Congress has ignored requests from the Trump administration to zero out rural housing programs. But merely protecting current funding will not address rural housing needs adequately, advocates say. Building stronger rural communities requires creating new housing initiatives, not just preserving the housing stock that is already in place, says the head of a national rural housing nonprofit.“Rural is not just small urban,” HAC’s communications manager, Dan Stern, told the Daily Yonder.

The Class I mover ranged from a low of 13.36/cwt in March to a high of just $16.33 in October. At no time did the Class I mover in 2018 close higher than the December 2017 price of $16.88.The Class I mover is the base price for fluid milk prices, with differentials then added on top of the mover to determine the fluid milk minimum price for each Federal Order. In the Midwest, for example, a $1.80 differential is commonly added to the Class I mover; in Florida, the differential can be $5.40.The Class III price ranged from a low of $13.40/cwt in February to a high of $16.09 in September.

Too often, in mainstream media agricultural topics are covered by someone who can’t pick out the north end of a southbound cow. When a real farmer speaks, people love to listen, and that creates ripple effect, for better or for worse, on the entire agriculture community.he current dairy economy is very challenging right now. Any producer can tell you that.

Last week at the 2018 MILK Business Conference, we hosted three CEOs to discuss the state of the industry. Andrei Mikhalevsky (AM) is the President and CEO of California Dairies Inc. He joined CDI in 2012. Tony Sarsam (TS) is CEO of Borden, where he leads more than 3,300 employees across 13 processing plants and nearly 100 distribution centers. Rick Smith (RS) has been president and CEO of Dairy Farmers of America since 2006.

Is the U.S. dairy industry declining? Dairy farmers, especially those with small, organic farms, have been grappling with low prices from tightened trade and decreasing domestic demand for dairy milk. The U.S. should expect its lowest year-on-year growth since 2013, according to Dairy Quarterly Q4 2018, a Rabobank report.

After ringing in the New Year, you'll have a new option for picking up your dinner in Oregon when a law allowing people to harvest and eat roadkill goes into effect. Lawmakers approved the measure back in 2017, which states that states “salvaging deer and elk struck by vehicles is legal in Oregon.”People must complete and submit an application for a permit within 24 hours of salvaging the elk or deer. The application cannot be submitted beforehand because it requires specific information about location and time of the salvage.

A new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has drawn alarm from food security advocates in Alaska because it would make it tougher to waive work requirements for food stamps.

A man in Fairfax County said his 10-year-old boxer chewed the floor trim, peed on pillows and scared easily from thunder. He insisted his pet needed treatment for separation anxiety.

Immigrant parents in Maryland concerned about being deported may now designate someone to care for their children under an expansion of emergency guardianship measures that take effect Tuesday.

California pet stores soon will be allowed to sell dogs, cats and rabbits only if they come from shelters or non-profit rescue organizations.Under legislation going into effect on January 1, store operators also will have to be able to provide records of origin for the animals or face a $500 penalty per animal.The Pet Rescue and Adoption Act was introduced by assembly member Patrick O'Donnell and signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown in October 2017.Under the law, individuals are still allowed to buy from private breeders, but stores are prohibited from doing so.