AgClips
Recent AgClips
Our View: Beware of Anti-Farm, Socialist Rhetoric
Farm Policy Facts | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Agriculture, Federal NewsCritics contend that farmers can pick up an extra shift or two at the local mill, so we don’t need a Farm Bill to deal with things like weather disasters, or trade wars, or volatile price swings. We didn’t think agriculture’s critics could get more out of touch, or heartless. But, they did.
Farm recovery from April's blizzard will take months
Wisconsin State Farmer | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsAs piles of snow diminish, gaping holes in the roofs of many barns across the state remain, evidence of the historic snowstorm that dumped record amounts of snow on Wisconsin April 13-16. As Secretary of Agriculture Sheila Harsdorf toured devastated farms on April 24, the damage she saw goes beyond crumpled barns and gaping holes in roofs. Losses include lower milk production from stressed cows, aborted pregnancies and injuries that show up months down the road.“It’s hard to believe the destruction,” said Sheila Harsdorf, Wisconsin’s secretary of agriculture.
USDA Rural Development Innovation Center Launches Interactive Webpage to Share Best Practices for Rural Economic Development
USDA | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Federal NewsAssistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today unveiled a new interactive webpage to identify best practices for building rural prosperity. “Rural communities need forward-thinking strategies to build strong, resilient futures,” Hazlett said.
Opioid crisis cost Washington state over $9 billion in 2016
Pew Charitable Trust | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Rural NewsA new report states the opioid crisis has cost Washington state billions of dollars in a single year. United States Senator Patty Murray released the analysis Monday, which found that in 2016 the crisis cost the state over $9 billion in fatalities, health care spending, addiction treatment, criminal justice and lost productivity.Opioid-related deaths had the greatest impact, costing the state $7 billion in 2016. According to the news release, deaths related to opioids cost the state more than $34 billion from the years 2012-2016.
Plant-based protein coalition fights back on label challenge
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Food NewsA group of companies at the forefront of the plant-based protein movement is pushing back against calls by the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) and others to change how they label their products. The Good Food Institute (GFI) is among those asking USDA to reject a petition from USCA urging the agency to limit the terms “beef” and “meat” to products made from slaughtered cattle, versus those originating from plants.
Ohio dairy farmers leaving at higher-than-usual rate
Feedstuffs | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsThe dramatic drop in milk prices is causing Ohio’s dairy farmers to leave the business at a higher than usual rate, according to The Ohio State University’s (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. While some farmers retire and give up their dairy licenses every year, there has been an uptick recently. In March 2018, there were 2,253 licensed dairy farms in Ohio – a drop of 59 farms in five months.
Trade Concerns Batter Business Confidence
Creighton University Economic Outlook | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsApril Rural Mainstreet Index Positive:April Survey Results at a Glance: For a third straight month the overall index remained above growth neutral.
* Farmland price growth and agriculture-equipment sales continue to decline. Trade concerns slam the business confidence index. More than three-fourths of bank CEOs reported that export markets were very important to their local economy. Almost one-third of bankers support the abolition of NAFTA and undertaking a new agreement. More than one-fifth of bankers support the elimination of oil refinery waivers to RFS obligations.
‘Plant-based’ plays way better than ‘vegan’ with most consumers
Food Navigator | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsOn the face of it vegan and plant based might appear to be interchangeable but consumers do not view them in the same way. in a nationawide survey, respondents felt plant based was more flexible, offered them more and tasted better than vegan.
Colorado and three states accuse Arizona of manipulating Colorado River supply and demand
The Denver Post | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsTension over the drought-stressed Colorado River escalated into a public feud when four U.S. states accused Arizona’s largest water provider of manipulating supply and demand, potentially threatening millions of people in the United States and Mexico who rely on the river.
Tennessee Lawmakers Strip $250,000 From Memphis As Payback For Removing Confederate Statues
Nashville Public Radio | Posted onApril 25, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe city of Memphis could lose a quarter-million dollars as punishment for removing statues of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest and Confederate President Jefferson Davis last year. The Tennessee House of Representatives voted to strip the money from next year's state budget. The sum had been earmarked to go toward planning for Memphis' bicentennial celebrations next year. The surprise move came just before legislators were to give final approval to Gov. Bill Haslam's $37 billion spending plan.