Agclips for the week ending February 20, 2019
Featured News
Cultured lab meat may make climate change worse
BBC | Posted on February 20, 2019 in Food NewsResearchers are looking for alternatives to traditional meat because farming animals is helping to drive up global temperatures. However, meat grown in the lab may make matters worse in some circumstances.
Oklahoma sets new rules for chicken farm placements, expansions
Meating Place (free registration required) | Posted on February 20, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe Oklahoma Department of Agriculture approved new rules covering the locations of chicken farms relative to schools, homes and water sources, although the provisions will not affect current farms operating before October 2018. The new setback requirements call for chicken operations with fewer than 150,000 birds to be at least 500 feet from homes. Larger chicken farms must be established at least 1,000 feet away from houses. All chicken operations also now must be 500 feet from public wells, 100 feet from private wells and 200 feet from streams, officials said.
Groundwater contamination devastates a New Mexico dairy – and threatens public health
New Mexico Politcal Report | Posted on February 20, 2019 in Agriculture NewsFor months, Clovis dairy farmer Art Schaap has been watching his life go down the drain. Instead of selling milk, he is dumping 15,000 gallons a day – enough to provide a carton at lunch to 240,000 children. Instead of working 24/7 to keep his animals healthy, he’s planning to exterminate all 4,000 of his cows, one of the best herds in Curry County’s booming dairy industry.
Gov. Tom Wolf proposes tax breaks, loans in new Pa. Farm Bill
Lehigh Valley Live | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe agriculture industry is facing a workforce shortage and Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration hopes to address it with the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, a proposal that is being described as historic. This multi-faceted $24 million package includes a variety of measures aimed at cultivating future generations of farmers and providing assistance to help new and beginning farmers. Lawmakers hailed the Farm Bill proposal as the first time in generations that agriculture was given some focused attention in a governor’s budget proposal.
Farm Bill - Rural Development: Title VI (Rural Development) and Title XII (Miscellaneous)
USDA | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Federal NewsGives new emphasis to rural health issues, primarily through the direction of program funds. The first section focuses on rural substance abuse, directing the Secretary to set aside 20 percent of Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program funds for projects providing treatment services for substance use disorders.
Funding bill tackles cell-based meat and other food issues
Politico | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Federal NewsThe latest federal funding package from Congress weighs in on two contentious issues facing the USDA and FDA: oversight of cell-based meat and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s plan to move key research agencies outside of Washington. The legislation, H.J. Res. 31 (116), sets a timeline for the first time for ending any lingering disagreement over the regulation of cell-based meat by giving USDA and FDA three months to “enter into a formal agreement delineating“ their responsibilities.
U.S. Soy Exports Won't Reach Pre-Trade War Levels for Years
Bloomberg | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Agriculture NewsU.S. soybean exports won’t return to their pre-trade war peak levels until the 2026-2027 season as competitors in South America gain global market share.Demand for American soy has taken a hit after China slapped tariffs on a host of U.S. farm goods as part of the nations’ trade war. At the same time, production has increased in rival producers including Brazil, the world’s largest exporter.
Lawmakers hope to create farm-to-school produce pipeline
West Central Tribune | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Food, SARL Members and Alumni NewsMinnesota House File 811 would put aside $2 million each year to reimburse schools or childcare providers that feed kids local fruits and vegetables through farm-to-school initiatives and would help farmers sell their produce to schools.
2018 Farm BIll Implementation Listening Session
USDA | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Federal NewsU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey announced that USDA is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Risk Management Agency.
We have a new global tally of the insect apocalypse. It’s alarming.
Vox | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Rural NewsInsects are the most abundant animals on planet Earth. If you were to put them all together into one creepy-crawly mass, they’d outweigh all humanity by a factor of 17.Insects outweigh all the fish in the oceans and all the livestock munching grass on land.
South Dakota House OKs industrial hemp bill despite Noem's call for delay
Rapid City Journal | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsState representatives overwhelmingly advanced legislation to legalize industrial hemp in South Dakota, just days after Republican Gov. Kristi Noem asked lawmakers to shelve the efforts this session.The 65-2 House vote came after Noem said in a statement that South Dakota isn't ready for the production of industrial hemp, contending questions remain about enforcement, taxpayer costs and effects on public safety. But House Majority Leader Lee Qualm urged support and said it's time to move forward with hemp.
Commercial breeders dump dogs amid Ohio’s new ‘puppy mill’ rules
The Columbus Dispatch | Posted on February 14, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsWest, a retired truck driver who lives in Champaign County west of Columbus, is part of a volunteer network that rescues unwanted dogs from commercial breeding operations — many in the Amish areas of Holmes, Knox and Coshocton counties — and finds people to adopt them.
Pesticide exposure linked to poor sense of smell
Science Daily | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Agriculture NewsA Michigan State University study is the first to show an association between unusually high pesticide exposure and poor sense of smell among aging farmers.
