Donald Trump blames Mexico and China for stealing millions of jobs from the United States.  He might want to bash the robots instead. America has lost more than seven million factory jobs since manufacturing employment peaked in 1979. Yet American factory production, minus raw materials and some other costs, more than doubled over the same span to $1.91 trillion last year, according to the Commerce Department, which uses 2009 dollars to adjust for inflation. That’s a notch below the record set on the eve of the Great Recession in 2007. And it makes U.S. manufacturers No. [node:read-more:link]

The Grocery Manufacturers Association says it will “vigorously pursue its legal options” to overturn $18 million in fines levied by a Washington state court judge for campaign violations associated with the group's opposition to a GMO labeling referendum in 2013. [node:read-more:link]

Philip Seng, USMEF president and chief executive officer said the U.S. eclipsed $13 billion in meat exports. [node:read-more:link]

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, along with 25 other state attorneys general sent a letter criticizing the Environmental Protection Agency this week, alleging the agency is ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court’s stay of the Clean Power Plan. Earlier this year Fox joined with other states in challenging the EPA’s carbon regulations, which would require Montana to reduce carbon emissions by more than 40 percent. That lawsuit resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court issuing an injunction on implementation of the Clean Power Plan until legal challenges have concluded. [node:read-more:link]

When farmers in the small farming town of Hallock, Minnesota have a bad year, as they have a few years in a row now, pretty much all the businesses in town suffer, including the grocery store.  “Look at the name of the store: Farmer's Store,” said Tom Swanson, the store's owner. “It was built by farmers to begin with. When the farmers have money in their pockets, everyone has money in their pockets around here.”  A few years ago, wheat, a big crop in these parts, sold for as much as $13 a bushel. Now it's closer to $4. [node:read-more:link]

The smart grid is only as smart as an Internet connection is strong. As advanced meters, smart thermostats and other web-enabled energy devices spread across Illinois and beyond, so too does the need for reliable, broadband communications.  In cities and suburbs, there is enough infrastructure to make it a non-issue. But in rural communities outside Chicago and other cities, roughly 39 percent of residents lack access to high-speed Internet service, according to a study last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). [node:read-more:link]

Exactly how President-elect Donald Trump's policies will affect agriculture remains virtually unknown, a group of panelists said at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention here the morning after Election Day. There are a number of questions to be answered that are critical to agriculture. That includes who will be the next secretary of agriculture, what happens with the next farm bill, the fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade policy in general, the repeal and replacement of Obamacare, and the fate of the waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule. [node:read-more:link]

If you talk to farmers at the town coffee shop, the local feed mill, the livestock auction — or about any other place — you’ll find they’re a little pessimistic about where the ag economy is headed. And now there’s statistical evidence that shows their concern is more than talk. The Ag Economy Barometer, a survey of 400 U.S. farmers by Purdue University, measures producer sentiment toward current and future expectations. The Nov. 3 release of data resulted in the second most pessimistic results since the survey began in October 2015. [node:read-more:link]

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) is claiming victory after a battle with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) over the scope of net metering as part of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004.  Several issues have been scrutinized over the past two years, with the latest issue dealing with the PUC’s deletion of language that specifically exempted customer generators from being classified as a utility.  “We were concerned that the revised definition from the PUC would have eliminated all farmers utilizing methane digesters, wind and solar power systems from being eligible for net [node:read-more:link]

Massachusetts voters handily approved Question 3, a measure that would outlaw the use of cages in egg production and gestation crates in pig production. About 78 percent of the voters approved of the measure.  The law is to take effect in 2022.  The measure will not have a large impact on Massachusetts agriculture, as only one commercial egg producer uses cages. [node:read-more:link]