Agri-Pulse Deep Dive

Conservation and climate-smart agriculture might be hot topics in today's farm policy, but that wasn't always the case. In the fifth and final episode of our Deep Dive on Farm and Food Policy Drivers, we explore the history of conservation policy, including how one man found a way to use the Dust Bowl for some real-time education. 

The 1980s left a mark on the rural landscape as many farms and ranches were unable to survive the financial chaos of the decade. But the modern ag lending picture is influenced by far more than just that 10-year period. In this episode, we walk through the history of how producers have secured the funds they need to operate and the policy fights and tense conversations that have unfolded along the way. 

Farmers face risk regularly, but they also can utilize one of the most crucial - and controversial - aspects of federal farm policy. In this episode, we explore the history and development of federal crop insurance and take a look at many of the arguments made in support of the program, and in favor of some changes. 

Do you know where you were on Dec. 23, 2003? 

Countless people in farm policy have memories from "the cow that stole Christmas" etched into their memory forever. This episode of Agri-Pulse Deep Dive explores what happened that fateful day and what it has meant for the 20 years that followed for the American animal agriculture sector.

To kick off the third season of Agri-Pulse Deep Dive, Spencer Chase explores the history of USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation, including the fund's extensive use during the Trump administration.