AgClips
Recent AgClips
Migrant labor shortage shakes pro-Trump small biz
Newsday | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Federal NewsIt’s a complaint echoed by crab processors in Maryland, innkeepers and lobster restaurants in Maine and Texas shrimpers who couldn’t get enough workers under the H2-B visa “guest worker” program for nonagricultural workers. East End farmers also are stymied by “a tremendous shortage of labor for low-skilled jobs,” said Long Island Farm Bureau president Karl Novak in a recent discussion of immigration policy with Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), according to Riverhead Local.Even before unemployment hit a 17-year low, Devine said he couldn’t find enough dependable, drug-free U.S. workers.
Trump officials worried about 'public relations nightmare' over contaminated drinking water near military bases
CNBC | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Rural NewsTrump administration officials are worried about a Health and Human Services report on a class of chemicals that could be a "public relations nightmare." The HHS study indicated that the chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, present a risk to health at levels far lower than EPA previously determined. The chemicals have already been found in drinking water and groundwater at levels beyond what EPA says is safe near 126 U.S. military locatio
What Another Dry Winter Means for Colorado and the West
5280 | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Rural NewsWith dangerously low snowpack levels across the state, Colorado is facing a severe water shortage. We take a look at what that means for rivers, wildfires, and the future of water use in the West.
Farm Bill could threaten 58 million acres of forest land
Newsweek | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Federal NewsThe Farm Bill, an all-encompassing multi-year piece of legislation that directs what happens at the Department of Agriculture, has gained attention for its proposed overhaul to the food stamp program.
Equipment Manufacturers Launch "I Make America Town Hall Tour"
AEM | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Agriculture NewsWith six months left before the midterm elections, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is hitting the road to educate and engage manufacturing voters about the policies that are critical to the future growth and success of their industry. The initiative, which is part of the AEM’s grassroots advocacy campaign “I Make America,” will feature a series of events at equipment manufacturing facilities across the country.
Farmworkers must be paid for more than just picking the crops, says Washington Supreme Court
TDN | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Agriculture NewsThe Washington Supreme Court has ruled that farmworkers who were paid a piece rate as they labored in fields and orchards must get additional wages for their other tasks during the course of a workday.The 5-4 decision released Thursday affects wages in a vital part of the state’s economy: the agricultural industry that produces more than $10 billion of crops and livestock annually while employing nearly 100,000 farmworkers.While the ruling is considered a victory for farmworkers, its practical effect is far from clear.
Health Centers look to new Facebook tools for help during disasters
Fox News | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Rural NewsCommunity health centers in Texas that helped thousands of people during and after Hurricane Harvey have new crisis-response tools from Facebook that could enhance their ability to reach victims when a hurricane hits. The hurricane season officially starts next month.
China's multi-story hog hotels elevate industrial farms to new levels
Reuters | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Agriculture NewsOn Yaji Mountain in southern China, they are checking in the sows a thousand head per floor in high-rise “hog hotels”. Privately owned agricultural company Guangxi Yangxiang Co Ltd is running two seven-floor sow breeding operations, and is putting up four more, including one with as many as 13 floors that will be the world’s tallest building of its kind.Hog farms of two or three floors have been tried in Europe.
The Effect of Conservation Payments on Farmer Adoption Varies Across Conservation Practices
USDA | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Agriculture NewsSometimes, farmers adopt conservation practices without assistance from a conservation program. Conservation practices provide benefits to society at large (through improved environmental quality) and to the farmers themselves. Conservation tillage, for example, reduces labor and fuel costs—and may be profitable for some farmers if crop yields can be maintained or improved. Conservation tillage can also help improve water quality by reducing the loss of sediment and nutrients.
County-Level Data Show Changes in the Number and Concentration of Food Stores
USDA | Posted onMay 16, 2018 in Rural NewsThis county-level picture of the food retailing landscape also provides a starting point for measuring access to healthy, affordable food—a measure explored in more detail in another ERS mapping tool, the Food Access Research Atlas. The Food Access Research Atlas allows users to investigate multiple measures of access at the census tract level. These measures include a population’s distance from residence to a large grocery store, supermarket, or supercenter; household availability of a vehicle to drive to the stores; and the poverty rate and median family income for census tracts.