AgClips
Recent AgClips
A Texas Farmer on Harvey, Bad Planning and Runaway Growth
The New York Times | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Agriculture, Rural NewsA century’s worth of unchecked growth, he’ll tell you, has brought prosperity to many. But it also has altered the landscape in ways that have made both the droughts and the floods more destructive and made that prosperity fleeting. Much of the region sits atop the overtaxed Gulf Coast Aquifer, and though efforts have made over the last 40 years to limit withdrawals from it, enough water has been sucked out of it that the ground still subsides in some places, altering runoff patterns and allowing flood waters to gather.
As Houston Looks to Recover, Small Towns Now Bear the Brunt
The New York Times | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Rural NewsFor the streets of Newton, a small town on the Texas side of the Louisiana state line, to become impassable, “the flood would have to be biblical,” Kristen Rogers was told when she peeked into the sheriff’s office looking for guidance. “That’s what they said about Houston,” replied Ms.
Wind Energy Is One of the Cheapest Sources of Electricity, and It's Getting Cheaper
Scientific American | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Energy NewsA comprehensive survey of the wind industry shows wind energy is routinely purchased in bulk for just 2 cents per kilowatt-hour — and turbines are only getting cheaper, bigger, and better
Farmers, experts: solar and agriculture ‘complementary, not competing’ in North Carolina
Southeast Energy News | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Agriculture, Energy, Rural NewsOn a 120-acre farm in Biscoe, North Carolina, near the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest, a flock of hair sheep takes shelter from the summer sun beneath a row of solar panels. They provide a valuable service to O2 emc – the Cornelius-based company that owns this solar installation – by preventing weeds that could block sunlight and decrease the panels’ efficiency.“What we’re trying to do is put agriculture and solar right next to each other,” says Brock Phillips of Sun-Raised Farms, who owns and manages the sheep.
Deer feeding ban expands into northern Minnesota
Duluth News Tribune | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Rural NewsThe Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Monday it is expanding its total ban on deer feeding into 11 new counties as a precaution against the spread of chronic wasting disease.The ban on feeding deer started Monday and will last through February 2019.
Texas’ immigration legislation collides with Harvey
The Washington Times | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Federal, Rural NewsTexas’ crackdown on illegal immigration is about to run smack into Harvey, with local officials saying they’ll refuse to comply with a new state law that goes into effect Friday requiring police to check immigration status for those they believe to be in the U.S. illegally. Known as SB4, the law would be the furthest-reaching crackdown of any state. It punishes leaders of sanctuary cities, including police officials, and spurs officers to determine immigration status of those they encounter. A number of cities had already sued to block the law.
Texas Farm Bureau Sets up Fund
DTN | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsFarmers and ranchers in eastern Texas and western Louisiana were coping with continued torrential downpours on Wednesday even as floodwaters receded in other areas of Texas hit by Tropical Storm Harvey. The Texas Farm Bureau on Wednesday created a relief fund focusing on agricultural producers in southeast Texas hit by the storm that first struck Texas as a Category 4 hurricane. "One hundred percent of everything we collect will go to them and we are setting up the infrastructure for implementing that right now," said Gene Hall, a spokesman for the Texas Farm Bureau.
1.2 million beef cows in 54 Texas counties affected by Hurricane Harvey
Farm Talk | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThe 54 Texas counties declared a disaster area due to Hurricane Harvey contain over 1.2 million beef cows, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture inventory report.“That’s 27 percent of the state’s cowherd,” said David Anderson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist in College Station. “That’s a conservative estimate of beef cow numbers because 14 of those counties only have cattle inventory estimates.”Anderson noted since it is late August, a lot of calves in the affected areas are either close or ready to be marketed.
FDA Releases Sixth Chapter of Draft Guidance for the PC-Human Food Rule
FDA | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Federal, Food NewsToday, the FDA announced the availability of guidance for food facilities that explains how to establish and implement a heat treatment, such as baking or cooking, to prevent contamination by disease-causing bacteria.
Investment in innovation pays off for DuPont's agriculture unit
Delaware online | Posted onAugust 31, 2017 in Agriculture NewsDuPont has charted Delaware's direction for more than 200 years. As the Wilmington-based corporation matured from a small gunpowder manufacturer on the banks of the Brandywine into a $71 billion company, Delaware grew with it. DuPont gave the state a luxury hotel, country clubs and a theater. Family members linked New Castle and Sussex counties by financing DuPont Highway's construction. They built more than 100 schools and even a well-known children's hospital. Now, DuPont is entering its final days as a stand-alone company.