After months of controversy that ultimately resulted in Tyson Foods Inc. abandoning plans to build a chicken complex in Kansas, the protein giant instead will construct the plant in Humboldt, Tenn. [node:read-more:link]
California released long-awaited rules that will govern the state's emerging legal marijuana industry, while potentially opening the way for larger-scale cultivation that some fear could strangle small-farm growers. The thicket of emergency regulations will allow the state to begin issuing temporary licenses for growers, distributors and sellers on Jan. [node:read-more:link]
Residents with verifiable medical conditions are being asked to submit their applications for the 2018 annual Pesticide Notification Registry. The registry enables individuals with verifiable medical conditions to be notified prior to a turf or ornamental application of pesticides on property that is adjacent to their primary residence. [node:read-more:link]
There are been a number of articles in the news recently discussing insurance and dicamba drift. Of course, drift damage is not covered by the damaged farmer’s crop insurance policy. Generally, injured producers look to the applicator’s liability insurance policy for compensation. Stories have reported that these claims have been denied for several reasons. First, claims may be denied if the insurance company determines that their applicator did nothing wrong. For example, if an applicator somehow violated the label by spraying with wind speeds that were too high or too low or using th [node:read-more:link]
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has announced a new program aimed at increasing acres of cover crops in the state. Iowa farmers who plant cover crops this fall may be eligible for a five dollar per acre premium reduction on their crop insurance in 2018. [node:read-more:link]
President Donald Trump's latest executive order aimed at implementing the hardline immigration policies he championed during his campaign has been blocked by a federal court.US District Court Judge William Orrick issued a permanent injunction Monday blocking Trump's executive order seeking to strip so-called sanctuary cities of federal funding.The ruling represents a major setback to the administration's attempts to clamp down on cities, counties and states that seek to protect undocumented immigrants who come in contact with local law enforcement from deportation by federal authorities. [node:read-more:link]
Two farmers told a public hearing sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration that biotechnology allows farmers to increase yields while using less fuel, less chemicals and with less impact on the environment. Bryant Chapman, a dairy, beef, poultry and grain farmer in Alexander County, N.C., and Don Duvall, a grain farmer from Carmi, Ill., both emphasized that biotechnology allows farmers to produce abundant and affordable food with less inputs. [node:read-more:link]
A new study has found no conclusive link between exposure to glyphosate—the main ingredient in a popular weedkiller—and cancer. The new study, which was seen by Reuters, draws on long-term data collected through the Agricultural Health Study. This has monitored the health of nearly 90,000 people in Iowa and North Carolina from 1993 to 2010, including farmers licensed to apply pesticides to their crops, and their spouses. The researchers tell Reuters that among more than 54,000 pesticide applications taken into account in the study, 83 percent contained glyphosate. [node:read-more:link]
I was stunned to hear a mother express guilt about being “unable to afford meat that doesn’t have antibiotics in it.”I wondered how many parents who are trying to provide the best for their children have the misconception that their kids are consuming large doses of antibiotics because they can’t afford meat labeled “antibiotic free.”One look at common questions being asked on Internet search engines tells us this misconception is distressingly common: “Are there antibiotics in my meat?” “Why is it bad to eat meat with antibiotics?”There is one undeniable fact that should bring comfort to p [node:read-more:link]
North Carolina's only farmworker union is challenging a law limiting organized labor's activities in and around the state's vegetable and tobacco fields and other agricultural operations. Their lawsuit filed Wednesday called the restrictions unconstitutional and discriminatory.A last-minute House amendment inserted into the General Assembly's annual farm law last summer prohibits farming operations from collecting union dues from workers. It also blocks any future legal settlements requiring a farm to enter into a collective bargaining agreement. [node:read-more:link]
