CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, announced it is launching a new program for veterans with disabilities from America’s rural communities. In partnership with its customers and the nonprofit group No Barriers USA, CoBank will sponsor up to 50 veterans from rural areas across the U.S. to participate in outdoor expeditions that challenge them mentally and physically and help them to transform their lives. [node:read-more:link]

Authorities in Yadkin County, N.C., are investigating what may have caused a multiple-alarm fire over the weekend that killed an estimated 12,000 chickens. [node:read-more:link]

This report highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas, focusing on the U.S. rural economy, including employment, population, poverty, and income trends. Unemployment continued to decline in rural areas in 2015, falling close to levels last seen before the Great Recession, as employment continued to grow. After declining for several years, rural population stabilized. Median annual earnings rose in rural areas and poverty fell markedly in 2015, as in urban areas; the rise in earnings occurred across most major industry sectors. [node:read-more:link]

hite House officials conceded Friday that the president’s hard-fought-for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal would not pass Congress in light of the election of Donald Trump, who campaigned on anti-global trade policies.  Desmond O’Rourke, publisher of the World Apple Report, noted that several weeks ago Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters he would not allow debate on the TPP to be raised in the lame duck session. The White House announcement confirms that. [node:read-more:link]

A Rice University energy expert sees long-term growth for oil, gas and even coal—just not in the developed world.  Speaking to the American Petroleum Institute’s Acadiana Chapter, Rice Center for Energy Studies Senior Director Kenneth B. Medlock III said energy growth may be most brisk over the next 20 years in the portions of the world that hunger for the quality of life enjoyed in developed countries like the United States, Canada and Japan. [node:read-more:link]

Fish catches in overfished European waters — stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea — could increase by 57 percent if stocks were managed sustainably.   The Oceana environmental group says scientists believe catches of haddock, cod, herring and sardine in the Atlantic could increase by at least 300 percent. Group spokeswoman Maria Cornax said Tuesday there was “no excuse” not to start fishing sustainably.  “This is actually meant to help the fishery industry,” she said. [node:read-more:link]

 Dairy farmer leaders representing six northeastern states voted last week to approve the 2017 budget and program proposals for New England Dairy Promotion Board (NEDPB) and New England Dairy & Food Council(NEDFC). The action to approve the $5.5 million budget came at the annual meeting of the two companies that develop and carry out promotion, education and research programs in New England on behalf of dairy farmers.  Dairy farmers also heard from Carolyn Gibbs, CFO and Executive Vice President of Finance at Dairy Management Inc. [node:read-more:link]

On November 15, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a new Policy Statement on marketing claims for over the counter (OTC) homeopathic drugs. The Policy Statement is here and the press release and accompanying report are available here and here. The Policy Statement signals the end of the FTC’s decades-long approach of rarely challenging misleading claims for products that were or claimed to be homeopathic. [node:read-more:link]

According to the latest survey of agricultural bankers in the Eighth Federal Reserve District, a solid majority reported that farm income declined in the third quarter of 2016 relative to a year ago. Consistent with previous surveys, proportionately more bankers continue to report that falling farm income is pressuring farmers to trim their household expenditures and farming- and ranching-related capital outlays. [node:read-more:link]

An Oregon livestock producer must pay $13,700 to the Oregon Department of Agriculture for filing a “frivolous” lawsuit against the agency, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Acosta found that ODA is entitled to collect attorney fees from William Holdner, a rancher in Columbia County who filed a complaint claiming he’s not subject to state water quality regulations. Before his problems with water quality regulations began, Holdner raised about 500 cow-calf pairs on his property. Holdner was repeatedly cited by ODA for pollution violations on his property. [node:read-more:link]