AgClips
Recent AgClips
Why I’m Quitting GMO Research
Slate | Posted onApril 2, 2018 in Agriculture NewsI’m exhausted by the overwhelming negative responses the topic evokes in so many people. A few weeks ago, like thousands of other scientists around the globe have done before, I stood up in front of a public audience and “defended” my Ph.D. thesis to a jury of senior scientists. My time in GMO research creating virus-resistant plants has meant dealing with the overwhelming negative responses the topic evokes in so many people.
Lawsuit challenging constitutionality of Iowa “Ag Gag” statute allowed to proceed
Texas Agriculture Law Blog | Posted onApril 2, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsA federal district judge in the Southern District of Iowa recently allowed a First Amendment challenge to the state’s “Ag Gag” law to go forward. The law, passed in 2012, makes “agricultural production facility fraud” a crime. A person is guilty of this charge if he or she willfully obtains access to an agricultural production facility by false pretenses or makes a false statement as part of an application or employment agreement with the intent to commit an act not authorized by the owner of the agricultural production facility. The lawsuit, filed in October 2017 by several animal right
Microsoft Pushes to End Broadband Gap in Rural Areas
DTN | Posted onApril 2, 2018 in Rural NewsTech giant Microsoft is working to eliminate the broadband gap in rural areas, but the company needs rural residents' help to accomplish that goal. While the private sector can play a leading role in closing the rural broadband gap, the public sector also needs to play a part, she said.
Farm BIll Law provides series of reports on Farm Bill
Farm Bill Law | Posted onApril 2, 2018 in Federal NewsThe Farm BIll reports are the culmination of a year-long process by FBLE partners to study the farm bill and develop concrete recommendations that will advance shared public values.Researching, writing, and publishing these joint recommendations advances our mission to work together across disciplines toward a farm bill that meets the long-term needs of our society, including public resources stewardship, economic opportunity and stability, public health and nutrition, and fair access and equal protection under the law.Each report presents a set of recommendations along a particular theme,
Proposed border wall will harm Texas plants and animals, scientists say
Science Daily | Posted onApril 2, 2018 in Rural NewsIn the latest peer-reviewed publication on the potential impacts of a border wall on plants and animals, conservation biologists say that border walls threaten to harm endangered Texas plants and animals and cause trouble for the region's growing ecotourism industry.
State Rep. Gipson Named Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner
Jackson Free Press | Posted onMarch 31, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsMississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed a lawmaker to be the state's new agriculture commissioner. #Rep. Andy Gipson will succeed fellow Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith once she moves to the U.S. Senate. He will serve the rest of the current commissioner's term, which ends in January 2020.
Farmers fear ethanol talks could 'destroy' rural economy
Nebraska TV | Posted onMarch 30, 2018 in Energy NewsEthanol and oil are fighting over market share today, as the highway of tomorrow looks very different. “You're going to be looking at maybe less liquid fuel being used than we are today, whether it's electric vehicles coming on or fuel efficiency getting better, cars with better gas mileage,” said Troy Bredenkamp, Executive Director of Renewable Fuels Nebraska.
Washington state has the first comprehensive drug take-back program. Which state will be next?
Pew Charitable Trust | Posted onMarch 30, 2018 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsAfter years of skirmishes, the most comprehensive statewide drug take-back program in the nation became law late last week in Washington, potentially creating a new template for states to press the pharmaceutical industry to underwrite these efforts. The Washington law requires drug makers to fully finance and operate the program, which is designed to lower the threat of drug abuse stemming from medicines that linger in households and also reduce contamination in drinking water.
Farm Babe: Vandana Shiva is coming to my hometown to lie
Ag Daily | Posted onMarch 30, 2018 in Food NewsVandana Shiva is coming to my hometown to lie. Not cool.For those unaware, Shiva is one of the world’s most famous anti-GMO activists, hailing from India. She’s giving a speech on Monday, April 16, at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where I did a year of my undergrad. I found out that the university got a “good deal” since they had flexible scheduling for her, and Shiva is being paid just under $20,000 to speak.How would you feel if someone was paid tens of thousands of dollars to lie about your occupation?
AABP Creates Position Statement on Raised-Without-Antibiotics Programs
Dairy Herd Management | Posted onMarch 30, 2018 in Agriculture NewsRaised-without-antibiotics (RWA) programs for cattle production have become increasingly popular with consumers. However, when an animal in one of these programs needs antibiotic treatment for an illness or injury, they typically cannot stay in this type of marketing program. “As this segment of the cattle industry develops, producers and processors have looked to the bovine veterinary community for guidance on structuring these programs to both meet the needs of consumers as well as the cattle in our care,” says Dr.