Sens. Thad Cochran (R., Miss.) and Jon Tester (D., Mont.) introduced legislation to amend a 95-year-old law to address technological advances now being used in livestock sales.  The senators’ bill (S. 3350) would amend the Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 to ensure that the law’s protections are extended to online or video livestock auctions and to ensure modern electronic banking options.  “The Packers & Stockyards Act was written to protect the integrity of livestock sales and to promote competition. [node:read-more:link]

Minneapolis garnered national attention when it formed a first-of-its-kind partnership with local utilities to advance sustainable, efficient energy policy. Now, as communities across the U.S. increasingly push for influence over their energy futures, the Midwestern city offers a blueprint for what works and a taste of the challenges that come with cooperation. The Clean Energy Partnership, as it’s known, marked a pioneering approach to responsible energy policy. [node:read-more:link]

The falling price of renewable energy, efforts to address climate change and the proliferation of Big Data are key trends upending the way the power grid has operated for the last 100 years.  The past 240 years saw the industrial revolution shift our use of energy "from horse power to horsepower," he said. Instead of traveling with two horses and a wagon, a car with 300 hp is now taking us to the grocery store, and we can travel across the continent in a plane that’s the equivalent of 100,000 horses. [node:read-more:link]

A group representing New Zealand dairy companies has joined forces with overseas counterparts in a bid to get the World Trade Organisation to take action over what they allege is the dumping of dairy products on world markets by Canada.  The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) - which represents all the main dairy companies in New Zealand - said it had asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to initiate proceedings against Canada if it continues with a planned extension to its dairy trade protections. [node:read-more:link]

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) sets forth each nation’s tariff commitments. It is argued by many in agriculture that TPP is a good deal and needs all of our support. Others are more critical. The annex sections dealing with Japan appear to be fodder for those who have concern about the fairness of TPP regarding the United States. The section on rice, for example, does not appear to be great.  While Canada has four chapters regarding tariff eliminations and tariff rate quotas and Chile has two, there are eight such chapters related to Japan. [node:read-more:link]

The Canadian province of Manitoba, a big piglet exporter to the United States, has confirmed its first case in three months of the deadly PED hog virus, amid concerns that dirty trucks may be carrying the virus across the border.  Manitoba's government confirmed on its website the Sept. 14 case of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea on a sow farm. [node:read-more:link]

In an effort to turn away from chemical pesticides, which have the potential to damage the environment, some farmers are looking in a new direction in the age-old struggle against pests. They're warding off intruding insects and noxious weeds with bugs and chickens. [node:read-more:link]

With worker fatalities in agriculture running higher than all non-agricultural industries combined among workers younger than 16 years old, there’s no doubt that routine farm safety practices are important.  Our “Farm Tragedy by the Numbers” infographic provides the basis for why farm safety should be taken seriously, not only through National Farm Safety and Health Week, but 52 weeks every year. [node:read-more:link]

Agency requests information on how to establish appropriate durations of use for therapeutic products The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is entering the next phase of its efforts to mitigate antimicrobial resistance by focusing for the first time on medically important antimicrobials (i.e., those important for treating human disease) used in animal feed or water that have at least one therapeutic indication without a defined duration of use. [node:read-more:link]

In reality, there is nothing “natural” as people imagine. Why do chickens and eggs have to be any different? Neither chickens, nor hens, corn, soybeans, the ground itself are as they were in the idyllic past.Groups and individuals are looking for natural foods, with no processing, no chemicals, no genetic modifications, cage-free eggs, slow growth chickens, organic chickens and a long etcetera.However, humans have always processed foods. Although made with "natural" products, jams, bread or a bowl of rice have all undergone a process. [node:read-more:link]