The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reports that conservation districts in 29 counties in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed have successfully applied to conduct farm inspections aimed at reducing agricultural runoff into local streams and rivers and the bay.  Nine conservation districts failed to meet application criteria or have declined to participate. Conservation districts were asked to conduct certain farm inspections on the DEP’s behalf, in exchange for funding to support bay technician staff. [node:read-more:link]

If you’re baffled by the latest good news/bad news for the American middle class – word that in 2015 typical family income got its best boost in five decades, but families are still worse off than in 2007, just think about trickle-down economics and how it works.  During an economic recovery, the modern U.S. business model of trickle-down capitalism focuses first on delivering corporate profits, then soaring stock prices on Wall Street and big stock bonuses for CEOs and corporate execs. [node:read-more:link]

Because I am a food industry attorney, my reputation is invariably tied to the successes and failures of the food industry as a whole.  And, as a result, I tend to care deeply how the industry is doing.  What I have learned over the last decade is that, whether we choose to accept it or not, there are a lot of food companies, every day, that are selling products that are making people sick.  Just look, for instance, at the growing list of recent examples which include Blue Bell, Dole, General Mills and CRF.  In each of these examples, the companies involved were selling foods that had becom [node:read-more:link]

ebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and six other Midwest governors have sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency seeking regulation changes intended to increase sales of gasoline blended with a higher percentage of ethanol. Ricketts along with the governors of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota sent a letter Tuesday to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy requesting new standards that would allow stations to sell more gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol rather than the current standard of 10 percent ethanol. [node:read-more:link]

A bill to reduce methane emissions from California’s dairies and livestock operations is headed to the governor following its passage on the final day of the state Legislature’s regular session.  SB 1383 would require the state Air Resources Board to begin implementing a strategy to reduce methane emissions 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030. Implementation would be required no later than Jan. 1, 2018, with regulations to take effect on or after Jan. [node:read-more:link]

Five industry groups Monday sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging him to allow public comment if USDA proceeds with certain portions of a livestock and poultry marketing rule originally proposed in 2010 that are strongly opposed by the industry.  “The opposition expressed six years ago remains as staunch as ever, and we urge the agency to abandon the proposed rule because of the significant adverse effect adopting it would have on the meat and poultry industry, particularly the produ [node:read-more:link]

The three main beef producing companies in Brazil -- JBS, Marfrig and Minerva – have received authorization to start exporting fresh beef to the United States this month, the first shipments since the North American market was formally opened to Brazilian exporters in August. Brazil is allowed to export up to 64,000 metric tons of fresh beef to the United States per year, competing in a quota with other Latin American countries. [node:read-more:link]

Of all the off-the-wall statements made by speakers at HSUS’ Taking Action for Animals Conference and the National Animal Rights Conference this summer, there is one I just can’t quite get out of my head. “When it is time to launch a campaign, find a vulnerable target, prepare everything for at least a few weeks and then assemble an overwhelming force to utilize from day one. [node:read-more:link]

Despite concerns about the fate of rural America, a number of key benchmarks show these areas have been growing economically since 2014. Many were surprised when the Census Bureau released data last Thursday showing median household income in non-metro areas of the United States had increased by 3.4 percent in 2015 and poverty rates had fallen. That many people in small towns around the country still feel left behind is an indication of how deep a hole these regions were in. [node:read-more:link]

A decade ago, lawmakers in Washington tried to address a trifecta of thorny challenges with one simple fix that has turned out to be anything but easy to assess. The problems: an overreliance on foreign oil, rising greenhouse gas emissions and tepid economic growth.  A decade ago, lawmakers in Washington tried to address a trifecta of thorny challenges with one simple fix that has turned out to be anything but easy to assess.  The problems: an overreliance on foreign oil, rising greenhouse gas emissions and tepid economic growth. [node:read-more:link]