AgClips
Recent AgClips
Patterson Announces Bipartisan Clean Lake 2020 Plan
Ohio House | Posted onMay 14, 2018 in NewsState Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) today announced House Bill (HB) 643, known as the Clean Lake 2020 Plan, a bipartisan effort to fight for a healthier Lake Erie. The Clean Lake 2020 plan would enact a statewide bond issue and work to reduce harmful algal blooms and invest in innovative initiatives to clean up the lake. "All of us who live, work and play in Ohio have a vested interest in clean water—and it is vital that we confront our challenges to provide each and every person with that life-giving resource,” said Patterson.
FSIS boosts outreach to small, very small plants
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onMay 14, 2018 in Federal NewsUSDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is launching an initiative to prioritize outreach to small and very small establishments in each of the 10 districts throughout the country, enhancing its existing outreach resources, the agency said in its Constituent Update newsletter. More than 90% of the approximately 6,000 plants inspected by FSIS are considered small or very small. Outreach to these businesses is critically important — ensuring they have the tools, guidance, and resources needed to comply with FSIS regulations and deliver products that are safe and wholesome.
Bipartisan bill seeks to expand meat movement across state lines
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onMay 14, 2018 in Federal NewsThree U.S. senators have launched a legislative effort designed to allow meat and poultry products already inspected by state programs to be sold across state lines, which currently is prohibited. The bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) would open the door for products that are processed in 27 states to be sold in other nearby states and open up new markets to producers.
Dairy co-ops tip scale in FMMO vote
Capital Press | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Agriculture NewsBloc voting by the three largest dairy co-ops in California in favor of joining the federal milk marketing order system could clinch the deal, but it’s not official until USDA announces the outcome of the producer referendum.The voting is closed in the producer referendum determining whether California dairy farmers will leave their state milk marketing order behind and join the federal order system.While nothing is official yet, some industry spokesmen are saying bloc voting in favor of making the switch by the state’s three largest dairy co-ops has sealed the deal.
Washington ranching rivals agree on one thing: wolves
Capital Press | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Agriculture NewsTwo rival Washington cattlemen’s groups issued a joint communique Wednesday stating their shared discontent over wolves. The statement from the Washington Cattlemen’s Association and Cattle Producers of Washington stemmed from a summit last month in Ellensburg. The Washington Farm Bureau also participated and sent out the announcement that agricultural organizations are “fed up with wolves.”It was the first time the three groups have spoken as one on the subject.“I thought we should all try to get on the same page,” Cattle Producers President Scott Nielsen said Wednesday.
The New GMO Labeling Proposal
Jayson Lusk Blog | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Federal NewsLast week, the USDA finally released its proposed rule outlining the ways in which it may implement the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. Here, I want to point out a few things that were news (at least to me) in the proposed rule.One of the controversial facets of the original bill was that it allowed for disclosure of genetically engineered ingredients via a QR code (this is an issue we have researched - e.g., see here).
New state office seeks to bring high-speed internet to rural Missouri
KSMU | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsMissouri will soon open a state office devoted to helping rural communities get access to high-speed internet. The Department of Agriculture and Department of Economic Development launched a joint broadband expansion initiative last week as part of a 16-point plan to address the needs of the state’s agricultural and rural communities.The newly established Office of Broadband will help these communities navigate federal programs to bring broadband networks where only expensive or low-quality internet access exists, said Chris Chinn, Missouri Department of Agriculture director.
Report: America is losing its best farmland
San Francisco Chronicle | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Agriculture NewsThe United States is losing its best farmland to development, even as the country’s population booms, according to a new report from the nonprofit conservation organization American Farmland Trust. It’s a familiar sight for anyone who grew up in many Bay Area suburbs: The rolling pastureland or local fruit farms that once were on the outskirts of town have been replaced by a housing development or strip mall.According to the American Farmland Trust, the United States lost almost 31 million acres, or 3.2 percent of its total farmland, from
Whatever Icahn Wants, Continued
DTN | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Energy NewsYet there's enough happening here for farmers to worry about the future level of demand for their products from China and ethanol. I will write about China in a future post. Today, a few words about ethanol. Let's start with the court case that the small refiners cite in their defense of the EPA's exemptions, Sinclair v. EPA. In it, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit said the EPA had misinterpreted the law in denying exemptions to the Renewable Fuels Standard to two small refineries in Wyoming.
Farm Bill Could Undo Part Of The Affordable Care Act
NPR | Posted onMay 10, 2018 in Federal NewsAlthough the GOP repeal-and-replace mantra seems to have quieted, some Republican lawmakers continue efforts to get around the sweeping federal health law's requirements. Sometimes that happens in surprising places. Like the farm bill.Tucked deep inside the House version of the massive bill — amid crop subsidies and food assistance programs — is a provision that supporters say could help provide farmers with cheaper (and likely less comprehensive) health insurance than plans offered through the Affordable Care Act.