Local farmers reacts to Maryland Governor helping dairy farmers
Edairy News | Posted on February 14, 2019 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsLocal farmers are calling it a big win for the dairy industry as Governor Hogan pledged to contribute around $1.5 million in state funds. Local dairy farmer, Chuck Fry, said the past four years have been tough for the industry. Fry said that many farmers are losing their property because of the low milk prices. The assistance comes after the government passed the farm bill that left out dairy farmers. The state funds will allow farmers to be a part of a new federal funding program. The program will create up to $17 million to help those in the agriculture community.
This Week's AgClips
Does clean energy include nuclear? Pennsylvania is latest state to debate
Energy News Network | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Energy NewsClean energy advocates in Pennsylvania are weighing whether to throw their support behind a proposed bailout for the state’s nuclear power plants.
Missouri Court Holds Crop Dusting Not Inherently Dangerous Activity
Texas A&M | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA case out of Missouri, Keller Farms, Inc. v.
Bacteria in raw milk endangers people in 19 states
Smart Brief | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Food NewsBrucella bacteria in raw milk from Miller's Biodiversity Farm in Quarryville, Pa., has affected an "unknown number" of people in 19 states, according to the CDC. RB51, the strain of brucella found in the milk, is resistant to the antibiotic rifampin.
New Farm Bill Makes Way for Plant Biostimulants
Growing Produce | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Federal NewsThe recently signed Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka, the farm bill)broke new ground on several fronts for growers and industry stakeholders.
New Mexico Bill would provide San Juan College with $500,000 for renewable energy program
Farmington Daily Times | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Energy, SARL Members and Alumni NewsSan Juan College is getting attention in Santa Fe for its potential in training a renewable energy industry workforce. A bill introduced in the New Mexico House of Representatives would turn the college into a Center of Excellence for renewable energy. It would be one of four Centers of Excellence in the state. Each center would receive $500,000.Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has pushed to create the centers. Each would have its own focus. For example, New Mexico State University’s focus would be agriculture and University of New Mexico would focus on bioscience.
Hospital Wastes A Third Less Food After This One Change
Forbes | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Food NewsWhen it comes to wasting food, hospitals are one of the most egregious culprits, with two to three times more waste than other food service sectors. UC San Francisco Medical Center, however, has found that one change cut the amount of food it wastes by 30%. It now serves food on-demand.Most hospitals produce food in bulk and serve it at predetermined meal times, which may or may not be in sync with a patient’s appetite or the timing of health care services being performed.
Authorities develop new DNA tool to detect food fraud and expose misleading labelling
Farm Ireland | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Food NewsThe Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has a new DNA scanning tool to identify the entire DNA content of a food.The new analytical tool can proactively identify all the ingredients and their biological sources in a food, which will aid regulators in protecting consumers in relation to potential food fraud and/or misleading labelling.The FSAI worked with a commercial laboratory (Identigen) over the past two years in adapting a relatively new DNA sequencing technology known as “next generation sequencing”, so that it could be used as a DNA scanning tool in food.The idea is to compare the
Conservation group buys ranch, sells it back to Montana landowners
Billings Gazette | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture NewsNorth-central Montana ranchers and an international conservation group have collaborated to acquire a neighbor’s 5,000 acres in a unique partnership.“There was a ranch next to us we wanted to buy and didn’t have the funding to do so … without becoming a financial casualty,” said Dale Veseth, a Malta-area rancher.
USDA and HHS partner to create recovery housing in rural communities
Lake County News | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Rural NewsUSDA and HHS will partner to create addiction recovery transitional housing in rural communities. USDA Rural Development and HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, will coordinate efforts to sell USDA’s Real Estate Owned single-family housing properties at a discount to non-profit organizations that provide housing, treatment, job training and other key services for people in substance misuse treatment and recovery.
Land purchase paves way for Idaho Research Dairy
Feedstuffs | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA plan to create the nation’s largest research dairy advanced Feb. 14 with the Idaho State Board of Education’s vote to allow the University of Idaho to buy land for the $45 million project. The University of Idaho and Idaho dairy industry-led effort will create the Idaho Center for Agriculture Food & the Environment (CAFE). The project took a major step forward with the go-ahead to finalize purchase of land in Minidoka County near Rupert, Ida.The University of Idaho and the Idaho Dairymen’s Assn.
EPA published rule redefining WOTUS
Meating Place (free registration required) | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture, Federal NewsThe Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a proposed rule defining the scope of waters regulated under the federal Clean Water Act, opening a public comment period through April 15.
Research Proves African Swine Fever Can Spread to Pigs Through Feed
Ag Web | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture NewsA Kansas State study confirms that African swine fever can be easily transmitted through the natural consumption of contaminated feed and liquid. This first-of-its-kind study emphasizes the critical need for feed biosecurity in the swine industry.
