The tiny particles of silica sand found in Winona County are very round and hard — perfect for "fracking," the process of extracting oil and gas from below ground.But Minnesota Sands LLC, which leases about 3,000 acres in the area, can't mine the sand because Winona County banned sand mining for industrial purposes in 2016, citing environmental and health concerns.It's still allowed for construction and agriculture, among other local uses. Minnesota Sands will argue in an appeals court hearing Thursday that the ban violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Several wind energy projects are being proposed and planned across the region and most of them need approval at the county level before advancing to state and federal levels. Lucas Nelsen, a program policy associate at the Lyons-based Center for Rural Affairs, says many county leaders don’t have the expertise needed to come up with appropriate rules and policies.“Counties can find themselves way over their heads just from the amount of information they have to dig through,” Nelsen says. “What we wanted to develop was a guide that just lays out the basic features of a wind energy ordinance. [node:read-more:link]

David Oppedahl, a Senior Business Economist at the Chicago Fed, explained in The AgLetter that, “Agricultural land values for the Seventh Federal Reserve District showed signs of stabilizing in the first quarter of 2018, as farmland values were unchanged from a year ago. [node:read-more:link]

In reaction to changing market conditions, a group of dairy farmers, who have previously marketed their milk independently, have formed Appalachian Dairy Farmers Cooperative and expect to begin operations on June 1. The new organization has entered into an agreement with Piedmont Milk Sales, LLC to market the cooperative’s members’ milk and manage its day-to-day business under the direction of the cooperative’s Board of Directors. [node:read-more:link]

As of Dec. 1, veterinary prescriptions will be required for antibiotics for Canadian livestock. The new federal legislation means big changes and covers everything from beef to bees. It could mean added costs for producers, who must also develop a working relationship with a veterinarian.“Producers are going to have to work with a vet. That is going to be a cost change for them,” said Dr. Keith Lehman, Alberta’s provincial veterinarian.The new rules require the removal of growth promotion claims for antimicrobials used in animal feed. [node:read-more:link]

In March, former Minnesota state Rep. Tony Cornish made a surprise visit to the state Capitol, where he attended committee hearings and talked to former colleagues.His presence was enough to put at least a few women on edge. Sarah Walker, a lobbyist, said she heeded texted warnings to avoid certain areas of the building. State Rep. Erin Maye Quade said she made a point of staying in her committee room. When Cornish ended up walking in the room, she said, for a split second she thought he was there to kill her. [node:read-more:link]

Producer optimism about the agricultural economy is at its lowest level since the 2016 elections, dropping for the second consecutive month in April. Concerns over trade disruptions and the future of U.S. agricultural exports are fueling the downturn in producer sentiment, according to economists at Purdue University who survey 400 producers nationwide each month.The needle of optimism on current and future economic conditions fell 10 points in April in the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Barometer after dropping 5 points in March. [node:read-more:link]

Millions of dogs and cats are at risk of avoidable death from an increase in unproven anti-vaccination “remedies” being sold online, the RSPCA has warned. Amazon this week agreed to remove advertisements for products made from the diseased flesh of dead animals after a Sunday Telegraphinvestigation revealed misleading boasts claiming the “homeopathic nosodes” provide immunity from fatal conditions. The rise in online marketing of “anti-vax” materials risked “horrific suffering” among pets whose owners reject conventional jabs. [node:read-more:link]

New research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has, for the first time, detected prions responsible for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in samples taken from sites where deer congregate. Scientists searched for prions at mineral licks — areas where deer seek out essential nutrients and minerals — in the CWD endemic area across south-central Wisconsin. Out of 11 sites, nine had detectable levels of the disease-causing misfolded proteins. Prions were found both in soil and in water from the sites, as well as in nearby fecal samples from one site, the announcement said. [node:read-more:link]

In case you missed it, Congress is in the midst of a pretty major food fight. At the center of it is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is the first line of defense against hunger for more than 21 million American households.  Going forward, however, an estimated 2 million people stand to lose SNAP benefits if the farm bill proposal passed by the House Agriculture Committee last month becomes law. The bill’s draconian work requirementsand eligibility changes threaten to upend the lives of some of the nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families. [node:read-more:link]