NASDA would like to congratulate the newly announced commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture! Colorado: Secretary Kate Greenburg, Florida: Commissioner Nikki Fried, Illinois: Director John Sullivan, Michigan: Director Gary McDowell, Minnesota: Commissioner Thom Peterson, Oklahoma: Secretary Blayne Arthur, South Dakota: Secretary Kim Vanneman, Tennessee: Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, Wisconsin: Secretary Brad Pfaff [node:read-more:link]

The number of Mexican-born immigrants in the United States dropped by about 300,000 people between 2016 and 2017, according to Census Bureau data, a shift that experts say is likely driven by changes on both sides of the border. While the drop, from 11.6 million to 11.3 million, coincides with the election of President Donald Trump, who made border enforcement and deportation of unauthorized immigrants top priorities of his administration, analysts said Trump was not the only factor. [node:read-more:link]

Michigan’s new governor and attorney general moved to review the legality of a contentious state deal to run an oil pipeline beneath a crucial section of the Great Lakes. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her request for a legal opinion from Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who welcomed the opportunity and expressed concern with a law that facilitated the agreement between the state and Canadian pipeline company Enbridge. Such opinions, while not the same as legal rulings, are considered to bind state agencies unless reversed by a court. [node:read-more:link]

The number of farm animals that perished in potentially preventable barn fires in the United State doubled between 2017 and 2018. According to an Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) analysis of media reports, more than 150,000 farm animals died over the past 12 months. However, it is believed that the actual number of fires and animal deaths is likely higher because laws and regulations vary by state, and municipalities are not generally required to report barn fires and livestock losses that occur within their boundaries. [node:read-more:link]

Jan. 1 was supposed to be the date when, thanks to a new law, California cooks could apply to their local health department for permits to sell food cooked in their home kitchens. But because of the wording in AB626, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in September, cooks may have to wait months or years for the opportunity to do so.The Homemade Foods Operations Act, introduced by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella (Riverside County), is the widest-reaching “cottage food” law in the country. [node:read-more:link]

2018 was a difficult year to find good news when it comes to climate change. The dire predictions announced by climate scientists in report after report played out in real time as we witnessed unprecedented wildfires and storms devastating communities. As scientists issued a clarion warning that avoiding catastrophic climate impacts requires slashing carbon pollution within the next decade, President Trump remained determined to move in the opposite direction. [node:read-more:link]

Young people are living up to the "Generation Yum" label coined by author Eve Turow with their connection to the people, places and practices that raise our food—according to new research from Cargill. In its latest Feed4Thought survey, Cargill found that twice as many young respondents (18 – 34) in the U.S. and China reported knowing a livestock or seafood farmer compared to those over 55—with similar trends in Mexicoand France. [node:read-more:link]

Termites generally don't elicit a whole lot of love. But surprisingly, this wood-eating insect may hold the key to transforming coal—a big polluting chunk of the global energy supply—into cleaner energy for the world, according to University of Delaware researchers. A community of termite-gut microbes converts coal into methane, the chief ingredient in natural gas. [node:read-more:link]

USDA has delayed the deadline for applications for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments. Farmers had until Jan. 15 to apply for the tariff relief payments, but applications were stopped by the partial government shutdown when Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices closed December 28. USDA will resume taking applications for MFP when the government shutdown ends.  The deadline will extend for as many days as FSA offices are closed by the ongoing shutdown. The May 1 deadline for submitting 2018 production has not been changed according to a USDA spokesman. [node:read-more:link]

About one in five Americans think they have a food allergy, while the actual prevalence of food allergies is closer to one in 10. That’s the major finding of a new large-scale study published in the JAMA Network Open and led by Dr. Ruchi Gupta from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University. Gupta’s survey of more than 40,000 American adults found that while nearly 19 percent believe they’re food allergic, only about 10.8 percent, or 26 million Americans, were food allergic at the time of the study. [node:read-more:link]