Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 9/12/18

The House and Senate return today and the big four ag leaders plan to resume in-person meetings as they continue to negotiate in hopes of reaching a compromise necessary to produce a farm bill conference report. Their next gathering could take place as soon as today.

No deal: Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, ranking member Debbie Stabenow, House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway and ranking member Collin Peterson departed from D.C. at the end of last week without striking a deal — and Roberts and Stabenow suggested they're far apart from their House counterparts on a number of issues, such as the biggie (SNAP), conservation and commodities.

Conaway said Friday that even if they do reach an agreement shortly, it's unlikely any votes will take place this week. "I don't think we're that close to unleash everything and get a full score from CBO," he said. "I would be real surprised." In the meantime, the Texas Republican said they will "keep talking and circling and touching gloves and eventually we'll have to say alright, 'We've got to get this done.'"

Extension bets: Farm bill watchers are not so quietly chattering about the likelihood that Congress will have to seek an extension to give House and Senate leaders more time to flesh out a compromise.

"We're running out of legislative days. ... We're not close on some of the bigger sticking points around SNAP," Monica Gonzales, associate director of government relations of No Kid Hungry at Share our Strength, said during a panel discussion at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's meeting in Washington on Tuesday. "I think we'll end up with an extension."