Lydia Johnson

The Fertilizer Institute promoted Megan Costello to chief of staff and Catharine Perry to chief operating officer. William Hohenstein, director of the Office of Energy and Environmental Policy at USDA, is retiring. Ashley McKeon joined the Environmental Defense Fund as director of agriculture policy. The National Association of Wheat Growers promoted Anthony Peña to vice president of policy and communications. Jess McCarron was promoted to managing director of Signal Outdoors at Signal Group DC. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association promoted Hunter Ihrman to executive director of strategic engagement and government affairs. 

America’s corn producers were expressing disappointment after legislation to allow year-round U.S. sales of higher ethanol blends, known as E15, was left out of a suite of fiscal 2026 spending bills unveiled Tuesday as lawmakers try to avoid another government shutdown. Lawmakers who support year-round E15 were working to salvage the provision. 

Two key Republicans released the framework of a proposal to provide additional financial assistance to farmers, including specialty growers and sugar producers, to augment the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance program announced by the Trump administration in December. 

Key lawmakers are actively looking at injecting more money into the farm economy, possibly in an upcoming spending measure.

House Agriculture ranking member Angie Craig and fellow Democrats plan to introduce three-pronged legislation aimed at helping struggling farmers and safeguarding low-income Americans from the risk of losing key food benefits. 

State Sen. Anna Caballero was named chair of the Assembly's Senate Committee on Agriculture. Reservoir Farms hired Leticia Hernandez as Salinas site manager. Dorene D’Adamo of Turlock was reappointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to continue serving on the California State Water Resources Control Board. Chris Galen retired from the National Milk Producers Federation. Gabriel Allen of Portola Valley was appointed chief counsel at the California state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 

Delegates for the nation’s largest farm organization gathered in Anaheim Tuesday to approve the addition of policy on data centers, New World screwworm, fair taxes and trade for winegrape growers, as well as language pushing back on the Agriculture Department’s proposal to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. 

Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, agricultural trade consultant at AgTrade Strategies, has retired. She held numerous roles in the space, including assistant U.S. trade representative for agricultural affairs in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, executive vice president of food and agriculture at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and associate deputy administrator for fruit and vegetable programs at the Agriculture Department.

Soybean farmers hoping for good news in the Agriculture Department’s January crop report were disappointed after USDA said it sees even bigger U.S. supplies and fewer exports.  

Lawmakers are getting close to introducing a package of farm labor reforms, and it couldn’t come soon enough for many producers.