A bitter three-year community fight over a hog feedlot in Dodge County has landed before three state Court of Appeals judges who are now being asked to decide a question that environmentalists see as critical to the future of clean water in Minnesota. What obligation do county governments in rural areas have to protect their citizens from the impact of a growing livestock industry? [node:read-more:link]
A California egg producer is facing criminal charges in the first case of Proposition 2 violations since the rules took effect. Hohberg’s Poultry Ranches allegedly kept too many hens in cages and were not in compliance with California law. An investigation of the farm was launched after a complaint was filed a year ago to the Inland Valley Humane Society. [node:read-more:link]
“We’d rather have the state come out and inspect farms instead of the federal government,” said Kyle Sturgis, a Northampton County vegetable producer and one of a dozen VFBF Young Farmers who visited the Virginia General Assembly Feb. 6. A focus of their discussions with legislators was SB 1195, sponsored by Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Montross. The bill would allow farmers subject to the produce rule to work with VDACS instead of the FDA to comply with the new rule. Even the FDA has requested that states carry out the rule; to date 41 other states have entered into agreements to do so. [node:read-more:link]
Hemp isn’t marijuana. But the reputation that accompanies marijuana seems to be stunting the growth of what could be America’s next cash crop. By some estimates, hemp is used in 25,000 products worldwide. The U.S. market, estimated at $600 million, is supplied totally by imported hemp today. [node:read-more:link]
Washington dairy farmers near the British Columbia border are rediscovering the hardships of feeding, milking and protecting cows in freezing temperatures, icy winds and snowdrifts. “You kind of forget about it after a few mild years,” Sumas dairy farmer Dan Heeringa said. “It’s been at least 10 years, probably more.” Snowpacks throughout Washington are near or above 100 percent of normal. The state went through its coldest January since 1993, according to the federal National Centers for Environmental Information. [node:read-more:link]
A coalition including the National Pork Producers Council is petitioning the Federal Maritime Commission for relief from port fees when labor disputes put the brakes on cargo shipments. [node:read-more:link]
A Mexican senator at a rally on Sunday proposed that Mexico stop buying U.S. corn in retaliation for some of President Donald Trump's stances on our southern neighbors. Mexico is the top market for U.S. corn exports with Mexican buyers importing nearly 28% of all U.S. corn sent to foreign markets in the 2015-16 marketing year. CNN reported Sunday during a rally that Sen. [node:read-more:link]
Much of the state’s signature produce—oranges, grapefruits and tangerines—have been hit by an incurable disease called citrus greening that has ravaged groves, sapping productivity and forcing some citrus growers to leave the industry and abandon fields. Florida land devoted to citrus declined 17% to 446,000 acres in the past eight years, according to the Florida Citrus Mutual, a citrus marketing cooperative. [node:read-more:link]
The Iowa Supreme Court responded that Iowa drainage districts possess immunity from damages claims and immunity from equitable remedies under Iowa law. The Iowa Supreme Court also answered that DMWW as one subdivision of state government cannot sue another subdivision of state government claiming protections under the Iowa Constitution, and that this also held true for the claims of a taking of DMWW property. The following briefly summarizes the court's reasoning and decisions. [node:read-more:link]
A number of poultry growers have filed suit against Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, and other poultry integrators alleging that growers’ production data was shared among integrators to depress grower payments. This is the first case where farmers’ ag data is the center of the lawsuit. The suit, titled Haff Poultry, Inc. v. Tyson Foods, Inc., was filed in the Eastern District federal court in Oklahoma. [node:read-more:link]
