AgClips
Recent AgClips
Bill replaces ‘no trespassing’ signs with purple paint
Atlanta Journal Constitution | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Rural NewsA Georgia lawmaker wants to do away with “no trespassing” signs and instead allow property owners to paint their trees purple.Senate Bill 159, sponsored by freshman state Sen. Lee Anderson, follows the decades-old lead of other states, starting in 1989 in Arkansas. At the time, according to reports, rural property owners wanted an alternative to the “no trespassing” signs that they said were too easily removed, vandalized or just wore out too quickly.Nearly a dozen states have followed suit, including Texas, North Carolina and Illinois. Why purple paint?
Maple Leaf Meat processor invests in plant-based proteins
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Food NewsCanadian meat processor Maple Leaf Foods announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Brynwood Partners VI L.P. to acquire Lightlife Foods, a leading manufacturer and brand of refrigerated plant-based protein foods in the United States, for $140 million (U.S. dollars) and related costs.
New 5G wireless will increase need for fiber, not reduce it
Daily Yonder | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Rural NewsMinnesota legislators are now hearing that a market-based broadband solution is near. 5G wireless to the rescue! Learning that public dollars would not be necessary for rural broadband development would be soothing music to elected officials’ ears as other groups line up for funds– roads, schools, health care, tax cuts; the list is endless.
Rising Demand for Organic and Non-GMO Grains Outpaces U.S. Production
PR Newswire | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsImports of organic grains, particularly corn, from countries such as India, Ukraine, Romania, and Turkey surged in 2016 to meet the burgeoning U.S. demand for organic food products. Organic corn imports more than doubled from 2015 to 2016 and accounted for nearly one-half of the U.S. organic corn supply. The domestic shortfall for organic soybeans was even greater, with roughly 80 percent of soybeans supplying the U.S.
Washington pot growers seek right-to-farm protection
Capital Press | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsWashington marijuana growers want to take another step toward joining mainstream agriculture, though their presence may raise questions about taxes and labor law. Cannabis advocates are championing legislation to insert marijuana into the state’s right-to-farm law. The law bars new neighbors from claiming dust, odors and noise from an existing farm’s lawful operations are a nuisance. Outdoor marijuana farms in particular need protection from disgruntled neighbors, the advocates say.
Health Insurance Woes Add To The Risky Business Of Farming
NPR | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThere are many challenges to farming for a living: It's often grueling work that relies on unpredictable factors such as weather and global market prices. But one aspect that's often ignored is the cost of health care. A University of Vermont researcher found that nationally, most farmers cited health care costs as a top concern. Shoshanah Inwood is a rural sociologist at UVM. She has been studying the aging and shrinking farm population, and what components are needed to build a prosperous farm economy.
U.S. appeals court upholds Maryland's ban on assault rifles
Reuters | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Rural NewsA federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld Maryland's ban on assault rifles, ruling gun owners are not protected under the U.S. Constitution to possess "weapons of war," court documents showed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided 10-4 that the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, a law in response to the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, by a gunman with an assault rifle, does not violate the right to bear arms within the Second Amendment
HPAI woes expand in France, Asia
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThe ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to take its toll in France and two Asian nations as new incarnations of the virus continue to pop up. In France, the agriculture ministry said all 600,000 ducks in a prime region for the production of foie gras will be culled
Bill would clarify solid waste disposal rules for ag
Capital Press | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Federal NewsWestern lawmakers have proposed an amendment to the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act to help farmers understand which manure management rules they’re supposed to follow. HR 848, the Farm Regulatory Certainty Act, would reaffirm and clarify Congress’ intention regarding manure management under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, also known as the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
Severe flooding hits Southern Idaho hard
Capital Press | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Rural NewsHeavy rains, warm weather and melting snow have combined to cause widespread flooding across Southern Idaho, with Cassia County taking the brunt of the damage. Canals and creeks are overflowing, roads have been washed out or closed, basements are flooding and water is standing up to 2 feet deep in fields or causing erosion as it runs to lower ground. “It’s pretty devastating for sure. In the Malta area, there’s 100 percent devastation; it’s incredible,” said Joel Packham, Cassia County extension educator.