Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat who’s one of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s newest members, is jumping into a range of farm policy issues, including pushing for as much as $20 billion a year in new conservation spending to be part of an upcoming climate and infrastructure package.

Five white farmers are claiming the $4 billion debt forgiveness program being implemented by USDA is unconstitutional, in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Wisconsin.

PepsiCo is giving a big boost to efforts by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action to reduce greenhouse gases in agriculture, donating $5 million to a year-old partnership now rebranded as AgMission.

The $5 billion approved in the American Rescue Plan for disadvantaged farmers, including $4 billion in debt relief, is only the beginning of what should be done for farmers of color, three key U.S. senators said Monday.

With the economic stimulus bill now signed into law, lawmakers are quickly turning their attention to what could be a much heavier lift: climate and infrastructure legislation.

On Tuesday, Vilsack took part in a wide-ranging interview with Agri-Pulse from his home in Iowa, touching on subjects ranging from helping farmers through the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the “cumulative effect of discrimination over a long period of time.”

The Senate Agriculture Committee will have five new members this year, including Democrats who will bring their social justice concerns to the panel.

It's official. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow is back as chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee after the Senate finally approved an organization resolution Thursday afternoon. Stabenow last chaired the committee from 2011 to 2015.

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expanding its membership with three new Democrats, who could give the committee a push to the left on some issues, including climate policy.

Agriculture Secretary-designate Tom Vilsack commits to Black farmer advocates that he will ensure “fairness and equity” for African-American producers who are dealing with the impact of systemic discrimination and recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.