AgClips
Recent AgClips
Minnesota farm loan program wins approval in time for spring
Ag Week | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsMinnesota senators voted 62-0 in favor of the bill Thursday, Feb. 16, following House members' action a week earlier. The legislation does not provide loans for farmers to buy seeds, fertilizer and other things they need in the spring, but it does help them pay mortgages and other major expenses that affect how much money they have available for spring planting. "The Rural Finance Authority is an important program and provides much needed assistance to farmers across our state, but it has run dry," said Sen. Andrew Lang, R-Olivia, who sponsored the legislation.
NYS Lawmaker Introduces Carbon Farming Tax Credit Bill
Northeast Public Radio | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsA New York state Assemblywoman has introduced legislation on carbon farming that she says is the first of its kind. The idea is to promote environmentally friendly farming practices while, at the same time, putting money back into the pockets of farmers. Democrat Didi Barrett has sponsored a bill that creates a carbon farming tax credit. Barrett, who represents portions of Columbia and Dutchess Counties, says the plan will give farmers a new tax break while helping the state reach its climate change goals. “This would make New York state the first in the country,” Barrett says.
State leaders show support Maryland seafood marketing bill
Undercurrent News | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsTwo Maryland leaders showed their support for a bill that would move the state’s seafood and aquaculture marketing program to another departmen. Governor Larry Hogan and agriculture secretary Joe Bartenfelder toured the J.M. Clayton crab processing plant in Cambridge in support of House Bill 120, which would move the marketing from the Department of Natural Resources back to the Maryland Department of Agriculture. HB120 will move the program back to the Agriculture Department, where it will join the existing Agriculture Marketing and Development Program.
Has Deere Been Able To Plow Through Rough Patch In Farming?
Seeking Alpha | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsJohn Deere & Co. (DE) appears to have relied on “disciplined cost management” to plow through what has been considered the roughest period in the farming since the Depression. Friday, some analysts say they hope to see that the deep double-digit dips in revenues and profits, choked by low commodity prices and weak farm incomes, have slowed down.
Lawmaker seeks to improve living conditions for farmworkers
Kern Golden Empire | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsState Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) has introduced a bill designed to help improve the living conditions of seasonal farmworkers. An affordable housing shortage has forced many farmworker families into unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, according to a news release. "The hardworking folks that help grow the world's food shouldn't have to choose between putting a roof over their family's heads and feeding their children," said Vidak. Many farmers have the land and want to build housing for their seasonal employees, but zoning ordinances often prevent them from doing so.
We think fresh is best. But to fight food waste, we need to think again
The Washington Post | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Food NewsThere’s a simple step consumers can take to cut waste: Rethink “fresh.” It’s a word we associate with food that’s wholesome and good-tasting. And there’s no argument about a just-picked tomato or a just-caught striped bass; those are the tastes that drive me to grow tomatoes and catch fish. But most tomatoes and fish don’t come to us just-picked or just-caught. They come to us after having been picked or caught, packed and shipped, warehoused and displayed. Because “fresh” signifies “perishable,” especially when it comes to produce and seafood, there’s a lot of waste in that system.
House Ag Committee Approves Two Pesticide Bills
DTN | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Federal NewsThe House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved H.R. 953, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, which would clarify congressional intent regarding pesticide regulation in or around waters of the United States, and H.R. 1029, the Pesticide Registration Enhancement Act, which reauthorizes the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act PRIA was intended to create a more predictable and effective evaluation process for affected pesticide decisions by coupling the collection of fees with specific decision review periods.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Monsanto for 2016 Dicamba Damage
DTN | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsMonsanto has been served with a second lawsuit over the off-label dicamba drift damage that occurred in 10 states in 2016. The new case, a class action suit filed in U.S. District Court in Missouri, has two farmers from that state as lead plaintiffs. The lawsuit was filed by Randles and Splittgerber, LLP, a Missouri-based legal firm that also sued Monsanto over dicamba drift in November 2016 on behalf of Bader Farms, a Missouri fruit and row-crop operation.
She’s traveling the country telling farmers’ stories
Fresno Bee | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Agriculture NewsNatalina Sents, a recent Iowa State graduate in ag business, has been crisscrossing the country as part of a yearlong project sharing farmers’ stories on a blog, whyifarm.com. The project, funded by Beck’s Hybrids seed. “I have talked to some very strong men, whose families have not seen them cry for a very long time, if ever,” she said.
Congress Starts Farm Bill Talks; Dairy Revisions Being Discussed
Lexis Nexis Newsdesk | Posted onFebruary 23, 2017 in Federal NewsU.S. dairy industry faced difficult economics in 2016 with dropping milk prices. However, many producers felt the government safety net in the 2014 farm bill did little to help. As work starts on the 2018 farm bill, the House Agriculture Committee heard shortcomings of the present act and challenges of a farmer-friendly version. Scott Brown, University of Missouri Extension dairy economist, testified Feb. 15 in Washington, D.C., before the committee in the House of Representatives. Dairy policy is not easy, Brown testified.