Raw milk is trending. Even the West Virginia Senate passed a resolution about it. But what does a dairy farmer say? You may not have known the milk you buy in the grocery store is cooked but it is. The process is called pasteurization. Lauren Perkins a fourth generation dairy farmer who works on her family’s dairy farm called Perk Farm Organic Dairy explained the process saying “[The milk is] heated to a temperature that can kill harmful bacteria.” But raw or unpasteurized milk is trending. [node:read-more:link]

Genetically modified Atlantic salmon may be in U.S. grocery stores soon thanks to an announcement Friday by the Food and Drug Administration. FDA has approved the import of genetically engineered salmon eggs by AquaBounty Technologies, which has built a plant in Indiana to raise the fish. The salmon's regulatory journey is often cited by the biotechnology industry as an example of how difficult it is to gain approval for genetically modified organisms — and animal products, in particular. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture dropped its net farm income forecast for 2019 by more than 10 percent on Wednesday, saying that data lags from the partial government shutdown failed to show the full picture of the sector’s health. [node:read-more:link]

The USDA forecast net farm income, a broad measure of profits, of $69.4 billion this year. If accurate, the total would be the third year of net income below $70 billion since 2015. “We’re starting to see … a new average coming out here,” said USDA economist Carrie Litkowski. [node:read-more:link]

 Another federal deadline passed Monday for seven states in the U.S. West to wrap up work on a plan to ensure the drought-stricken Colorado River can deliver water to the 40 million people and farms that depend on it. The states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — have been working for years on drought contingency plans. But Arizona and California have missed two deadlines set by the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Rather than sending wallboard to the landfill, Urban Gypsum is reaching out to local building contractors to bring the material into its 75,000-square-foot facility, where it is processed into a flour-like powder consisting of nearly 100 percent recycled gypsum for agricultural and industrial uses. Gypsum, a soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate, is a widely used fertilizer that provides plant nutrition while improving aeration in compact soils, allowing better drainage and deeper root penetration.

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The Ag Economy Barometer weakened slightly in February, declining 7 points to a reading of 136 compared to 143 a month earlier. The modest decline puts the barometer back near the levels observed in October and November 2018 and just 4 points below the level of February 2018. The downward shift in the barometer was primarily the result of weakness in producers’ perception of current economic conditions on their farms as the Index of Current Conditions fell from a reading of 132 in January to 119 in February. [node:read-more:link]

Beyond Beef offers the juicy taste and texture of ground beef but with 25% less saturated fat than beef. Created to deliver on the culinary flexibility of ground beef, Beyond Beef is perfect for tacos, meatballs, sliders, empanadas and more.Beyond Meat’s latest innovation contains only simple, plant-based ingredients and has no GMOs, no soy, and no gluten.

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