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Over the next 12 years, Iowa will commit an additional $282 million to water quality, the result of legislation passed early in 2018 after years of unsuccessful legislative initiatives in past sessions. Even with SF 512 now law, Rep. John Wills says, it still is only “the beginning of the conversation [on water quality], not the end” in Iowa. The measure was passed along a party-line vote, with opponents expressing concern that the bill does not do enough to hold accountable those who receive dollars from the state — either through the benchmark goals or the ongoing testing of waterways. [node:read-more:link]

The annual State of the State addresses that kick off legislative sessions typically include myriad proposals for new laws and government initiatives, and this year was no different. Here is a brief look around the region at nine ideas — one from each of the nine speeches from January.  [node:read-more:link]

As the nation's dairy farmers struggle through their fourth year of depressed milk prices, concerns are rising that many are becoming depressed themselves. The outlook for the next year is so bleak, it's heightening worries — especially in the Northeast — about farmer suicides.  Agri-Mark Inc., a dairy cooperative with about 1,000 members, saw three farmers take their own lives in the past three years. The most recent was last month. [node:read-more:link]

America’s Dairyland stayed true to its name in 2017 as the state set another record for total milk production. [node:read-more:link]

Consumers are deeply suspicious of GMO foods--products made from genetically modified agricultural crops.  I was concerned about the environmental impact and the integrity of the food production. But then I decided to teach a class on "Food Law" at the University of Chicago, and in preparation I read the literature—not the pamphlets, but rather the underlying science. I was astonished to discover that my prior suspicions were deeply misguided. [node:read-more:link]

A judge has ordered California agricultural officials to stop spraying pesticides on public and private property to control insects that threaten the state's $45-billion agriculture industry.The injunction by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge, issued late last week, could throw a substantial hurdle in front of efforts by the state Department of Food and Agriculture to control dozens of crop-damaging pests such as the Asian citrus psyllid, which carries bacteria that have decimated the citrus industry in Brazil and Florida.Farmers and other property owners will still be able to use ch [node:read-more:link]

Broad measures of unemployment are as low as at the peak of the mid-2000s boom. And job creation continues at a healthy clip. In other words, it’s time to stop calling this a recovery, and start calling it a boom. But one important economic indicator remains disturbingly subdued -- wages.In dollar terms, wage growth has been superficially healthy -- in January, average hourly earnings rose 2.9% from a year earlier. But consumer prices increased 2.1% during the same period. [node:read-more:link]

English-language Russian news outlets are publishing high volumes of articles that portray genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, in a negative light. In 2016, Russian news outlets RT and Sputnik published more articles that mentioned GMOs than the Huffington Post, Fox News, CNN, and Breitbart News combined. Russian coverage consistently played on vulnerabilities in the American GMO discussion. And unlike United States-based coverage, which was mixed on pro- or anti-GMO stance, Russian coverage was almost unanimously anti-GMO. [node:read-more:link]

Northwest Iowa is one of the safest places for Republicans in the country. t's represented in the U.S. Congress by hardliner Steve King, who has a long history of controversial positions and comments. But David Johnson also represents part of northwest Iowa. And while King might look to the White House and see a kindred spirit, Johnson calls Donald Trump's rhetoric "misogynistic," "race-baiting," and "bigoted." David Johnson is a former dairy farmer who's been a senator in the state legislature since 2003. He was a prominent local leader for both George W. [node:read-more:link]

The Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee endorsed legislation that would put into law the "bright line of authority" Utah has over oil and gas production, as opposed to state and local government. SB191, sponsored by Sen. [node:read-more:link]