AgClips
Recent AgClips
Obama's New Clean Energy Goal For North America: 50 Percent By 2025
NPR | Posted onJune 28, 2016 in Energy NewsPresident Obama and his counterparts from Canada and Mexico are preparing to unveil an ambitious new goal for generating carbon-free power when they meet this week in Ottawa. The three leaders are expected to set a target for North America to get 50 percent of its electricity from nonpolluting sources by 2025. That's up from about 37 percent last year. Aides acknowledge that's a "stretch goal," requiring commitments over and above what the three countries agreed to as part of the Paris climate agreement.
Dairy farmers say safety net on milk prices is not helping
Capital Press | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Food NewsNortheast dairy farmers who have been strapped for months by low milk prices say a voluntary insurance program that was supposed to be a safety net isn’t helping. The margin protection program provides financial assistance to enrolled farmers when the gap between the price of milk and national average feed costs falls below the coverage levels picked by individual farmers. “It’s a complete failure,” said Les Pike, of Keewaydin Farm in Stowe, Vermont, which has been losing money for months.
Moonshine Maker Loses ‘Kentucky’ in Legal Battle With University
NY Times | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Food NewsKentucky Mist Moonshine - an upscale distillery that sells fruit-infused moonshine in Whitesburg, KY, has spent 8 months in a trademark dispute with the University of Kentucky over who owns the rights to the name "Kentucky". UK trademaked the name Kentucky in 1997 for use on clothing. Judge Danny Reeves accepted that the university was immune to being sued and Kentucky Mist can not trademark his business name.
Rhode Island House and Senate Pass Industrial Hemp Bill
Yahoo.com | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Agriculture NewsRhode Island's legislature has passed a bill to "legalize the production and processing of industrial hemp for commercial purposes in the state." According to the Rhode Island General Assembly HB 8232, which may also be cited as Rhode Island's "Hemp Growth Act", would take effect on January 1, 2017 and would permit the growth of hemp by properly licensed individuals that have applied and met the requirements and would also allow higher educational institutions to grow hemp for educational and research purposes pending approval from the Department of Health.
Reducing Antibiotic Use in Animal Production Systems
Iowa State CARD | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAntimicrobial drugs are commonly used for animals raised in food production for treatment, control, and prevention of disease as well as growth promotion or increased feed efficiency in many production systems. A recent report from the USDA Economic Research Service (Sneeringer et al.
Crude Oil Prices and US Crop Exports
Iowa State CARD | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Energy NewsAs the biofuel industry has developed, there has been a lot of discussion about the linkages between the energy and agricultural markets. The growth of the ethanol and biodiesel sectors bolstered the connection among the oil, gas, and crop markets. As crop-based biofuels compete in the energy market, crop prices are directly impacted not only by the relative standing of biofuels in the fuel hierarchy, but also by general shifts in energy supplies and demands.
Massachusetts: Questions on marijuana, farm animals likely to make November ballot
Masslive.com | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAn effort to legalize recreational marijuana collected more than 25,000 signatures, said spokesman Jim Borghesani. "(Voters) made it clear that this is something that they're interested in and they think should be on the ballot," Borghesani said. "We're very happy with the signature collection, and we're very happy to be able to, we think, be on the ballot in November." The marijuana legalization effort faces opposition from a well organizes campaign committee that includes Gov. Charlie Baker and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop.
St Louis's Grant's Farm future is in hands of trust manager, judge rules
St Louis Today | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Rural NewsThe future of Grant’s Farm is one step closer to being determined, after a St. Louis judge ruled Tuesday that the trust manager, Wells Fargo, has the power to decide whether to sell the property and who buys it. Two groups of Busch family siblings have submitted competing plans for buying and operating the wildlife attraction, in the Affton area of St. Louis County.
Oregon slaughter facilities face challenges
Capital Press | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAfter roughly four decades in operation, the Custom Meat Co.
Pesticide residue prohibited in organic compost
Capital Press | Posted onJune 27, 2016 in Federal NewsA federal judge has thrown out a USDA policy that allowed organic farmers to fertilize crops with compost containing the residues of prohibited pesticides. At this point, one certainty of the ruling is that organic farmers will not be allowed to use contaminated compost beginning on Aug. 22. The order’s impact is otherwise murky. The plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against USDA’s controversial “guidance” say the ruling won’t cause serious economic disruption, but some groups representing organic farmers fear major upheaval. “We are overturning the existing system.