If Batman switched from fighting crime to growing corn, this would be his tractor.   Racine-based Case IH will showcase its autonomous, or driverless, tractor concept, with a curvy body that’s packed with technology, the tractor takes some cues from the Batmobile. But there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. Instead, the tractor uses satellites, radar, cameras and other digital gear to navigate the fields and take orders from a remote operator’s computer or tablet. [node:read-more:link]

A Boise State University poll shows that residents in Idaho’s largest urban area consider agriculture to be the Treasure Valley’s most important economic sector.  The poll results come as somewhat of a welcome surprise considering the Treasure Valley area of southwestern Idaho is dominated by the Boise area, where the majority of people are assumed by many farmers to not have a strong understanding or appreciation of agriculture.  But the poll shows otherwise.  When asked which sector is most important to the Treasure Valley economy, 24.8 percent said agriculture, which ranked first, ahead [node:read-more:link]

Some farmers are pressing for changes to proposed agricultural rules aimed at protecting Lake Champlain, but environmental advocates told lawmakers that the rules don't go far enough.  The required agriculture practices, which have been the subject of multiple meetings and public hearings, include rules for small farm certification, storing and managing manure, soil health and vegetated buffer zones on fields near water and ditches.  The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules is reviewing the rules to make sure they are not beyond the authority of the agency and not contrary to legis [node:read-more:link]

A Driggs, Idaho, farmer has covered a funding shortfall to launch a locally based, commercial-scale quinoa processing facility, enticed by the promise of a new crop in his challenging growing area.  The processing facility — which the owner, Jeremiah Clark, believes to be the first operation in the U.S. to process quinoa for commercial sale — opened on Oct. 21.  Farming in a cool area at 6,400 feet, Wyatt Penfold has relied on a crop rotation of mostly seed potatoes and barley. [node:read-more:link]

Between 1992 and 2012, midsize farms - those with gross cash farm income (GCFI) between $350,000 and $1 million - declined in number by about 5 percent. This report examines midsize farms during the period from 1992 to 2014 and describes how commodity prices, the farm economy, and Government payments influenced their growth, survival, and well-being. [node:read-more:link]

Six years ago, only a few U.S. cities had food policy directors — strategists tasked with connecting communities with local farm products and improving access to food in underserved neighborhoods. Now, in line with a national push to improve access to healthy foods and support urban agriculture, nearly 20 cities have them. The shift reflects a growing consensus that boosting availability of locally grown food helps people to eat healthier, supports small and midsize farms, and protects the environment by emphasizing sustainable farming practices. [node:read-more:link]

Agriculture and food policy have not become even small issues in the 2016 presidential campaign, but on Friday, TV host Bill Maher asked President Barack Obama about “food purity” and “torturing animals on factory farms” and got answers.  Obama did not say anything that deviated from his previous statements, but it was a rare, three-minute exchange with the president on the subject.  Maher asked if food should not be put “more at the top of the agenda” on health care.  Obama replied, “We’ve got a disease care system; we should have a health care system,” which would include nutrition and ex [node:read-more:link]

As the saying goes, the customer is always right.  Over the past year, the U.S. food industry – grocers, restaurants, foodservice and hospitality – rapidly pledged to serve only cage-free eggs in the next 20 years. [node:read-more:link]

Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas and oil trapped in shale formations, commonly referred to as “fracking,” impacts agriculture in many ways. Farms in shale regions, for example, face competition from energy companies for labor, water, and transportation infrastructure—as well as an increased risk of drilling-related soil or water contamination. But farmers may also earn payments from energy companies.  Whether fracking’s net effect on a farm is positive or negative depends largely on who owns the farm’s mineral rights. [node:read-more:link]

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is considering issuing permits for a potential egg farm near Harrod, Ohio. The farm, if approved, would include two layer houses, with each house capable of accommodating 200,000 hens. The ODA Livestock Environmental Permitting Division has issued a public notice, stating that it plans to hold an open house and public meeting on December 7 regarding the proposed egg farm. [node:read-more:link]