Agriculture

Some state lawmakers are proposing new work requirements for people receiving food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, and for people receiving government-subsidized health insurance under Medicaid. Others want welfare recipients to pass drug tests. Many are looking to crack down on fraud by requiring recipients to prove their eligibility more frequently and with better documentation. Efforts to ban the purchase of junk food and soda with food stamps are also ongoing. In Wisconsin, Republican Gov. [node:read-more:link]

The Department of Natural Resources took a major step on Wednesday to toughen standards for manure spreading after years of complaints over polluted wells and pressure from interest groups that have been pushing officials to protect Wisconsin’s most vulnerable soils. The Natural Resources Board voted 7-0 to add new restrictions on spreading across eastern Wisconsin — a region prone to manure contamination of groundwater and drinking water.The action is the first big step by the administration of Gov. [node:read-more:link]

Last year, 2.3 million people attended Iowa’s 105 volunteer-driven, youth-oriented county and regional fairs. That means a lot of people in close contact with farm animals — and, as a result, the chance for outbreaks of zoonotic disease. “I see fair officials doing due diligence to reduce the risk of visitors getting sick,” notes Iowa Sen. Dan Zumbach, who, like many farmers, has been a 4-H leader and is active on his county board. [node:read-more:link]

A federal judge in North Carolina has ordered the owners of a warehouse and distribution company to pay $105.5 million to Cargill Inc. after a jury found they fraudulently overcharged the agricultural giant. In its complaint against WDS Inc. and owners Jennifer Maier and Brian Ewert, Cargill accused the defendants of directing employees to mark up pricing on purchase order requests beyond what the parties had agreed upon, over a period of many years. [node:read-more:link]

A study by the Renewable Fuels Association seeks to combat concerns raised by opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS. Bob Dinneen, the group’s president and CEO, says oil companies and others claimed the program would cause an increase in food prices. He says the analysis of the RFS program shows that hasn’t happened.“Overall, food price inflation in 2007 was 4% and in 2017 it was 1%,” Dinneen said. “The 20 year average is 2.5%. [node:read-more:link]

The Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule is designed as a basic bookend system allowing animal health officials to trace a covered animal forward from the location where the animal was officially identified and back from the animal’s last location, which is often the termination point or slaughter plant. It may also include information on the animal’s interstate movements. The system was set up as a foundation framework to be expanded over time. [node:read-more:link]

Kenneth Feeley, the Smathers Chair of Tropical Tree Biology in the University of Miami’s Department of Biology, is an expert in studying the effects of climate change on tropical forests. From the mountains of Peru to the lowlands of the Amazon, Feeley examines the ramifications of climate change on the trees and other species that comprise the diverse forests of these regions. Yet, recently, Feeley shifted gears from studying tropical forests to examining the impacts of climate change in rural farming communities in Peru. [node:read-more:link]

Current and future court challenges to the “waters of the U.S.” rule must be heard in federal district courts, not circuit courts of appeals, the Supreme Court said Monday in a unanimous decision that ultimately could lead to lawsuits filed all over the country. [node:read-more:link]

While members of Congress try to deconstruct a tax-law change that drives farm sales to cooperatives over private companies, farmers are taking advantage of the law change and wondering whether they will get to continue reaping the rewards. Then there are the farmers who would like to take advantage of some of the new 20% tax breaks for pass-through income, but they sell their commodities through C corporations. Instead of a tax deduction, they could face higher tax rates if they do not restructure those corporations. [node:read-more:link]

While more than 90 percent of U.S. consumers eat meat at least occasionally, nearly half (47 percent) of respondents in a recent survey agreed with the statement, “I support a ban on slaughterhouses.” [node:read-more:link]