AgClips
Recent AgClips
Local Latino movie producer opens theaters in rural, poor areas
San Francisco Chronicle | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Rural NewsFor nearly 10 years, residents in a California farming community have had to drive nearly 40 miles (64 kilometers) to see the latest film, a rare trip for some in a place where a third of the population lives in poverty. That all changed in May when Moctesuma Esparza, a Latino movie producer, opened his latest Maya Cinemas theater in Delano in his ongoing effort to open theaters in poor, rural areas in the U.S. that lack entertainment options. The $20 million project gives Delano's 53,000 residents access to recent movie releases in a high-end experience with luxury seating.
Lawmakers look to ‘small cell’ tech for rural high-speed internet answers
Rome News Tribune | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Rural NewsGetting high-speed internet service into less-populated areas of Georgia remains a top priority of the House Rural Development Council, although providers have yet to propose an overall fix.Towers aren’t going away but small cells — “about the size of garbage cans,” Lumsden said — can be added to increase capacity and coverage in targeted areas.
Dineen says ethanol compromise would be the worst
Brownfield Ag News | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Energy NewsThe head of the Renewable Fuels Association says a potential “compromise” between big oil and renewable fuels on the renewable fuels program will NOT be good for the U.S. biofuels industry. Bob Dinneen tells Brownfield Ag News, “The so-called compromise that we hear is coming from the White House shortly, perhaps today, maybe later this week, is anything but a compromise. In fact, I would maintain it’s the worst of all possible worlds.” The expected deal would allow exported gallons of biofuels to qualify for the domestic fuel requirement, the RFS.
Carbon farming isn’t worth it for farmers. Two blockchain companies want to change that
The New Food Economy | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Agriculture NewsWhen the price of Bitcoin skyrocketed at the end of 2017, analysts crunched the numbers and concluded that the cryptocurrency was set to consume the entire global energy supply by the end of 2020. “Mining” Bitcoin involves solving increasingly complex mathematical equations that secure the network in exchange for newly-minted cryptocurrency—which incidentally requires lots of energy.
The latest blow to struggling family farms: Rising interest rates
The Washington Post | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Agriculture NewsShane Merrill lives in a small town in South Dakota that’s 1,400 miles from Wall Street, but he watches the numbers as avidly as the traders. Merrill isn’t an investment manager. He’s a family farmer. Right now, as he drives a tractor and planter to get soybeans in the ground, he’s also checking financial news on his smartphone. He’s worried, he says, about interest rates shooting up. To keep his farm going, he has to borrow about $1 million a year from the bank, a common scenario for family farmers.
Ethanol critical piece of America's energy strategy
High Plains Journal | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Energy NewsThe conflict over the Renewable Fuel Standard between the EPA, Congress and special interest groups have left hardworking people throughout rural America with a growing sense of uncertainty about their futures. An honest discussion about this program is long overdue. In order to do that, it’s necessary to understand where the RFS began, how it evolved and the role it plays in ensuring American prosperity and security. For decades, refiners have used octane enhancers. Lead was the most common but was replaced in the late 1970s by an organic compound called Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).
American farmers worry they'll pay the price of Trump's trade war
The Guardian | Posted onJune 4, 2018 in Federal NewsAs Donald Trump’s trade war escalates, a lot of farmers are worried. Trump was elected, in part, on a promise to put America’s interests first and crack down on what he characterises as a world trade system rigged against the US. But until recently the president has acted like many of his predecessors – talking tough on the campaign trail but backtracking in the White House. All that has changed. Week after week, Trump’s trade talk has seemed to harden.
SARL member, Mike Parsons, becomes Missouri Governor
River Front Times | Posted onMay 31, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsOn Friday, Missourians will bid a final farewell to Eric Greitens, who has an exciting post-gubernatorial life waiting for him in various courtrooms. Replacing the former political wunderkind is Lt. Governor Mike Parson, a fellow Republican, but one cast in a far different mold. Parson is a devout Baptist, an Army veteran, a farmer, a former sheriff and a longtime presence in the state legislature in both the House and Senate. Whatever kind of governor he'll turn out to be, he'll have to work to establish a legacy outside of Greitens' jagged shadow.
Section 301 Tariffs Coming
NASDA | Posted onMay 31, 2018 in Agriculture, Federal NewsThe White House announced in a statement that it will impose 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of goods imported from China shortly by June 15, when a final list of covered imports will be announced. Moreover, by June 30 the U.S. “will implement specific investment restrictions and enhance export controls for Chinese persons and entities related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology.” The Tuesday announcement came less than 10 days after the U.S.
Fly bites causing chicken deaths in central Iowa
Ames Tribune | Posted onMay 31, 2018 in Agriculture NewsA specific species of fly is injuring and in some cases killing flocks of chickens in central Iowa. The “black fly,” also known as buffalo gnats and turkey gnats, are small blood-sucking insects that are commonly found near rivers and streams. Iowa State University’s Boone County Extension said it had received anecdotal reports that a single flock of 20 chickens lost 15 birds due to the flies.