AgClips
Recent AgClips
Everything You Need to Know About California’s New Solar Roof Mandate
Green Tech Media | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Energy NewsCalifornia’s recently approved solar roof mandate for all new homes came as a surprise to many people — even though stakeholders have been working on the rule change for roughly two years. That’s likely because the California Energy Commission (CEC) passed the requirement earlier this month as an update to the state’s 2019 Title 24, Part 6, Building Energy Efficiency Standards. Not quite everyday reading. The latest round of standards, which take effect in 2020, do enable some pretty groundbreaking developments in the advancement of clean energy.
Wind power poised for record year, despite initial tax law concerns
Utility Dive | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Energy NewsThe number of contracts signed for wind power projects hit a record of 3,500 MW in Q1 2018, according to the American Wind Energy Association, signaling that 2018 should be a strong year for the renewable resource. There are now 33,449 MW of wind projects under construction or in advanced development in the U.S., a 40% increase from last year and the highest level since AWEA began compiling the metric at the beginning of 2016.
Tulare mayor says ag hurts environment, public health. Farmers react angrily online
The Fresno Bee | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Agriculture NewsTulare Mayor Carlton Jones is facing the wrath of the farming community after saying on social media that agriculture is damaging to the environment and public health. A screen shot of his comments was shared Friday on the Facebook page My Job Depends on Ag. And it didn't take long for the page's loyal followers to respond. By early Friday afternoon, the post had more than 400 comments and had been shared more than 300 times.Some called for his ouster, while others said he was ignorant for slamming an industry that is the backbone of Tulare County's economy.
Solar Beats Coal on U.S. Jobs
Bloomberg | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Energy NewsFor all the talk about coal-industry employment, solar energy accounted for more than twice as many jobs last year, about 350,000 workers. Solar produces about 1.9 percent of U.S. electricity, and is deepening its reach in the Southeast. And while natural gas employs about 7.7 percent more people than solar, more than 80 percent of those jobs are related to producing the fuel rather than using it to generate electricity.
Some experts say U.S. should create milk supply management system like Canada’s
The Watertown Daily Times | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA group of dairy farmers and experts argued Wednesday that to save family farms from going out of business, the U.S. needs to adopt some form of supply management like Canada has.Farmers across the country have experienced a drop in earnings from their milk in recent years as rising milk production across the U.S. and other countries has flooded domestic and international markets. Increased milk production has resulted in a market oversupply.
Another step forward for texas Tech's Veterinary College
Brownfield Ag News | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsTexas Tech University’s plans for a new veterinary college—the first new veterinary school in the U.S. in 40 years—took another step forward this week.The Amarillo City Council approved a 69-million dollar funding plan to ensure construction of the school in Amarillo. Work continues to line up state funding and private donations for the school, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2021.Texas Tech officials say the school is needed to address a critical shortage of farm animal veterinarians in rural areas.The new school will be the 31st veterinary school in the country.
Livestock Sectors Prepare for FMD
Brownfield Ag News | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Agriculture NewsThirteen states are partaking in a national emergency response training for a Food and Mouth Disease outbreak this week. Emergency management coordinator Brad Deacon with the Michigan Department of Agriculture tells Brownfield a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in the U.S.
Algae plaguing Ohio lakes could force Gov. Kasich to take executive action
Dayton Daily News | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsAlgae blooms for the past decade or more have invaded Ohio’s lakes and rivers, turning the waterways to a thick green color, killing fish — and in some case leaving the water toxic to humans. The state has spent billions of dollars on solutions to fix the water quality problem and put in place rules to decrease what some scientists say is the No. 1 culprit of the algae blooms — runoff from farm fields and land near waterways. A forthcoming bill in the Statehouse will propose more regulations to clean up Ohio’s waterways but Gov.
Tyson to get $20 million in state funds for Tenn. chicken complex
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsTyson Foods Inc. will receive $20 million in state economic funds to help the company build a new chicken complex in Humboldt, Tenn. Tennessee’s State Funding Board on approved the package. The package includes $14 million for water, sewer and electrical upgrades and $6 million for new construction
Banker Comments from the Tenth District
Kansas City Fed | Posted onMay 30, 2018 in Agriculture NewsSavings and equity have helped with this year’s loan requests, but liquidity is getting tighter every day. – Eastern Nebraska Cash flows in 2018 suggest that liquidity will decline. This latest run-up in the markets should help some. – Eastern Nebraska The past year turned out to be every bit as difficult for area producers as we feared. Most borrowers lost working capital. At today's crop prices, cash flows are breakeven at best. – Southwest Nebraska We are seeing a lot of shortages in cash flows.