AgClips
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Incidence of Financial Stress on Illinois Grain Farms
Farm Doc Daily | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsOver time working capital has deteriorated and debt-to-asset ratios have increased on grain farms across the Midwest. Average levels of working capital and debt-to-asset ratios still suggest an overall strong financial position for grain-based agriculture. However, averages mask diversity in financial positions across farms. Ranges in debt-to-asset and working capital positions are presented in this article using data on grain farms enrolled in Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM).
These huge new wind turbines are a marvel. They’re also the future.
Vox | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Energy NewsThe latest model has blades longer than football fields.The math on wind turbines is pretty simple: Bigger is better. Specifically, there are two ways to produce more power from the wind in a given area.The first is with bigger rotors and blades to cover a wider area. That increases the capacity of the turbine, i.e., its total potential production.The second is to get the blades up higher into the atmosphere, where the wind blows more steadily.
California Votes on More Space for Farm Animals ... Again
KQED | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsCalifornia voters will soon decide whether to ban the sale of meat and eggs from farm animals raised in cages.
USDA, FDA tackle labeling challenges at cell-based meat meeting
Meating Place (free registration required) | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Food NewsUSDA and FDA officials said truthfulness and transparency in labeling were top of mind as the agencies gather comments on how to best label cell-based meat and poultry products.
Federal Reserve: Observations on the Ag Economy- October 2018
Farm Policy News | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Federal NewsThe Federal Reserve Board released its October 2018 Beige Book update, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. The report included several observations pertaining to the U.S. agricultural economy.Sixth District- Atlanta– “Agriculture conditions across the District remained mixed. By late September, most of the District was drought-free. District corn, soybean, cotton, and peanut harvests were close to their five-year averages although by late September, significant rain in Tennessee resulted in some crop damage and delays in harvesting.
Feds caught off guard by ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy: GAO
Washington Examiner | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Federal NewsFederal officials were caught off guard when the Trump administration announced its “zero tolerance” immigration policy on migrants crossing the southwest border.
The truth about organic food and cancer
Popular Science | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Food NewsThere’s a lot we don’t know about organic food. But one thing we do know? That being a person who both can afford to buy organic and chooses to do so generally means you’re a healthier person. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean organic food makes you a healthier person. That’s the central issue at the heart of a recent study published in JAMA that’s making headlines for purportedly showing that eating organic reduces your risk of cancer.
The more money you make, the more fast food you eat
Vox | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Food NewsThe stereotype is that poor people eat more fast food than rich people, who virtuously eat only organic salads and cows with names. One problem with this assumption: It isn’t true. According to a new report about American fast food consumption from the Centers for Disease Control, people actually eat more fast food as their income levels go up.The brief is based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which uses a combination of interviews and physical examinations to assess the state of American health.
Herbicide found in Cheerios reignites debate on food safety
Star Tribune | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Food NewsA national environmental research and advocacy group issued a second report documenting traces of herbicides like Roundup in popular oat cereals such as Cheerios, saying that its presence in food creates an unnecessary cancer risk to children. It is the latest development in a raging controversy over glyphosate, the most widely used pesticide in the world, which most government regulators and food industry leaders say poses no health risk in the amounts that people get in their food.
New CRISPR tool opens up more of the genome for editing
Science Daily | Posted onOctober 25, 2018 in Agriculture NewsResearchers have discovered a Cas9 enzyme that can target almost half of the locations on the genome, significantly widening its potential use.