AgClips
Recent AgClips
Grass-fed and organic beef packer closes in Oregon
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Food, Rural NewsBartels Packing, a processor of grass-fed and organic beef in Eugene, Ore., has closed its doors, putting more than 130 employees out of work. he result of this abrupt decision is that 139 employees and their families are without jobs and benefits and this reality is very heartbreaking for us, as we owe our success to these hardworking employees whose work ethic, skill set and commitment brought us the growth and success we’ve experienced the past 18 years. We will be forever grateful for their contribution.
New interactive map shows climate change everywhere in world
Science Daily | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Rural NewsA geography professor has created a new interactive map that allows students or researchers to compare the climates of places anywhere in the world. The map draws on five decades of public meteorological data recorded from 50,000 international weather stations around the Earth. And it uses prediction models to display which parts of the globe will experience the most or least climate change in the next 50 years.
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions would help spare cities worldwide from rising seas
Science Daily | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Rural NewsCoastal cities worldwide would face a reduced threat from sea level rise if society reduced greenhouse gas emissions, with especially significant benefits for New York and other US East Coast cities, new research indicates.
Washington Ecology starts inquiry into best farm practices
Capital Press | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsA long-planned look at the best ways Washington farmers and ranchers can prevent water pollution has been begun by the Department of Ecology. The review was triggered by criticism from the Environmental Protection Agency that the state’s plan to control agricultural runoff was too vague.
Georgia boosts its spending for struggling rural areas
Atlanta Journal Constitution | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsLegislative leaders are pouring more than $40 million into new or expanded programs aimed specifically at helping the economy of small-town Georgia. Fixing some of the economic ills that plague rural Georgia was always going to be a major theme of the 2018 General Assembly session after both chambers committed to dozens of hearings across the state last year to find out what they could do. The efforts are focused on counties losing population and jobs to cities, leaving behind areas with few prospects for economic growth.
Missouri Department of Agriculture program helps farmers bulk up branding
Hannibal Courier Post | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe Missouri Department of Agriculture has funds available to assist Missouri producers with the cost associated with relabeling Missouri agriculture products for retail sale.
Pruitt is expected to restrict science. Here's what it means
E & E News | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Energy NewsU.S. EPA chief Scott Pruitt is expected to roll out plans soon to restrict the agency's use of science in rulemakings, pitting him against critics who say it would threaten public health and environmental protections. In a closed-door meeting at the Heritage Foundation on Monday, Pruitt told a group of conservatives that he has plans for additional science reform at the agency, according to multiple attendees. EPA hasn't formally shared details of the plan, but it's widely expected to resemble an effort that Republican lawmakers and conservative groups have been pushing for years.
Fracking 'Almanac' Compiles Health Risks From the Drilling Practice
Public News Service | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Energy NewsHealth professionals have released their fifth compilation of data and reports showing the risks of fracking. Over the past five editions, scientific and medical findings in the compendium have grown, adding weight to the argument that oil and gas drilling are harmful to communities.
Coal mine expansion could swallow family farms in southern Illinois
Energy News | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Energy, Rural NewsForesight Energy subsidiary is making claims on a four-decade-old contract between landowners and a government utility. Members of theEwing Northern Coal Association — local farmers who under the 1976 agreement promised to sell their coal mineral rights to the TVA. Farmers got about $1,000 for each coal-containing acre, with many owning 100 acres or more. The agreement also stipulated that if the TVA wanted to buy the farmers’ surface land in the future, the farmers would have to sell, receiving fair market value plus 10 percent.At the time, it seemed like a great deal.
To Prevent Suicides and School Shootings, More States Embrace Anonymous Tip Lines
Pew | Posted onMarch 22, 2018 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsIn Colorado, at least two high school students were arrested based on information sent to the state anonymous tip line and mobile app, known as Safe2Tell. “They had a list, they had weapons, they knew exactly what they wanted to do,” said Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, whose office administers the program. States across the country are responding to high-profile school shootings and rising teen suicide rates by creating tip lines modeled on Colorado’s.