AgClips
Recent AgClips
Ernie Hardeman named Ontario agriculture minister
Real Agriculture | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsOxford County MPP Ernie Hardeman has been tapped to lead the agriculture portfolio under Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s new cabinet. The naming of Hardeman as ag minister comes somewhat as a surprise, as Lisa Thompson and Toby Barrett were widely speculated as top picks for the post. Thompson has been named Minister of Education. Barrett did not receive a cabinet post, but was named Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
An Ipad project re-energizes rural school district
Daily Yonder | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Rural NewsThe biggest asset in a rural Tennessee school district’s innovative technology project may be the school system’s rural setting and eagerness to perform at the highest level. Polk County Schools, a small district in southeast Tennessee, is using its “rural pride” and “just rolling up our sleeves and getting it done,” said Jason Bell, the district’s supervisor of secondary curriculum and assessment.
The Science of Hog Farm Odors
Daily Yonder | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Agriculture NewsHog-farm odors are a bit like good art: You know it when you smell it. But in the North Carolina hog-farming lawsuit, an expert witness attempts to quantify smell with more scientific methods. When expert witness Shane Rogers steps into a witness box in federal court these days, he takes pains to explain why he thinks some hog farms in eastern North Carolina create nuisance-level odors. First, the Clarkson University environmental scientist lays out his approach to feces forensics.
In the grinder: Farm economy continues to suffer
Agrinews | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Agriculture NewsIt comes as no surprise to any farmer — the overall farm economy health in the United States isn’t strong. John Newton, director ofr market intelligence at American Farm Bureau Federation, discussed economic health at the Agriculture Policy Outlook.“Net farm income has declined over 50 percent since 2013,” he said. “The farm economy is not surging. The farm contribution to U.S. GDP is at the lowest level we’ve seen. As Secretary Perdue says, ‘we’ve got a perfect storm on our hands.’”
Superheroes battle “veganism” in the U.K.
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Food NewsBritish meat processor ABP Food Group has rolled out a line of burgers and sausages based on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, intended to appeal to kids and steer them away from embracing vegan diets.
Rep. Patterson Applauds Passage Of Bipartisan Lake Erie Funding Bill
The Ohio House of Representatives | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsState Rep. John Patterson applauded the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 299, the companion bill to Patterson’s House Bill 643, the Ohio Clean lake 2020 Plan. Joint-sponsored with state Rep. Steve Arndt, the bipartisan legislation invests $36 million in efforts to tackle the issue of harmful algal blooms and create innovative programs to clean up Lake Erie. “Our Great Lake remains a vital resource to us here in Northeast Ohio, impacting everything from growing our crops to growing our economy. We must do everything we can to ensure its long-term health,” said Patterson.
Nestle, Hershey at odds with farmers over U.S. GMO labeling
Reuters | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Food NewsThe world’s top food companies and farmers of crops such as beet sugar are pitted against each other as they lobby the U.S. government over plans to label genetically engineered ingredients. At the heart of the issue is transparency over ingredients used in food. Packaged foods makers are facing flagging consumer trust and stagnating demand for some core products as consumers opt for foods with simpler ingredient lists. Many food companies want the government to require manufacturers to include on labels all ingredients that have been genetically modified, known as GMO.
AEM: Trade War with China Bad for Business, Risks U.S. Jobs
AEM | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Agriculture News“AEM and its 1,000 member companies are extremely disappointed with the Trump administration’s decision to move forward with the majority of the $50 billion in proposed tariffs. These tariffs target the vital parts and components used in equipment manufacturing throughout the U.S. They will also drive up the cost of manufacturing in the U.S. and risk many of the 1.3 million good-paying manufacturing jobs our industry supports. Combining this with China’s promise to retaliate against U.S.
Nut milk continues to be big business
Fast Company | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Food NewsTwo years ago it was almond milk. More recently it became oat milk. Who knows what the milk alternative of the future will be? Whatever it is, these various milk alternatives continue to bring in the dollars, so it’s not terribly shocking that the companies behind these products are wooing investors.Today, for example, Califia Farms, which makes a series of plant-based food alternatives–namely nut milks–announced a new round of funding of over $5o million.
Who Milks America’s Cows?
The Atlantic | Posted onJuly 5, 2018 in Agriculture NewsBuy a pound of cheese or a carton of milk in the U.S., and it most likely hails from Wisconsin, the number-one cheese and number-two milk producer in the country. Often, that Wisconsin dairy product comes from a cow that was milked by an undocumented immigrant. Nationwide, 51% of dairy workers are immigrants. According to workers, farmers, and industry experts, more than three-fourths of these immigrants are undocumented. As a result, farms with immigrant employees produce the vast majority—79%—of the American milk supply.