AgClips
Recent AgClips
Cargill acquires Southern States feed
Farm and Dairy | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture NewsCargill has closed on its agreement to acquire the animal feed business of Southern States Cooperative. The deal was announced in early August and closed Sept. 22. Under the agreement, Cargill purchased the assets of Southern States Cooperative’s animal feed business, including seven feed mills and its portfolio of products, brands and customer and supplier relationships.
The most effective clean energy policy gets the least love
Vox | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in NewsBack in the 1990s and 2000s, when Democrats had more power in state governments, 29 states (and DC) passed some form of renewable portfolio standard (RPS), a policy that requires a state’s utilities to get a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources by a certain year.
U.S. meat company in 'pink slime' case launches fund for ex-workers
Reuters | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThe South Dakota meat processor that sued ABC News over the characterization of its top-selling product as “pink slime” in TV news reports has set up a $10 million fund to help former employees and communities affected by the plants it closed in 2012, it said on Wednesday. The privately held Beef Products Inc sued ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co, in 2012, saying ABC defamed the company by using the term “pink slime” and accusing it of making errors and omissions in its reporting.
Startup taps corn stover to make livestock feed at $20 million Iowa plant
Des Moines Register | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture NewsA young company plans to build a $20 million demonstration plant in Osage that will turn corn stalks, cobs, husks and other crop residue into feed for dairy and beef cattle, local officials say. Stover Ventures plans to begin building the plant on 10 acres in Osage Northwest Industrial in the second quarter of 2018 and launch production in early 2019. Stover Ventures plans to produce "a highly digestible feed" that costs less than alfalfa or soy hulls.
American Royal helps kids learn about agriculture
KCTV5 | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture NewsKids from all around the metro are getting the chance to learn about agriculture at the American Royal this week. From miniature donkeys to rodeo entertainers, thousands of kids are learning more about where their food comes from.“And they get to experience 40 different exhibits that teach them about agriculture through agriculture and fun, interactive activities," said American Royal President and CEO Lynn Parman.Inside Hale Arena, kids can climb on tractors and get their questions answered by Kansas State University veterinarian students.“If you add all the schools up, we’ll have close t
Illinois Supreme Court ruling leaves wind-power line up in the air
Chicago Business | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Energy NewsThe Illinois Supreme Court has dealt a punishing blow to the proposed clean-power "super highway" designed to transmit output from Iowa and Dakotas wind farms to the Chicago market. The state's high court today upheld an Illinois Appellate Court ruling that concluded state regulators improperly approved the Rock Island Clean Line project.
Why China is building its own version of an Iowa farm
USA Today | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsChina is eager to modernize the operations of its 260 million mostly small-scale farmers, with Iowa held up not only as a model but an ideal: In the words of one Chinese official, Iowa is “the place where the dream for modern farming began.” Iowa, meanwhile, craves ever more access to the Chinese market and its growing middle class.Kimberley stood there Saturday morning thanks to a famous visitor to his own Iowa farm in February 2012: Chinese President Xi Jinping surveyed the vast fields, towering grain bins and enormous tractors and saw inspiration for the future of rural China.
Court Holds Insurance Pollution Clause Excludes Coverage for Manure Contamination
Texas A&M | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture NewsJudge Thomas Rice of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washingon issued a ruling earlier this month that is important for agricultural producers to be aware of when purchasing liability insurance policies. Specifically, Judge Rice held that when a Washington dairy was sued for contaminating drinking water with manure, its insurance company was justified in denying coverage based upon absolute pollution exclusion clauses in the dairy’s policies.
How Heritage Foundation’s U.S. Farm Policy Proposals Would Put America Last
Farm Policy Facts | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsThe Heritage Report recommends that the safety net provided by the Farm Bill’s Commodity Title be eliminated for crop and dairy farmers although analysis of a more modest proposal offered during the 2008 Farm Bill debate concluded that most farms and ranches would not be able to survive the resulting erosion in farm income. The Heritage Report’s recommendation comes at a time when national net farm income has fallen 50 percent over the past four years and, regionally, farmers have endured difficult conditions for an even longer period.
ASA Steps up Urgency in Search for Answers on Dicamba Damage
American Soybean Association | Posted onSeptember 28, 2017 in Agriculture NewsAs nationwide reports of dicamba-related damage to soybeans and other crops continue to climb, American Soybean Association (ASA) President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore reiterated the association’s commitment to find a solution to the issue: “This issue isn’t going away—in fact, it’s only getting worse. There are now a reported 2,242 complaints affecting 3.1 million acres of soybeans in 21 of our 30 soybean-growing states, and we expect that number to continue to rise.