AgClips
Recent AgClips
Relocation of USDA agencies sparks criticism
Capital Press | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Federal NewsFormer USDA officials and farm groups are sounding the alarm over the USDA’s plans to move the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture out of Washington, D.C. The new locations have not yet been chosen. The move is slated to be complete by the end of 2019.The American Statistical Association has sent a letter to Congress, signed by 56 former USDA and federal statistical agency officials to warn of damage the move would cause, including: The loss of staff expertise due to employees not willing to move.
Poll: Rural Americans Rattled By Opioid Epidemic; Many Want Government Help
NPR | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Rural NewsRural Americans are profoundly worried about the opioid crisis and their local economies and many are hoping government can help, according to a new poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.One-quarter of rural Americans say opioid and other drug abuse is the biggest problem that faces their local communities. A similar share, 21 percent, say economic concerns are the biggest problems in their areas. No other topic even comes close after that.
Study Shows How Recovery From The Great Recession Transformed The Geography of U.S. Economic Well-Being
Economic Innovation Group | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Rural NewsStudy finds it took under five years for prosperous communities to replace lost jobs while distressed ones are unlikely to ever recover on current trendlines. The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) released a new report, From Great Recession to Great Reshuffling: Charting a Decade of Change Across American Communities, tracking changes in the well-being of U.S. communities during a tumultuous decade that included the Great Recession and the subsequent economic recovery.
USDA invests in veteran farmers and ranchers
Delta Farm Press | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Agriculture, Federal NewsUSDA will issue $9.4 million in grants to provide enhanced training, outreach, and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. This funding is available through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Programmanaged by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.
Agricultural damage from Hurricane Michael forecast to top $1.3 billion, led by cotton and pecans
CNBC | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Agriculture NewsAgricultural damage from Hurricane Michael's rampage last week is expected to top $1.3 billion in the Southeast, with $1.2 billion of the total in Georgia alone, according to officials. Cotton and pecan farmers suffered the worst damage in Alabama and Georgia.Roughly 100 chicken houses were destroyed in Georgia, including more than 2 million chickens.Florida suffered damage to at least 3 million acres of timber as well as peanuts, cotton and other agricultural commodities.
84 Georgia poultry houses lost to Hurricane Michael
Watt AgNet | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Agriculture NewsHurricane Michael was responsible for the loss of at least 84 poultry houses and 2 million birds in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Oregon megadairy Lost Valley Farm fined $187,320 for 224 environmental violations
Statesman Journal | Posted onOctober 17, 2018 in Agriculture NewsOregon regulators have fined Lost Valley Farm, the state’s second-largest dairy, $187,320 for 224 violations of its wastewater permit. The penalty comes as the dairy’s owner, Greg te Velde, faces bankruptcy proceedings, a pending permit revocation, criminal contempt of court sanctions and felony drug charges in two states.The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced the fine exclusively in a tweet Friday afternoon. It’s the largest fine the agency has ever imposed on a dairy or other confined animal operation.
Agricultural damage from Hurricane Michael forecast to top $1.3 billion, led by cotton and pecans
CNBC | Posted onOctober 16, 2018 in NewsAgricultural damage from Hurricane Michael's rampage last week across Georgia, Alabama and Florida is forecast to top $1.3 billion, with pecan and cotton farms the hardest hit as well as the region's poultry operations, according to officials. "Hurricane and cotton is like oil and water — it just doesn't mix at all," said William Birdsong, an agronomist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University in Headland.
Study shows impact of tariffs on farmers
High Plains Journal | Posted onOctober 16, 2018 in Agriculture NewsTariffs are an ongoing concern for farmers as harvest is delayed due to wet conditions in many areas of the Midwest. Even with the trade deals made with Mexico and Canada, concerns continue.
Expanding ethanol sales would have limited U.S. market impact: analysts
Reuters | Posted onOctober 16, 2018 in Energy NewsThe Trump administration’s plan to allow year-round sales of higher-grade corn ethanol would have limited impact on the depressed U.S. ethanol market, with record supplies and prices for the fuel hovering near the lowest in a decade, analysts said.