An invasive pest new to the United States was discovered for the first time on a farm in Lancaster County and has been found to have spread to at least four other counties, according to officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. [node:read-more:link]
By coincidence, I recently ran into an Indiana farmer/entrepreneur who is working on ways to cross to the internet divide. Steve Gerrish calls his company airBridge, and its business model is to help farmers establish robust local high-speed internet networks. The idea isn't new; farmers for years have used systems to extend their WiFi systems beyond the office and onto the farm. But Gerrish brings an enthusiasm and a vision to the issue that is kind of inspiring. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. Department Agriculture announced cooperative agreements with 55 partners to educate farmers and other producers that have historically been underserved by USDA programs offered through the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Nearly $2.5 million will go to nonprofits, associations, universities, and foundations that will provide training and information on FSA programs that provide financial, disaster or technical support. [node:read-more:link]
In 1963 the United States and Europe (EU) were engaged in the infamous Chicken War over new tariffs introduced in Europe. Five decades later, tensions over chicken, now relating to food safety issues, still plague U.S.-EU trade relations in agriculture, and are playing an unfortunate role in influencing European public opinion in the debate about a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). [node:read-more:link]
Farmers in the states and provinces that make up CSG Midwest’s Midwestern Legislative Conference are the most prolific producers of edible protein in the world. This is an enviable position to be in, especially at a time when demand for high-protein diets is on the rise, and a new binational partnership is seeking to make the most of this regional economic advantage. [node:read-more:link]
A federal judge in Texas has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Pilgrim's nearly ten years ago by poultry growers who accused the company of violating federal law by manipulating poultry prices with intentions of shutting down some of the growers’ operations. [node:read-more:link]
“Ohio has some of the highest farmland taxes in the nation,” Finnarn told the group. “It didn’t use to be this way.”
The issue has the potential of pitting farmers against local governments and school districts, which have been enjoying increased property tax revenuws. And lawmakers are moving cautiously, fearful that the effort to reduce the CAUV could backfire. [node:read-more:link]
A review of large-scale studies involving more than 1.5 million people, calls out meat for its connection to a host of mortality causes, but is based on “weak correlation data,” said Betsy Booren, vice president of scientific affairs for the North American Meat Institute.
The review was conducted by physicians from Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and is titled, "Is Meat Killing Us?" [node:read-more:link]
Antibiotic use in poultry should be minimized “through carefully planned and well-executed preventive practices,” but the birds’ health should not be sacrificed for a marketing message, said a position statement released by the American Association of Avian Pathologists.
Antibiotics should remain “a viable option when appropriate and necessary for the health and well-being of the animal, even when marketing and consumer preference dictate otherwise,” the organization summarized in a release. [node:read-more:link]
A Washington State U.S. District Court last year engaged in a faulty analysis of the Resource Conservation Recovery Act in determining cow manure is a regulated solid waste.
A new U.S. District Court case in California –Blackwood V Mary DeVries – is taking the correct approach that Congress and EPA have argued for. The California dairy gets it right. “Congress did not intend for RCRA to regulate agricultural material such as manure produced by [a] dairy…” [node:read-more:link]
