AgClips
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Increased immigration enforcement sets agriculture industry on edge
The High Plains Journal | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Federal NewsAfter hundreds of arrests of undocumented immigrants by immigration police, the Trump administration’s increased focus on immigration enforcement has some of the country’s largest farm groups worried. Undocumented immigrants make up a significant portion of the country’s agricultural workforce. A 2016 Pew Research Center study showed undocumented workers are in about 26 percent of the nation’s farm jobs, the highest percentage among all occupations Pew included in the study.
ers supported trump. His proposals have them thinking again
Huffington Post | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Federal NewsWhen President Donald Trump was elected last fall, it was with an apparent majority of the nation’s farmers behind him. But now, three weeks since Trump’s inauguration, some of those farmers appear to be having second thoughts.Dairy farmers and fruit and vegetable growers, both of whom rely heavily on an immigrant workforce to harvest their goods, are expressing fears that Trump’s promise to up immigration enforcement and build a border wall with Mexico could eliminate much of its workforce.Commodity farmers are also concerned that a 20-percent import tax on Mexican goods ― an idea the Tru
Trouble on the horizon: Farmland values drop, debt increases
Agri-Pulse | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThe value of farmland across the country continues to decline while credit remains tight for producers and net incomes fall. Low commodity prices, falling incomes, dropping land values and rising demand for credit are weighing down the nation’s agricultural producers, but Johansson told Agri-Pulse he will also be stressing to lawmakers that the farm economy is still strong when considered in a historical perspective.
Public Support for Environmental Protection
University of New Hampshire, Carsey School | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Federal Newspartisan divisions on environmental protection have widened, with Republican leaders frequently in opposition.1, This opposition took a strong form in the 2016 presidential campaign, when Republican Donald Trump called for abolishing the EPA and eliminating many environmental regulations. After taking office he seemed to moderate his position on abolishing the EPA, but he nominated as director someone who has sued the agency to halt its enforcement activities.
Kind snack bar founder to donate $25 million for public health
The Washington Post | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Food NewsA $25 million pledge to fight the food industry’s influence on public health is coming from a surprising source — the CEO of a snack bar maker. Kind founder Daniel Lubetzky says he’s pledging his own money to create a group called “Feed the Truth” dedicated to revealing corporate influence in the nutrition field, with activities like education campaigns and investigative journalism. The move underscores the division between older “Big Food” companies and newer businesses that market themselves as wholesome alternatives aligned with health advocates.
Iowa DNR plans second special harvest to test deer for chronic wasting disease
Des Moines Register | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Rural NewsThe Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold a second special harvest in northeast Iowa to collect deer that can be tested for chronic wasting disease. The state hopes to collect up to 300 samples from mature deer in Clayton County from Saturday to March 5. The state asks hunters, who will receive special scientific licenses, to focus on an area about 10 miles west of Elkader. It's the second special harvest this year.
Trump's Immigration Crackdown Triggers Anxiety Across U.S. Farms
Bloomberg | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Federal NewsRecent raids by U.S. immigration authorities targeting undocumented immigrants are creating a wave of distress through America’s agricultural sector, an industry that’s heavily dependent on foreign workers. Hundreds of arrests have been made in at least six states over the past week. That’s left undocumented workers afraid to travel and farmers pondering whether they can risk hiring them, according to organizations representing both groups. Farms in the western U.S.
North Dakota farm giant McM files for bankruptcy
West Fargo Pioneer | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Agriculture NewsOne of North Dakota's largest high-value crop farms has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Fargo. McM, Inc., based in St. Thomas, N.D., north of Grand Forks, filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy. The farm is one of the largest farms of high-value specialty crops in the region, including about 39,000 acres, with about 2,000 acres of sugar beets and about 4,200 acres of non-irrigated potatoes in 2016.
Immigration Enforcement Warning Issued by Western Growers
Growing Produce | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Agriculture NewsWestern Growers, which represents farmers in Arizona, California, and Colorado who produce half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, advises its members to begin preparing for increased worksite enforcement and renewed emphasis on Form I-9 audits. Employers should be proactive to recognize and correct Form I-9 problems before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes knocking on the door. Now is the time to audit all Form I-9s to ensure they are completed fully and accurately.
Harvard and MIT Scientists Just Won a Big Patent Fight for the CRISPR Gene Editing Technology
Time | Posted onFebruary 16, 2017 in Agriculture NewsThree judges on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board have ruled that lucrative patents on the gene editing technology known as CRISPR belong to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. CRISPR was first developed by Jennifer Doudna from the University of California, Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, then at the University of Vienna and now at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The University of California filed a patent in May 2012 for ownership of the technology as it applies to all of its uses, in all types of cells.