AgClips
Recent AgClips
Wind is the new corn for struggling farmers
Bloomberg | Posted onOctober 11, 2016 in Energy NewsWind energy, the fastest-growing source of electricity in the U.S., is transforming low-income rural areas in ways not seen since the federal government gave land to homesteaders 150 years ago.
Supporting rural broadband & economy
USDA | Posted onOctober 11, 2016 in Rural NewsAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $32 million in loans and grants that will promote economic development and provide access to broadband in more than 80 rural American communities. Vilsack, who is chair of the first-ever White House Rural Council, convened the forum with rural policy, business and nonprofit leaders to discuss pertinent issues facing rural communities, including opportunities for economic growth and strategies for improving health care and housing.
Effingham school board buys cattle farm for ag students
Savannah Now | Posted onOctober 11, 2016 in Agriculture Newshe Effingham County Board of Education is buying a working cattle farm for $1.2 million to use as an agriculture center. Honey Ridge Plantation is three miles south of Guyton, less than a mile off Georgia Highway 17 in Pineora, on paved Honey Ridge Plantation Road. The 310-acre farm will be paid for with education sales tax dollars. The board voted 4-0 on Aug. 18 to purchase the property. The school system has 60 days from the contract date to inspect it and do a new survey, title search and environmental study. Closing will take place within 30 days of the inspection period.
Where is Ebola hiding and when will it be back
CNN | Posted onOctober 11, 2016 in Federal NewsThere was a certain kind of quiet hopefulness when, in late April this year, the last Ebola patient of the West African epidemic -- a two-year-old boy -- walked out of a treatment facility in Monrovia, Liberia. With the smoldering embers of the outbreak fading, there was cause for celebration. But there remains the impotent fear of the unseen: Ebola is still out there, lurking. We just don't know where it's hiding or when it will be back. And if we're going to stop Ebola in the future, we have to find its hiding places.
New partnership leverages more than $400 million for rural facilities
Daily Yonder | Posted onOctober 11, 2016 in Rural NewsA new private-public partnership with USDA, private foundations, and banks will help rural community development organizations take advantage of more than $400 million in federal loans to build community facilities like health clinics, schools, and child-care centers. The Uplift America fund, which was announced today, will provide private grants to help community development financial institutions manage and invest USDA Community Facilities loans. The organizations receiving the loans via USDA will, in turn, re-lend the money locally to facilities projects.
Animal Liberation philosopher headlines HSUS conference
Agri-Pulse | Posted onOctober 7, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAnimal Lib philosopher headlines HSUS conference. Peter Singer, the controversial Princeton University philosopher, will headline a conference hosted by the Humane Society of the United States. Singer, whose book “Animal Liberation” shaped today’s animal rights movement, applauds changes in the way that livestock and poultry are being raised. But he has made it clear that he wants to see people stop consuming animal products altogether. The conference will focus on state initiatives as well the changes in corporate policies for which HSUS has been pushing.
New Zealand commodity prices at 17-month high as dairy rallies
New Zealand Herald | Posted onOctober 6, 2016 in Agriculture NewsNew Zealand commodity prices rose for a fifth month in September, driven by dairy, although the strong kiwi dollar limited the benefits for local producers. The ANZ commodity price index increased 5.1 per cent last month, bringing it to a 17-month high. In New Zealand dollar terms, prices rose 3.9 per cent in the month and are 5 per cent lower than in the same period last year. The release of the commodity price index follows the results of the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction thi s morning, where dairy prices posted their first fall since July.
California marijuana legalization faces unlikely foe: growers
Reuters | Posted onOctober 6, 2016 in Agriculture NewsHezekiah Allen is a third-generation marijuana farmer in this Northern California county, where the cool coastal fog pours off the Pacific Ocean, coaxing pot plants to heights of 20 feet. The executive director of the California Growers Association trade group, Allen has long sought an end to what he calls "prohibition" and has looked forward to a day when he and the thousands of pot farmers here would no longer be outlaws.
Members of EPA glyphosate panel chosen
Agri-Pulse | Posted onOctober 6, 2016 in Federal NewsEPA has finalized the membership of the panel that will examine the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate. The list of scientific experts was posted without fanfare on EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel website. The agency also has posted the agenda for the meeting, which will take place Oct. 18-21 at the Office of Pesticide Programs building in Crystal City, Va.
Food and Agriculture Co-op Income Again Sets Record in 2015,
USDA | Posted onOctober 6, 2016 in Agriculture NewsNet income for the nation's agricultural cooperatives soared by 14 percent last year, according to data released by the USDA. In its annual report on national cooperative business sales, USDA reported that the country's farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives posted record net income of $7 billion in 2015. "The cooperative business model continues to perform strongly," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "While the model has long been one of the hallmarks of rural economies, its reach has greatly expanded to include almost every aspect of U.S. commerce.