Agriculture

CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, announced it is launching a new program for veterans with disabilities from America’s rural communities. In partnership with its customers and the nonprofit group No Barriers USA, CoBank will sponsor up to 50 veterans from rural areas across the U.S. to participate in outdoor expeditions that challenge them mentally and physically and help them to transform their lives. [node:read-more:link]

Authorities in Yadkin County, N.C., are investigating what may have caused a multiple-alarm fire over the weekend that killed an estimated 12,000 chickens. [node:read-more:link]

Fish catches in overfished European waters — stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea — could increase by 57 percent if stocks were managed sustainably.   The Oceana environmental group says scientists believe catches of haddock, cod, herring and sardine in the Atlantic could increase by at least 300 percent. Group spokeswoman Maria Cornax said Tuesday there was “no excuse” not to start fishing sustainably.  “This is actually meant to help the fishery industry,” she said. [node:read-more:link]

 Dairy farmer leaders representing six northeastern states voted last week to approve the 2017 budget and program proposals for New England Dairy Promotion Board (NEDPB) and New England Dairy & Food Council(NEDFC). The action to approve the $5.5 million budget came at the annual meeting of the two companies that develop and carry out promotion, education and research programs in New England on behalf of dairy farmers.  Dairy farmers also heard from Carolyn Gibbs, CFO and Executive Vice President of Finance at Dairy Management Inc. [node:read-more:link]

An Oregon livestock producer must pay $13,700 to the Oregon Department of Agriculture for filing a “frivolous” lawsuit against the agency, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Acosta found that ODA is entitled to collect attorney fees from William Holdner, a rancher in Columbia County who filed a complaint claiming he’s not subject to state water quality regulations. Before his problems with water quality regulations began, Holdner raised about 500 cow-calf pairs on his property. Holdner was repeatedly cited by ODA for pollution violations on his property. [node:read-more:link]

Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. are expecting to get formal objections to their $60 billion merger from European Union regulators as soon as next month, listing potential antitrust concerns with their bid to form the world’s biggest chemical company, according to two people familiar with the investigation. The European Commission in Brussels is poised to send the complaint to the companies in December, according to people who asked not to be named because the process is confidential. [node:read-more:link]

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has revoked the license of a financially troubled Ford County grain dealer. The license belonging to SGI Agri-Marketing LLC, a specialty grain dealer in Gibson City, was revoked Wednesday following an administrative hearing to address the suspension of the facility’s license after the Illinois Department of Agriculture discovered deficiencies in the company’s financial statements.  The company has been ordered to cease and desist doing further business. [node:read-more:link]

On Tuesday, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a new law banning farmers from restrictively confining hens, pigs, and calves; 78% of voters said ‘Yes.’ Diemand Farm was prepared for a yes vote and will change with the law. “We will have to work to accommodate the new requirement to enlarge the cages or go with a cage-free system entirely,” said Brian Bailey of Diemand Farm in Wendell. Bailey said they’ve kept their chickens in cages for efficiency and sanitary reasons, and to protect them from hurting each other. [node:read-more:link]

Ben and Leticia Ward’s farm in Fountain, Colorado, just outside Colorado Springs, doesn’t look like an army base. But it’s not hard to uncover whiffs of military influence at Little Roman Farm.  A stack of sturdy fiberglass bins next to a greenhouse seem benign, ready to be put to use as brooding bins for chickens or an aquaponics system to grow veggies and fish at the same time. The bins once housed Joint Direct Attack Munition, or part of a system that controls “smart bombs.”  “It was purged courtesy of the U.S. Army,” Ben Ward says. “Thanks, U.S. Army. [node:read-more:link]

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, has concluded his second successful mission to China where he helped secure new export opportunities for Canadian agricultural producers and processors.  Over the 10-day mission, Minister MacAulay and a delegation of over 100 Canadian industry representatives from all 10 provinces visited the cities of Qingdao, Beijing and Shanghai. Meetings were held with Chinese ministers, agriculture and agri-food businesses and exporters. [node:read-more:link]