AgClips
Recent AgClips
Economic Returns to Rural Infrastructure Investments
Farm Foundation | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsFarm Foundation has released six papers commissioned to examine specific issues critical to rural infrastructure development. Understanding the economic returns on investing in rural infrastructure improvements is a critical element in the decision-making process for public and private investors. “As the nation addresses rural infrastructure needs, it is vital that public and private decision makers have the best information possible on the economic and social returns of their investments,” says Farm Foundation President Constance Cullman.
USDA Encourages Rural Communities, Water Districts to Apply for Loans to Improve, Rebuild Infrastructure
USDA | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Federal, Rural NewsAssistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced a historic commitment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to upgrade and rebuild rural water infrastructure. “USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building their futures,” Hazlett said.
USDA Launches Webpage Highlighting Resources to Help Rural Communities Bridge the Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure Gap
USDA | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Federal, Rural NewsU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today unveiled a new webpage featuring information about the importance of rural e-Connectivity and the ways the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing to help deploy high-speed broadband infrastructure in rural America. “Rural high-speed broadband e-Connectivity is as important for economic development as rail, roads, bridges and airports – and as vital as the buildouts of rural telephone networks were decades ago,” Perdue said.
California Vineyards Struggle Amid Farmworker Shortage
Fortune | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Agriculture NewsThe ongoing battle over immigration could hit wine lovers in the wallet as many California vineyards are struggling to find seasonal workers to assist with harvesting the 2018 crop. Wine makers face a perfect storm of problems regarding the issue: The ongoing battle about U.S. immigration policies and competition from other higher-paying, local industries, such as construction, which are helping the area recover from last year’s wildfires.
In a changing climate, will fire make a bigger run in Washington’s west-side forests?
The Seattle Times | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Rural NewsThe findings, detailed in a study that he led, show that trees had yet to return to some of the driest edges of burn zones, which were dominated by shrubs and grasses. In other areas, trees did take root, but there were fewer of them than in moister, cooler times.On the east side, in forests dominated by thick-barked ponderosa pine, low-intensity fires in centuries past often came every five to 30 years, clearing out brush and small trees.
Trump promised farmers ‘smarter’ trade deals. Now he has to bail them out.
The Washington Post | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Federal News“Trade, not aid.” That’s what farmers, ranchers and their elected officials keep telling the Trump administration they want. They have worked hard over the years to grow their export opportunities, forging critical relationships in China, Mexico, the European Union, Canada and other markets.
Corporate ag reports huge profits while farmers struggle to feed their families
The Hill | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Agriculture NewsAll the talk around the farm bill is about the differences in proposals for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — a conversation we need to have. But, there is little talk about why so many families in rural America, including farm families, need food stamps in the first place. We have a bona fide farm crisis on our hands. According to the USDA, farm income has dropped for a fifth straight year, often below costs, and will be the lowest in 12 years.
From The Dairy Crisis To Rising Interest Rates, An Agricultural Economist Answers
Forbes | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Agriculture NewsIn face of the recent dairy price crisis, the focus has been on making the U.S. dairy support system more robust, with no real energy on the supply control side. Since dairy is increasingly a global market, it is hard to see a policy solution to this crisis. If low prices continue, that will reduce farmers' incentives to adopt new technologies, and over time demand might finally catch up with supply, but it could be a long hard slog to get there.
The Economic Benefits of Local Food Dollars to Workers, Farms and Communities
Choices magazine | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Agriculture NewsOverall, the articles summarized here show that local food producers spend proportionately more on labor, other variable expenses (including hand tools, supplies, and farm shop power equipment; other unrecorded expenses; and vehicle registration fees) and utilities than do commodity producers; moreover, as scale of production increases, labor’s share of variable costs also increases. An implication of these findings is that local food production may create jobs as well as stimulate proportionately larger spillover impacts on the local economy than nonlocal production.
The Evolution of the Local Brand, Policy Initiatives and Role of Direct Markets in the Agriculture Portfolio
Choices magazine | Posted onSeptember 6, 2018 in Agriculture NewsOne trend worth noting for local foods is that growth in some subsectors appears to be maturing, particularly in direct-to-consumer outlets. Despite a 5.5% increase in the number of farms utilizing direct-to-consumer marketing outlets between 2007 and 2012 observed in the Census of Agriculture, there was no change in overall sales as intermediated markets became a more significant channel for those marketing local (Low et al., 2015).