AgClips
Recent AgClips
How millions of cartons of ‘organic’ milk contain an oil brewed in industrial vats of algae
The Washington Post | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Food NewsInside a South Carolina factory, in industrial vats that stand five stories high, batches of algae are carefully tended, kept warm and fed corn syrup. There the algae, known as Schizochytrium, multiply quickly. The payoff, which comes after processing, is a substance that resembles corn oil. It tastes faintly fishy.Marketed as a nutritional enhancement, the oil is added to millions of cartons of organic milk from Horizon, one of the nation’s largest organic brands.
Hard Times Come to Much of Rural America
Wall Street Journal | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsScarcity of capital for small businesses has accelerated the crisis described in “Rural America Is the New ‘Inner City’” by stunting the growth of young businesses. Businesses in rural towns are starving for equal access to capital that has benefited urban areas for decades. Scarcity of capital for small businesses has accelerated the crisis described in “Rural America Is the New ‘Inner City’” by stunting the growth of young businesses.
$100-mln joint-venture beef plant opens in Idaho
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA cattle harvest and processing plant first announced by partners Caviness Beef Packers and J.R. Simplot Co. in early 2015 has opened for business in Kuna, Idaho, about six months after it originally was scheduled to begin operations. The CS Beef Packers joint venture near Boise is a 370,000-sq.-ft. facility that is expected to eventually process as many as 1,700 head per day, eliminating the need for local ranches and farms to move their herds hundreds of miles to other packing plants.
A Farm Journalist Tells Farmers What They'd Rather Not Hear About Climate Change
NPR | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture NewsDoes it make you nervous, as a reporter at a farm publication, talking about climate change? All the time. I feel like the guy who has to tell people things they don't want to hear. But if I simply ignore the topic or ignore the issues, am I doing anybody any favors?You decided to write a book on climate change during a Farm Bureau convention in 2011, when you were hearing lots of climate change skepticism.Oddly enough, we were at a convention in Atlanta, where a freak ice storm shut us in.
Nation’s second-largest school district pilots vegan lunches
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture, Food NewsThe Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest public school district in the country, has launched a pilot program to test plant-based vegan options for its school lunches during the 2017-2018 school year. LAUSD board members last month approved a resolution developed by freshman Lila Copeland, who is youth director of the nonprofit group Earth Peace, according to a news release issued by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which helped her develop the proposal.Dr. Neal Barnard, PCRM board president, helped make the case to LAUSD leaders and, along with Dr.
Brazilian court freezes $800 million of JBS' owner Joesley Batist
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture NewsA Brazilian court issued an injunction to freeze BRL800 million (US$246 million) in the banking accounts of JBS' controlling shareholder Joesley Batista on Tuesday, in reference to alleged gains obtained in the foreign currency market hours before his plea bargain deal revealing a bribery scheme was made public.
New York Governor Announces Over $1 Million to Support Agricultural Development Across the State
New York State | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo announced over $1 million for seven research, promotion, and development projects to strengthen New York State's diverse agricultural industry and spur economic growth across the state. The funding, approved by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, supports the continuation of malting barley research, enhances the processing capacity at a regional food hub, and assists with renovations to the New York Wine and Culinary Center, among other initiatives.
U.S. coal demand falls to lowest level since ’84
Fuel Fix | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Energy NewsThe U.S. power sector consumed 677 million short tons of coal last year, the lowest level since 1984, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported.That was a 35 percent decline from 2008, when coal demand in the power sector hit its peak.The fall comes not only as natural gas, wind turbines and solar panels take on increasing shares of the U.S.
Cargill acquires Pollos El Bucanero in Colombia
Watt Ag Net | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture NewsCargill has acquired Colombia-based Pollos El Bucanero S.A.(Bucanero Chicken), one of Colombia’s leading producers of chicken and processed meats products. The acquisition marks Cargill’s first introduction of its global protein business into Colombia. Pollos Bucanero has more than 30 years of experience and its products are the preferred choice of food service companies and retailers in multiple regions of Colombia.
Are Organic Pesticides Safer Than Synthetic Counterparts?
Wisconsin Ag Connection | Posted onJune 7, 2017 in Agriculture NewsHomeowners use a lot of pesticides. Statistics show that homeowners use three times more pesticides per acre than commercial agriculture producers. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the number to be even higher; their reports claim pesticide use in lawns is 10 times higher than in commercial agriculture.Though not quite ready to ditch the bug and weed killers, homeowners are seeking alternatives to conventional pesticides. Many homeowners are turning to organic pesticides due to the growing perception that these pesticides are safer.