Agriculture

Legislation would expand conditional approvals beyond minor uses and minor species. The U.S. House and Senate have passed the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2018 (HR 5554/S 2434), which are vital to increasing veterinary access to drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.The House passed the bill on July 16, and the Senate passed the bill on July 31. [node:read-more:link]

Large-animal vets ensure the health of cows, pigs and horses, but they're also the first line of defense against diseases that can spread from animals to humans — so a shortage leaves producers, and global markets, vulnerable to devastating outbreaks. In rural towns across the country, there's a shortage of veterinarians for farm animals. The pay is low. The hours are long. And it can be hard to get vets to work in areas where there are more cows than people. This is a problem that could leave farmers and the U.S. food supply vulnerable. [node:read-more:link]

A decline in farm income accelerated slightly in the second quarter as crop prices plummeted in June. In contrast to earlier signs of income stabilization, more District bankers reported a decrease in farm income (Chart 1). The sharp decline in crop prices likely contributed to reduced income. In June alone, prices for U.S. soybeans dropped 17 percent. In addition, from the beginning of May to mid-July, corn prices also dropped 17 percent. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ready to hand over Clean Water Act permitting authority on a subset of protected waters to states and tribes. For decades, farmers and ranchers have faced confusion not only on what constitutes a water of the United States, but also where to apply for Section 404 dredge and fill permits. Many farmers have undertaken projects that require the movement of soil during construction, only to learn later they violated the Clean Water Act by not having permits.As a result, farmers and ranchers can face penalties of $37,500 per day, per violation. [node:read-more:link]

Farmers for Free Trade, the association that’s railing against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, is ramping up an advertising campaign highlighting the harm that the escalating trade war is having on the U.S. agriculture industry. The new effort involves $800,000 in radio, print, online and television ads on farm programming across the heartland. Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin will see the first round of ads.The “Tariffs Hurt the Heartland” campaign will also include town hall events in various states. [node:read-more:link]

It’s “Rent The Chicken,” not “Rent-A-Chicken.” Local entrepreneurs Phil and Jenn Tompkins stress the distinction because their South Buffalo Township-based business, Rent The Chicken, in their assessment, is on top of the pecking order of live chicken rental businesses, which includes Michigan-based competitor Rent-A-Chicken.Rent The Chicken continues to add customers after the Tompkins hatched the business five years ago for supplemental income promoting a shared value of the couple: Homesteading — producing yard-to-the-table fresh food.The success of the business illustrates the popularit [node:read-more:link]

Wild and free. That’s the new life for a herd of 31 plains bison which have finally been fully reintroduced to the backcountry of Banff National Park for the first time in 140 years. “These are not a captive display herd. These are wild bison,” said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager with Parks Canada.“This is virtually unprecedented. [node:read-more:link]

The recent heatwave and drought could be having a deeper, more negative effect on soil than we first realized say scientists. That's because organisms in soil are highly diverse and are responsible not only for producing the soil we need to grow crops, but also provide humans with many other benefits, such as cleaning water and regulating greenhouse gas emissions. [node:read-more:link]

The West Virginia Agriculture Advisory Board announced the first step in developing a five-year, strategic plan for agriculture. A statewide survey, as well as market analysis will be conducted to address the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt relaunched the board in July of 2017 which includes Governor Jim Justice and the Dean of WVU Extension Service Steve Bonanno. [node:read-more:link]

A trial in which a school groundskeeper alleged that his use of Monsanto's Roundup weed killer caused his terminal cancer will go to a California jury after lawyers for both sides delivered their closing arguments on Tuesday. Groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson is one of more than 5,000 plaintiffs across the United States who claim Monsanto's glyphosate-containing herbicides, including the widely-used Roundup, cause cancer. [node:read-more:link]