Imagine that weeds were left to grow uncontrolled in corn and soybean fields across North America. That scenario would cut U.S. and Canadian yields by about 50 percent, resulting in $43 billion in annual economic losses to those two crops alone, according to a new study.

The research, spanned seven years from 2007 to 2013. [node:read-more:link]

FDA issued a final rule that requires the sponsor of each approved or conditionally approved new animal drug product containing an antimicrobial active ingredient submit an annual report to the Food and Drug Administration.

The new sales data will improve the agency’s understanding of how antimicrobials are sold and distributed for use in major food-producing species and help further target efforts to ensure judicious use of medically important antimicrobials. [node:read-more:link]

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to more clearly define the term “natural” in food labeling. [node:read-more:link]

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he has introduced legislation that would ban packer ownership of livestock after seeing continued consolidation in the livestock industry.  The consolidation means independent producers have fewer choices for where to buy from and sell to, said Grassley, who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and also a member of the Agriculture Committee.

Grassley’s bill contains exceptions to the ban for: [node:read-more:link]

The entire Pacific Northwest experienced record high temperatures throughout April, causing much of the remaining snowpack to melt and runoff. More than 80% of all Snowpack Telemetry sites with at least 15 years of data set all new melt rate records for April. During two separate high-pressure weather systems in April, sites experienced minimum daily temperatures exceeding 20 degrees above normal. Due to the rapid snowmelt, runoff was above normal and Washington State’s rivers and streams were able to contain it without flooding. [node:read-more:link]

The New England states and New York are more than 50 percent forested, a rate well above the national average. Economies in this heavily forested region have historically relied on forest-based industries, and human population has clustered along coastal regions and major waterways, though recent trends suggest widespread in-migration to amenity-rich rural areas. Over the last decade, all states in this region have experienced notable declines in forest cover. [node:read-more:link]

Federal inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor are conducting spot inspections of farms across south Georgia, a week after many farmers complained the agency has failed to properly process visa applications for migrant workers. [node:read-more:link]

What the heck is going on?  Since when did producing safer food in more plentiful supply at highly efficient plants located strategically close to raw materials and/or markets at lower costs become bad?  I am trying to understand the “produce and buy it locally” movement and why it is so good for us and should be supported as the food production system of the future.  Yes, I support farmer’s markets, but I realize that all those fruits and vegetables not to mention the locally raised and slaughtered (ask to go see these local abattoirs some time) meat and poultry are usually at substantiall [node:read-more:link]

A popular subsidy program for renewable energy is undergoing rule changes overseen by the Public Service Board. Much of the opposition to the proposed rules concerns what are called renewable energy credits, which are legal instruments that convey title to the renewable attributes of energy from sources such as solar and wind. [node:read-more:link]

Cage-free hens have the freedom to defecate wherever they want, and that will lead to more contaminated eggs.  Animal welfare advocates espouse the five freedoms, but it is the sixth freedom that cage-free hens exercise that causes food safety concerns. One of the problem behaviors that cage-free hens have the freedom to exhibit is to defecate wherever and whenever they want. This “sixth” freedom can create food safety issues, bird health issues, and increase ammonia emissions from the layer house. [node:read-more:link]