How Will Tax Reform Affect Agriculture?

 

Many people are wondering exactly how the sweeping “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” will impact their personal tax returns and what the law might mean for agriculture.

 

I’m no tax law expert, but luckily, I know someone who is!  I was fortunate to have Kristine Tidgren from the Iowa State Center for Ag Law and Taxation join me on a recent episode of the Ag Law in the Field Podcast to discuss the ins and outs of the new tax reform law.  You can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast app, or on your computer by clicking here.

 

Additionally, Kristine and her crew at CALT put together a great blog post highlighting the details of the provisions most likely to impact those of us involved in agriculture.  You can find that here.  Another great summary was done by Delta Farm Press and you can find that here.

 

A quick update to something discussed by Kristine on the podcast and in the summary, last week Congress and USDA announced they would attempt to change a provision in the current law Section 199A that gives cooperatives a purchasing advantage for grain over independent elevators.  Currently, farmers can deduct 20% of gross sales to cooperatives, but only 20% of net income if they sell to another purchaser.  Several Congressmen and USDA says this was not the intent of the law.  

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.