to seven per stable food category, closes loopholes that allow certain snack foods to count as staple foods, and simplifies how foods are classified.

On September 19, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the latest slate of presidential appointments and state directors for key positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “Today’s new USDA presidential appointments will help carry forward the important work of serving the people who feed and fuel our country, delivering real results for rural America, putting our Farmers First. Together, we will continue to strengthen our food supply, protect our family farms, and ensure USDA is working on behalf of the American people. I welcome this latest group of appointees and look forward to working together,” said Secretary Rollins. Samuel Berry Appointed as Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Ken Verheyen Appointed as Senior Advisor, U.S. Forest Service Layne Bangerter Appointed as Senior Advisor, U.S. Forest Service Monica Mason Appointed as Senior Advisor, Rural Housing Service of Rural Development Steve Messeh Appointed as Director, Center of Faith Ted Hanson Appointed as Chief of Staff, Assistant Secretary for Administration Joyce White Appointed as State Director, Georgia Rural Development Richard "Buddy" Nichols Appointed as State Executive Director, Hawaii Farm Service Agency Wade Lee Appointed as State Director, Hawaii Rural Development Mike Sexton Appointed as State Director, Iowa Rural Development Ronald Russell Appointed as State Director, Missouri Farm Service Agency Bill Warden Appointed as State Director, Montana Rural Development

On September 18, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed three U.S. Department of Agriculture officials: Dudley Hoskins as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs; Dr. Scott Hutchins as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics; and Richard Fordyce as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation: “Filling these key USDA roles is essential to carrying out President Trump’s agenda for rural America. Dudley Hoskins, Dr. Scott Hutchins and Richard Fordyce bring strong agricultural experience and are well-equipped to serve farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. I look forward to working with them as they advance USDA’s mission and strengthen communities through farm country and beyond. I’m especially appreciative of Dudley’s guidance and counsel during his service on the Senate Agriculture Committee. He’s been a trusted member of the team since my time in committee leadership and I’m particularly proud he’s agreed to serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. I’m confident he will continue to serve at USDA with the same dedication.”

October 1 is fast approaching, and all harvest data must be entered online to complete your entry into the National Wheat Yield Contest.  Thank you to all who are participating and to all our great supervisors, sales agronomists, seed reps, and partners for their support of the contest. Please contact Anne Osborne if you have any questions about your harvest entry. (aosborne@wheatworld.org) Good Luck!

Most consumers today are three or more generations removed from the farm, creating a gap in knowledge about how food is produced. To close that gap, wheat farmers created EatWheat.org, a platform that has shared their stories with consumers across the United States and around the world for nearly a decade. EatWheat.org provides the wheat industry with one voice to counter myths about wheat, respond to the rise of wheatless diets and reconnect people with the farmers who grow their food. When consumers look at their plates, many do not know how food makes its way from the farm to the table. More people are asking questions about who produces their food, how it is grown and what impact it has on the environment. Wheat farmers are the driving force behind EatWheat.org. The goal is to create awareness of farming and production practices through the lens of food as part of identity. Farmers share information about how wheat is produced, including pesticide use, environmental sustainability and food safety, so consumers can make informed choices. EatWheat.org invites consumers to learn the story of U.S. wheat and the people who produce it. Visit EatWheat.org to learn more.

Check out the very cool BNSF virtual train tour.  BNSF is a great partner to the National Wheat Foundation in supporting the National Wheat Yield Contest and the Wheat 101 Educational Event held in January on Capitol Hill. Thanks, BNSF.