Beekeepers use a variety of other types of pesticides thought to help bees by ridding their hives of parasites and associated pathogens. A new study suggests these seemingly beneficial pesticides may be harming bees' gut microbiota, the community of microbes that help bees and their digestive system metabolize sugars and peptides. [node:read-more:link]
A helicopter will start making flights across the state this month, hovering over farms to drop seed in the hopes of producing a "cover crop" to protect soil through winter. The chopper is from the state Department of Agriculture and is depositing the winter ryegrass seed onto cornfields so that when the main crop is harvested, the cover crop will already be established in the dirt. "It gives the seed a start that it wouldn't probably have," said Jim Lattanzi, owner of Hollis Hill farm in Fitchburg. [node:read-more:link]
Immigrants in South Dakota bolster the tax base and the workforce, a new report says, and more welcoming laws could help foreign-born workers respond to the state’s labor shortage. The report on South Dakota is one of 51 on the economic benefits of immigration from the Partnership for a New American Economy. [node:read-more:link]
Business and agricultural groups that have struggled in recent years to get congressional action on immigration reform are counting on 2017 being different once the embers of the 2016 presidential election begin to cool. Presidents from the American Farm Bureau Federation and Western Growers helped launch the "Reason for Reform" campaign on Wednesday with new reports showcasing the role of immigrants, documented or otherwise, across the country in areas ranging from agriculture and construction to startup businesses. [node:read-more:link]
The Governor and Cabinet today unanimously approved the preservation of nearly 4,000 acres of sensitive agricultural lands in Hardee, DeSoto, Dixie and Indian River counties, while allowing the land and agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida's economy. The purchases are a part of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which partners with Florida's farmers and ranchers to preserve active agricultural operations and their immense economic and environmental benefits through cost-effective conservation easements. [node:read-more:link]
Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Virginia will invest $850,000 over the biennial budget to expand its international trade initiatives promoting Virginia’s agriculture and forestry products around the world. With these new funds, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will open two new trade representative offices in Southeast Asia and the Middle East/Northern Africa (MENA) region, as well as create a new Richmond-based position to support the newly enhanced global trade network. The investment also will promote VDACS-led reverse trade missions to [node:read-more:link]
Activist groups in Arkansas have filed a notice of intent to sue three federal agencies, claiming they failed to identify the impact of a proposed poultry operation on seven animal and plant species. The Arkansas Rights Koalition and the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. [node:read-more:link]
Ben Pulsipher was managing a 2,000-cow conventional dairy in Raft River when he decided it was time to start his own operation. With conventional dairies struggling to cope with low milk prices, Pulsipher reasoned the organic price premium would make it economical for him to start with a small herd and gradually grow. A few months since entering the organic industry, Pulsipher said his contract still justifies the extra hassle, but he’s begun to worry too many other Idaho producers have reached the same conclusion and may be gradually flooding the niche market. He and his partner, Evan I [node:read-more:link]
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has scaled back proposed rules regulating factory farms’ manure spreading amid complaints from the dairy industry. The DNR last month completed scope statements to update manure spreading regulations for factory farms statewide, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Monday. Scope statements are broad summaries of agency proposals for regulations. [node:read-more:link]
On July 20, 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 92 which permits the growth and cultivation of industrial hemp for research purposes in Pennsylvania. [node:read-more:link]
