SARL Members and Alumni News
Farming's next generation has nowhere to grow
Talk Poverty | Posted on February 18, 2019The aging of the American farmer raises some big questions: Who will grow our food when these farmers are gone? And what will happen to the farmland currently managed by elderly farmers? Unless America’s fertile fields wind up in the hands of a new generation of independent farmers, they’re likely to become housing developments, fracking sites, or simply gobbled up by big agribusiness. The primary reason young farmers can’t enter the industry is land: High land costs effectively price them out, whether or not they come from a farming background. Between 2004 and 2018, farmland inflation rates increased by approximately 150 percent. While the national average was $3,040 per acre, some states had averages well over $10,000. Rhode Island has the highest average cost per acre at $13,800.
Lawmakers hope to create farm-to-school produce pipeline
West Central Tribune | Posted on February 18, 2019Minnesota House File 811 would put aside $2 million each year to reimburse schools or childcare providers that feed kids local fruits and vegetables through farm-to-school initiatives and would help farmers sell their produce to schools.
Wolves may keep cows off Washington Fish and Wildlife land
Capital Press | Posted on February 18, 2019Washington Fish and Wildlife may prohibit cattle from some department grazing lands to avoid conflicts with wolves, according to an internal review of grazing policies. The review responds to a wolf population growing in numbers and territory. If the department follows through, some of the 129,459 acres of grazing land owned by Fish and Wildlife likely would be off-limits to cattle.In other places, ranchers would have to sign detailed plans to prevent attacks by wolves with non-lethal measures. In some cases, cattle could be taken off the land to stop the depredations
Nebraska’s first dedicated entity for agriculture and rural companies launches
Silicon Prairie News | Posted on February 18, 2019Roots Venture Group is Nebraska’s first ever 100 percent-focused incubator, accelerator, and venture fund dedicated to launching and growing companies within the agricultural and rural industries, including areas such as tech, non-tech, lifestyle, and tech-enabled businesses and startups. Their focus is to work with founders that are keen on transforming the agriculture sector, rural communities in a sustainable manner and make an impactful societal and systemic change.
NY Farmworkers Fight to End 80-Year Ban on Unionizing
COurthouse News Service | Posted on February 14, 2019Contesting New York’s nearly century-long failure to protect farmworkers from wage theft and other labor abuses, an attorney urged a New York appeals court Monday to bring state law out of the Jim Crow era. “The court ruled that farmworkers do not have a constitutional right to organize, despite the very clear language in the New York Constitution giving all employees the right to organize,” said Erin Harrist, senior staff attorney at the New York City Civil Liberties Union. “Allowing this racist exclusion that continues to leave farmworkers unprotected in New York goes against our values and our laws.”New York’s labor laws are a direct descendant of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which NYCLU argues was altered at the behest of segregationist lawmakers from the South to deny black farmworkers the right to organize.
Cider bill would eliminate 15-acre orchard requirement
Capital Press | Posted on February 14, 2019Companies could produce fewer than 100,000 gallons of cider on Oregon farmland without locating near orchards under a bill that’s drawn fire for potentially disrupting agriculture. In 2017, Oregon lawmakers allowed cider manufacturers to operate in “exclusive farm use” zones as long as the companies own or contract with adjacent orchards.Such businesses must be on or next to orchards of at least 15 acres if they generate fewer than 100,000 gallons of cider a year and 40 acres if they produce more than that amount.Rep. David Brock Smith has sponsored House Bill 2355, which would remove the minimum orchard requirement for cider companies making fewer than 100,000 gallons a year.The owner of a 27-acre Coos County farm, Dan Pennington, testified Feb. 7 that it’s “inconceivable” for his “closed loop permaculture system” to devote 15 acres to an orchard because it’s highly diversified.
South Dakota House OKs industrial hemp bill despite Noem's call for delay
Rapid City Journal | Posted on February 14, 2019State representatives overwhelmingly advanced legislation to legalize industrial hemp in South Dakota, just days after Republican Gov. Kristi Noem asked lawmakers to shelve the efforts this session.The 65-2 House vote came after Noem said in a statement that South Dakota isn't ready for the production of industrial hemp, contending questions remain about enforcement, taxpayer costs and effects on public safety. But House Majority Leader Lee Qualm urged support and said it's time to move forward with hemp.
South Dakota looks to ‘dramatically lower’ cost of vet school
Rapid City Journal | Posted on February 14, 2019Without a veterinary school in South Dakota, legislators are looking at ways to make it easier on the student loans for students wanting to pursue a veterinary degree and help fill the shortage of rural vets.On Jan. 29, the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee discussed the proposed 2+2 veterinary school program between South Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota.The deal would replace the agreement with Iowa State University, which has been in place for around 25 years. South Dakota funds the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition for South Dakota residents going to Iowa State’s vet school.It was initially supposed to cost roughly a half million dollars to put six students through four years of vet school, but tuition increases have brought the number closer to $650,000 per year.
Commercial breeders dump dogs amid Ohio’s new ‘puppy mill’ rules
The Columbus Dispatch | Posted on February 14, 2019West, a retired truck driver who lives in Champaign County west of Columbus, is part of a volunteer network that rescues unwanted dogs from commercial breeding operations — many in the Amish areas of Holmes, Knox and Coshocton counties — and finds people to adopt them. In recent months, according to one rescue group, the number of dogs has increased markedly, coinciding with Ohio’s stricter regulation of “puppy mills” “It’s been huge,” said Jamie Runevitch, a Cleveland-area volunteer with Puppy Mill Rescue Team (puppymillrescueteam.org), a multistate organization that coordinates pickups of dogs with other rescue teams. “We used to do one run a month. Because of increased numbers, we’re doing multiple runs a month.”The increase apparently is a result of a state law that took effect in late September and limited the number of litters a dog can produce in her lifetime to eight
Local farmers reacts to Maryland Governor helping dairy farmers
Edairy News | Posted on February 14, 2019Local farmers are calling it a big win for the dairy industry as Governor Hogan pledged to contribute around $1.5 million in state funds. Local dairy farmer, Chuck Fry, said the past four years have been tough for the industry. Fry said that many farmers are losing their property because of the low milk prices. The assistance comes after the government passed the farm bill that left out dairy farmers. The state funds will allow farmers to be a part of a new federal funding program. The program will create up to $17 million to help those in the agriculture community.