Agriculture

A biorefinery that will produce 16 MMgy of cellulosic ethanol and 120,000 of lignin pellets is set to break ground in Spiritwood, North Dakota, in the spring of 2019. The facility, under development by New Energy Blue, will feature Inbicon technology. The proposed plant, known as New Energy Spirit Biomass Refinery LLC, will be located in Spiritwood Energy Park near Jamestown, North Dakota, adjacent to Dakota Spirit AgEnergy LLC, an existing 70 MMgy corn ethanol plant, and Spiritwood Station, a 99-megawatt coal-fired power plant that produces electricity and steam. [node:read-more:link]

Three more agricultural enterprise areas totaling 185,000 acres have been designated by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. The new AEAs will be in Trempealeau County's town of Arcadia; St. Croix County's town of Troy; and six townships in northwest Outagamie and northeast Waupaca counties. Wisconsin will have a total of 37 agricultural enterprise areas, or AEAs, in 26 counties, 108 towns and the Bad River Reservation, as of January 1, 2019.AEAs may be created or expanded when at least five landowners, in partnership with local governments, petition the DATCP for the designation. [node:read-more:link]

A father and daughter with a passion for the beef industry have donated an entire working ranch — land, buildings, a 1,000-head herd of cattle and all — to the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.In terms of monetary value, W.A. Ranches — which is northeast of Cochrane and valued at $44 million — is the largest gift of a ranch that has ever been made to a North American university. And, in terms of size, at nearly 7,700 hectares, it represents the biggest gift of ranch property in Canadian university history.The donation was made by businessman and philanthropist J.C. [node:read-more:link]

Much of the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner centers on food — whether immigrants should be able to help harvest it, how crops are traded or what items schools can serve students for lunch. Democrat Kim Olson, a farmer and Air Force veteran, is challenging the incumbent, Republican Sid Miller.  In the latest edition of our Split Decision virtual debate series, watch Olson and Miller discuss these issues, as well as Miller's presence on social media and more. [node:read-more:link]

During its regularly scheduled meeting, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development voted to approve Food and Agriculture Investment Fund grants for three food and agriculture projects in Michigan. The projects will help grow companies focused on cheese-making, asparagus packing and production, and grain processing as well as support the expansion of consumer-demand driven, value-added Michigan products. [node:read-more:link]

To satisfy Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) inspectors, feed mill employees should know and be able to explain the reasoning behind all the steps in an animal feed safety plan, said Cassandra Jones, Ph.D., associate professor at Kansas State University, in an interview after her presentation at the Feed and Pet Food Joint Conference, on September 19 in St. Louis. Jones has observed a recurring problem when she helps feed mill facilities preparing for FSMA inspections. [node:read-more:link]

As Costco is set to be the first U.S. retailer to integrate its meat supply to the farm level, a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division predicts that other food retailers and foodservice companies may be prompted to reevaluate their own supply chain integration opportunities.
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Utah residents in West Jordan are fed up with a foul odor they say is coming from the Dannon yogurt plant. Maurie Vance created a petition on change.org, urging city, county and state officials to work with residents and Dannon to find a solution to the smell.She describes the smell as being obnoxious and says it is at its worst during the fall and winter months.“It’s like a sour milk, dirty diaper — disgusting,” Vance said.The petition has received hundreds of signatures.“It gags you so much, you don’t go outside. You run back into your house,” said West Jordan resident Dana Grandy. [node:read-more:link]

McDonald's Corp. has long been on the receiving end of calls to take better care of its chickens. Earlier this month, actors and musicians including  Kristen Bell, Joan Jett and Weird Al Yankovic have lent their names to demands for more humane treatment. Now there's a new name on that list, and it carries a lot more weight. In a letter dated Aug. 22, obtained by Bloomberg News, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. [node:read-more:link]

The Whole Foods grocery store chain is trying to turn the tables on animal rights protesters. Fed up with store take-overs, they are taking one East Bay group to court. Animal rights activists from the Berkeley-based group Direct Action Everywhere or DxE have been targeting Whole Foods for several years now. [node:read-more:link]