In the throes of providing leadership on contract poultry grower challenges in the late 1990s, a brilliant mentor, Larry Cole, PhD., challenged me on whether I wanted to be 1) part of the defining the problem or 2) part of … Continue reading →
One of the quiet benefits of membership in the St. Louis Agribusiness Club, is getting to know Club members like Philip Bradshaw, a retired farmer from Pike County, Illinois. At the April 2026 meeting, Philip reintroduced his 2019 book, Your … Continue reading →
In January 2026, the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) published the latest update of Rural America at a Glance: 2025 Edition. The companion chart to this post is from that publication, but is also the same chart that was published … Continue reading →
Last year, I became aware of ReFED.org and their work on food waste. Their report, “From Surplus to Solutions: 2025 ReFED U.S. Food Waste Report,” was popular in the food waste circles. It is an impressive document and an even … Continue reading →
In celebration of National Ag Day, March 24, 2026, we are rallying from a winter of light blog posting, to recognize agribusiness’ role in the US economy. There is general consensus about the scope of the agribusiness industry, except within … Continue reading →
I am a fierce advocate for farms and farming. But what is a farm? And who is a farmer? There are lots of social media posts on this topic. I write often on this topic and have asked these questions … Continue reading →
I had the unique privilege of being hired by the American Farm Bureau Federation in 1995 – straight out completing my PhD – because I had three graduate degrees in manure management. My other Farm Bureau responsibilities included eggs, … Continue reading →
Serving as the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Thanksgiving economist in the 1990s was a pleasure. The cost of food thirty years ago was generally good news, so there was no downside. Unlike most of the more contested issues I worked … Continue reading →
Thanksgiving arrives with an annual focus on food prices. We host friends and family at home with lots of prepared food. One of the annual food price traditions is the American Farm Bureau Federation, Thanksgiving Survey. Regular readers know that … Continue reading →
In September, the St. Louis Agribusiness Club released their 2025 Economic Study of the agribusiness economic impact on the St. Louis region. For those of us in this region, it is validation of the passion we have for working in … Continue reading →
