AgClips
Recent AgClips
Solar Is Gaining in Wind Markets as the PTC Steps Down
Green Tech Media | Posted onMarch 18, 2019 in Energy NewsOver the years, top-ranking wind and solar markets have overlapped in just a few states. Where wind flourished, solar usually hung back, and vice versa. “Each of our technologies has largely had their own playpen,” said Anthony Logan, a North American wind analyst at energy and consulting company Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables.But now analysts say that’s changing. Dirt-cheap solar costs, record-setting growth and movement into new markets, plus the ability for solar to complement wind production, mean the technology is now encroaching on onshore wind’s territory.
Georgia:Protect your right to farm
Georgia Farm Bureau | Posted onMarch 18, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsIt is critical that all Farm Bureau members contact your legislators to encourage passage of House Bill 545. This important Right-to-Farm (RTF) legislation faces strong opposition and will be in Senate Committee next week, so please take action today! HB 545 seeks to strengthen legal protections for farming and forestry operations from nuisance lawsuits. This legislation is in response to the recent court rulings in North Carolina that have disrupted the financial viability and existence of their agricultural operations. We do not want this to happen in Georgia!
Georgia:Nuisance Bill in Legislature Will Harm Property Owners, Agriculture Community
All on Georgia | Posted onMarch 18, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsA measure that has already passed the Georgia House of Representatives would be tremendously detrimental to private property owners and those in the agriculture community if it clears the state senate as well.
Rural businesses feel ripple effect of farming struggles
Gazette Extra | Posted onMarch 18, 2019 in Rural NewsMarket forces have afflicted farmers in practically every commodity. Some farmers have drawn from their bank accounts and tried to persevere. Some have sold their animals and switched to other types of farming. Others have left the industry. As farms evaporate—Rock and Walworth counties have lost dairy farms every year since at least 1975—rural businesses that rely on farmers are feeling the impact.“I think it’s simple as driving down the road,” McMahon said. “Count how many dairy farms used to be a dairy farm. Right now, there might be horses in that pasture. It’s obvious that was a barn.
Renewable energy reduces the highest electric rates in the nation
Phys Org | Posted onMarch 17, 2019 in Energy NewsMichigan Technological University researchers found that increasing renewable and distributed generation energy sources can save Michigan electric consumers money. However, as three Michigan Tech researchers contend in a new study, while utility fuel mixes are slowly shifting away from fossil fuels toward renewable sources, Michigan utilities, and U.S.
Bill allowing hemp legalization in Idaho now on its way to House floor
Idaho Statesman | Posted onMarch 17, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsMore than one month after the bill was introduced, the House Agricultural Affairs Committee on Thursday finally voted on whether to advance a bill legalizing hemp in Idaho. The committee’s recommendation? Approval.With just two of committee’s 15 members voting no, the bill now heads to the House floor for consideration.
Minnesota Senate approves Mike Goggin's 'Save our Farms' bill
Winona Daily News | Posted onMarch 17, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe Minnesota Senate has approved expanding a zero-interest disaster loan program for farmers, just in time for producers whose buildings have been damaged by heavy snow this winter.The “Save our Farms” bill, authored by state Sen. Mike Goggin, R-Red Wing, whose district includes parts of Winona County, passed the Senate unanimously Thursday. It broadens eligibility for the Disaster Loan Recovery Program run by the state’s Rural Finance Authority. The proposal was one of many that were included in a massive budget bill vetoed by Gov.
Wolves lead, dogs follow -- and both cooperate with humans
Science Daily | Posted onMarch 17, 2019 in Rural NewsThe statement is a bold one, especially as wolves have received a lot of negative attention in recent years. A recent study conducted by behavioral researchers, however, shows that dogs and wolves both work equally well with humans, albeit in different ways. The allegedly unequal brothers are thus much more similar than often assumed.
Why Broadband is a Better Bet than Coal for Rural America
Electric Light & Power | Posted onMarch 17, 2019 in Rural NewsIn my years as CEO of two different power-supply electric coops, one in Kentucky and the other in Colorado, I came to deeply appreciate the hardworking coal miners whose tough jobs had always been so indispensable to power generation. I felt for those miners as the forces of regulation and economics shifted our coal-powered industry toward natural gas. Across coal country, proud and vibrant small towns suffered enormously as mines closed and good-paying jobs faded. They suffer still.The truth is that no amount of political rhetoric can alter a fundamental reality of the U.S.
Existing census obstacles made worse for rural, immigrant communities
Peoria Journal Star | Posted onMarch 17, 2019 in Rural NewsWith up to two Illinois congressional seats and $1 billion or more in federal funding on the line if Illinois’ population is not correctly counted in the 2020 census, not-for-profit groups warn that changes to the census format this year could exacerbate an undercount in already hard-to-reach communities. According to the U.S.