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Local farmers say immigration reform should not hurt their operations

Tribune Democrat | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal News

With a presidential administration that continues to call for immigration reform and secured borders, local farmers say any solution should consider the potential effects on the agriculture industry’s workforce.  “Americans don’t want to do a lot of the things farmers need done,” said Marty Yahner, of Patton, who owns a sixth-generation farm with his brother, Rick, that produces corn, oats, wheat, hay and soybeans.


US interior secretary urges mining ban near Yellowstone

Chicago Tribune | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Rural News

U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants to speed up a proposal to block new gold mining claims on forested public lands in Montana near Yellowstone National Park and will also consider blocking other types of mining, agency officials said Monday. Federal officials are undergoing a two-year review of mining on more than 30,000 acres among the towering peaks of the Absaroka mountains just north of the park.


Americans Are Confused About Food And Don't Know Where to Turn For Answers

Science Alert | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Food News

More than one-third of Americans do not know that foods with no genetically modified ingredients contain genes, according to the new nationally representative Food Literacy and Engagement Poll  recently conducted at Michigan State University. For the record, all foods contain genes, and so do all people.


More vets, medical groups join fight to keep dog testing at VA

Stripes.com | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Federal News

More veterans, military and medical organizations have come out against legislation limiting medical experiments on dogs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Advocates and lawmakers attempting to shut down dog testing in the VA gained a new adversary earlier this month, when Paralyzed Veterans of America argued that stopping the research would limit future medical advancements. More than 80 organizations joined the opposition.Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research, or FOVA, represents more than 83 groups.


Hop broker bankruptcy may signal industry turbulence

Capital Press | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture News

The bankruptcy of a Washington hop merchant may signal renewed turbulence in the hops market, with lower-than-expected demand for the crop raising oversupply concerns. 47 Hops of Yakima, Wash., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which shields the company from creditors while it develops a restructuring plan to repay debts and remain operational.The hop broker has more than $7.4 million in debt and $4.3 million in assets, according to the filing. In 2016, the company earned $10.6 million in revenues, up from $7.1 million the previous year.


Judge gives preliminary approval of $600,000 wage settlement for Yakima Valley dairy workers

Yakima Herald | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture News

A Yakima County Superior Court judge has given preliminary approval for a $600,000 settlement for a group of dairy workers at a Lower Valley dairy.Jose Martinez-Cuevas and Patricia Aguilar, on behalf of the group of nearly 300 workers, filed a class-action lawsuit against the DeRuyter Brothers Dairy of Outlook in December claiming the company failed to provide adequate meal and rest breaks and that workers were not paid for all time worked.They said they worked at the 5,000-herd dairy nine to 12 hours a day, six days a week without rest breaks, meal periods or overtime pay.


Harvey’s toll on Texas’ $100 billion ag industry still unknown

My San Antonio | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture News

Losses to Texas’ $100 billion agriculture industry had not even begun to be tallied Tuesday, with farmers and ranchers still unable to get out to find stranded livestock or survey how many acres of grain, rice and cotton was destroyed by Harvey’s once-in-a-millennium downpours. Texas A&M University agricultural economist David Anderson said it was too soon to even ballpark the monetary extent of the damages.“I haven’t even tried,” he said.


Some commercial beekeeping practices may harm honeybees more than help them

Science Daily | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture News

A review paper draws on scientific studies to recommend ways to reduce honeybee disease impacts, such as limiting the mixing of bees between colonies and supporting natural bee behaviors that provide disease resistance. The paper draws on scientific studies to recommend ways to reduce disease impacts, such as limiting the mixing of bees between colonies and supporting natural bee behaviors that provide disease resistance. The paper also highlights honeybee management practices in need of more research.


Report:Effect of pesticide exposure on birth outcomes

University of California Santa Barbara | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture, Rural News

Researchers unravel the negative effects of pesticide exposure on birth outcomes, such as weight, gestation and abnormalities.  A new study by researchers at UC Santa Barbara addresses the issue in a novel way — by analyzing birth outcomes in California’s San Joaquin Valley.With more than one-third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts produced there, the San Joaquin Valley, not surprisingly, is a heavy pesticide-use region.


Increasing Property Taxes Impact Land Owner Returns and Equilibrium Land Values

Farm Doc Daily | Posted onAugust 30, 2017 in Agriculture News

Since 2008, per acre property taxes in Illinois have increased substantially. These increases lower returns to farmland owners and magnify the losses associated with lowering cash rents. If per acre property taxes have reached a permanently higher level, equilibrium farmland values should be expected to adjust downward. Per acre property taxes in Illinois increased in recent years, as is illustrated in Figure 1 for high-productivity farmland in central Illinois. Between 2008 and 2016, property taxes increased at a rapid rate, increasing from $24 per acre in 2008 to $53 per acre in 2016.


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