AgClips
Recent AgClips
Federal court rules against adding citizenship question to 2020 Census
CBS | Posted onMarch 10, 2019 in Federal NewsCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Enumeration Clause, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California ruled that the question was "quite effective at depressing self-response rates among immigrants and noncitizens, and poses a significant risk of distorting the apportionment of congressional representation among the states."
outh Dakota's KLUMB: Hemp bringing an exciting time for agriculture in SD
The Daily Republic | Posted onMarch 10, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsHB 1191 sailed through the House with very little opposition. I think it only received two no votes on the House floor. This past week in committee we heard HB 1191. Since the time it was in the House, opposition from the governor's office has increased dramatically. Her concerns are primarily that this is going to make law enforcement's job more difficult when it comes to detection of marijuana. As farmers continue to see depressed grain markets, they eventually will look for alternative crops that may help them make ends meet.Hemp may be that product, however it may not.
'Virtually all' coal plants monitoring groundwater show ash pollution, report finds
Utility Dive | Posted onMarch 10, 2019 in Energy NewsMore than 90% of coal plants that monitor groundwater pollution across the United States are leaking toxic coal ash pollution, according to a new national report based on industry disclosures.
Raw milk: safe or sorry?
WVVA | Posted onMarch 10, 2019 in Food NewsRaw milk is trending. Even the West Virginia Senate passed a resolution about it. But what does a dairy farmer say? You may not have known the milk you buy in the grocery store is cooked but it is. The process is called pasteurization. Lauren Perkins a fourth generation dairy farmer who works on her family’s dairy farm called Perk Farm Organic Dairy explained the process saying “[The milk is] heated to a temperature that can kill harmful bacteria.” But raw or unpasteurized milk is trending.
AquaBounty can start selling GE salmon in US
Agri-Pulse | Posted onMarch 10, 2019 in Agriculture NewsGenetically modified Atlantic salmon may be in U.S. grocery stores soon thanks to an announcement Friday by the Food and Drug Administration. FDA has approved the import of genetically engineered salmon eggs by AquaBounty Technologies, which has built a plant in Indiana to raise the fish. The salmon's regulatory journey is often cited by the biotechnology industry as an example of how difficult it is to gain approval for genetically modified organisms — and animal products, in particular.
U.S. cuts 2019 farm income forecast but still projects growth
Reuters | Posted onMarch 7, 2019 in Agriculture NewsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture dropped its net farm income forecast for 2019 by more than 10 percent on Wednesday, saying that data lags from the partial government shutdown failed to show the full picture of the sector’s health.
Farm income below $70 billion, a new average?
Agriculture.com | Posted onMarch 7, 2019 in Agriculture NewsThe USDA forecast net farm income, a broad measure of profits, of $69.4 billion this year. If accurate, the total would be the third year of net income below $70 billion since 2015. “We’re starting to see … a new average coming out here,” said USDA economist Carrie Litkowski.
Plan to protect Colorado River still isn't done
KSL | Posted onMarch 7, 2019 in Rural NewsAnother federal deadline passed Monday for seven states in the U.S. West to wrap up work on a plan to ensure the drought-stricken Colorado River can deliver water to the 40 million people and farms that depend on it. The states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — have been working for years on drought contingency plans. But Arizona and California have missed two deadlines set by the U.S.
Company converts drywall into soil amendment
Capital Press | Posted onMarch 7, 2019 in Agriculture NewsRather than sending wallboard to the landfill, Urban Gypsum is reaching out to local building contractors to bring the material into its 75,000-square-foot facility, where it is processed into a flour-like powder consisting of nearly 100 percent recycled gypsum for agricultural and industrial uses. Gypsum, a soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate, is a widely used fertilizer that provides plant nutrition while improving aeration in compact soils, allowing better drainage and deeper root penetration.
Farmer Sentiment Weakens Amid Increasing Marketing Risk Concerns
Purdue | Posted onMarch 7, 2019 in Agriculture NewsThe Ag Economy Barometer weakened slightly in February, declining 7 points to a reading of 136 compared to 143 a month earlier. The modest decline puts the barometer back near the levels observed in October and November 2018 and just 4 points below the level of February 2018. The downward shift in the barometer was primarily the result of weakness in producers’ perception of current economic conditions on their farms as the Index of Current Conditions fell from a reading of 132 in January to 119 in February.