Agriculture

Experts say the dizzying evolution of Oregon’s marijuana industry may well be a cautionary tale for California. [node:read-more:link]

The Utah Highway Patrol is seizing more marijuana on state highways and interstates since the drug has been legalized in a number of Western states. John Huber, the U.S. Attorney for Utah, says drug busts within the state’s borders historically yielded only a few pounds per stop.But he tells the Deseret News it is no longer unusual to intercept up to 100 pounds at a time as loads of marijuana make their way across the state from places like California and Oregon. [node:read-more:link]

Some hurricanes are moving more slowly, spending increased time over land and leading to catastrophic local rainfall and flooding, according to a new study. [node:read-more:link]

For the first time, spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, has been found on a cultivated crop in Virginia. The invasive pest, which was found on a table grape arbor this past weekend by Virginia Tech Entomology Professor Douglas Pfeiffer, was first found in Frederick County in January. [node:read-more:link]

The outlook for trade has darkened considerably in recent days; a gamble in the trade arena that holds substantial risk for American farmers. In May, President Trump initiated a trade investigation on automobiles that held the potential for triggering tariffs on imported cars and trucks. On June 1st, the long-threatened tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) went into effect for important U.S. trading partners (Mexico, Canada and the European Union), who quickly responded with threats or tariffs on U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Arkansas officials have denied a request by some farmers to lift the state's ban on in-crop dicamba use. [node:read-more:link]

California’s dairy industry will begin operating under the federal milk marketing order system on Nov. 1. [node:read-more:link]

A federal appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other groups challenging North Carolina’s “ag-gag” law can proceed. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reverses a district court judgment that had dismissed the lawsuit. PETA, the Center for Food Safety, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Farm Sanctuary, Food & Water Watch, and the Government Accountability Project are suing to overturn the state law criminalizing undercover investigations at agricultural facilities. [node:read-more:link]

USDA’s arbitrary rules about what is permitted for the “organic” designation prohibit important advances in agriculture and food production, and they unnecessarily restrict consumer choice. That could be remedied by expanding what is permitted under the federal National Organic Standards, and this would be an opportune time. The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990required USDA to develop national standards for the production of "organic foods" because of consumer demand for food that was supposedly more healthful and produced with more sustainable farming methods than traditional farming. [node:read-more:link]

After several tough years of prices near or below break even, the economics of the farm sector may soon get worse because of international tariffs.  China, the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, and Mexico, the largest importer of U.S. pork, are threatening tariffs that would likely choke off demand for those farm products and drop prices further.  Worth said it's another unknown farmers face, and another stressor.  "We got people who are fifth- or sixth-generation farmers who may lose the farm. They are thinking they let their ancestors down," he said. [node:read-more:link]