From Washington with John Block
We Never Know
When you are farming, you are faced with a lot of unknowns – What will the weather be like? Will these low prices ever recover? [READ MORE…]
From Washington with John Block
From Washington with John Block
Mother on My Mind
Being in lock down like most of our citizens and trying to celebrate Mother’s Day made me think. My mother was so dedicated to my 2 sisters, me and of course my dad. Mom & Dad were married in 1934 and in 1935 I was born. We were living in a small house with no running water, no bathroom and no electricity but we had an outhouse. [READ MORE…]
From Washington with John Block
Virus is Expensive
The cost of unemployment and economic hardship from the global coronavirus pandemic is no small change. We have not had to face anything like this since World War II. [READ MORE…]
From Washington with John Block
Tough Times
It seems like every day another major meat processing plant is closed. We have farms with hundreds or thousands of pigs ready for market but they can’t find any plants that will take their pigs. [READ MORE…]
From Washington with John Block
Food Industry Challenge
One of our nation’s priorities is to keep the food flowing but because of the coronavirus we are facing some serious disruptions. Just last Sunday, Smithfield Foods closed down its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. That plant is no small thing. [READ MORE…]
From Washington with John Block
These Challenging Times
There isn’t a lot of happy talk in the U.S. or around the world. These are depressing times. The Coronavirus sickness and resulting deaths are all you see on tv, hear on the radio or read in the papers. [READ MORE…]
From Washington with John Block
Agriculture in a frozen economy
After months of uncertainty, the biofuels industry got some good news. The EPA had been granting exemptions to small refineries so they were not required to blend ethanol with petroleum fuel. A January ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court put a stop to EPA’s small refinery exemption. Then we heard information from the Administration that the Justice Department might challenge that Court decision. [READ MORE…]