'Zombie' deer disease: What is it, and could it affect humans?
USA Today | Posted on February 19, 2019 in Agriculture NewsCWD was first observed in the 1960s at a research facility in Colorado. It has now been confirmed in 24 states and two Canadian provinces as of January, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CWD was first observed in the 1960s at a research facility in Colorado. It has now been confirmed in 24 states and two Canadian provinces as of January, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Farming's next generation has nowhere to grow
Talk Poverty | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe aging of the American farmer raises some big questions: Who will grow our food when these farmers are gone? And what will happen to the farmland currently managed by elderly farmers? Unless America’s fertile fields wind up in the hands of a new generation of independent farmers, they’re likely to become housing developments, fracking sites, or simply gobbled up by big agribusiness. The primary reason young farmers can’t enter the industry is land: High land costs effectively price them out, whether or not they come from a farming background.
FDA And The Produce Safety Rule
Forbes | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Federal NewsFDA enforcement of the Produce Safety Rule is coming soon via routine inspections.
Trump Tweet Fails To Save Kentucky Coal-Fired Power Plant
NPR | Posted on February 18, 2019 in NewsDespite pressure from President Trump, the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors voted Thursday to close a large coal-fired power plant. Trump's involvement had drawn criticism because the Paradise Fossil Plant in western Kentucky buys coal from a company headed by a large donor to the president's campaign, Murray Energy Corp.
Farmland values stable, but risks to outlook remain
Kansas City Federal Reserve | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Agriculture NewsFarmland values in the Federal Reserve’s Tenth District held steady in the fourth quarter of 2018 despite risks to ongoing stability. While demand for farmland remained relatively strong across the District, weaknesses in the crop sector continued to dampen the overall agricultural economy. Risks to the outlook for farmland values in the quarter included slightly higher interest rates and an uptick in the pace of farmland sales in states with higher concentrations of crop production.
Wolves may keep cows off Washington Fish and Wildlife land
Capital Press | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsWashington Fish and Wildlife may prohibit cattle from some department grazing lands to avoid conflicts with wolves, according to an internal review of grazing policies. The review responds to a wolf population growing in numbers and territory. If the department follows through, some of the 129,459 acres of grazing land owned by Fish and Wildlife likely would be off-limits to cattle.In other places, ranchers would have to sign detailed plans to prevent attacks by wolves with non-lethal measures. In some cases, cattle could be taken off the land to stop the depredations
America’s trains are a drag. The Green New Deal wants to fix that.
VOX | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Energy NewsHigh-speed trains already compete with planes in many parts of the world. They also have far lower carbon emissions.Specifically, the section of the FAQ on transportation calls to “build out high-speed rail at a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary.” The resolution itself doesn’t mention air travel at all but does call for the goal of “investing in ... clean, affordable, and accessible transportation; and high-speed rail” as part of a 10-year national mobilization.
Nebraska’s first dedicated entity for agriculture and rural companies launches
Silicon Prairie News | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsRoots Venture Group is Nebraska’s first ever 100 percent-focused incubator, accelerator, and venture fund dedicated to launching and growing companies within the agricultural and rural industries, including areas such as tech, non-tech, lifestyle, and tech-enabled businesses and startups. Their focus is to work with founders that are keen on transforming the agriculture sector, rural communities in a sustainable manner and make an impactful societal and systemic change.
Congress approves agriculture appropriations bill - without disaster relief
AM 1100 | Posted on February 18, 2019 in Agriculture, Federal NewsThe appropriations "minibus," as it has been called because it covers several federal agencies, includes funding for the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Activist group launches ‘surveillance’ program
Meating Place (free registration required) | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Agriculture NewsI’ve written many times previously about the latest happenings of extreme activist group Direct Action Everywhere.
Farm Bill- Conservation Title, Update from USDA’s Economic Research Service
Farm Policy News | Posted on February 14, 2019 in NewsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) published an overview of the Conservation Title of the 2018 Farm Bill. Today’s update looks at a couple key points from the ERS summary.
For 6 Cities on the Great Lakes, the Cost of Water Has Risen Sharply
Governing | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Rural NewsFor months, the Rev. Falicia Campbell kept a secret from her congregation, her friends and even her adult children. It was a secret she was ashamed to divulge: She was living without running water.Like a growing number of Americans, the 63-year-old Chicago resident couldn't afford to pay her rising water bills. She inherited her mother's house in Englewood, a poor neighborhood on the city's South Side, and last year received a $5,000 bill.Campbell is partially blind and lives on a fixed income from disability payments. She dedicates most of her time to helping her community.
A Beyonce endorsement of GMOs would probably help farmers a lot more than science
Financial Post | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Food NewsFor a world that has largely forsaken religion in favour of science to base its attitudes towards food on nothing more than belief and feeling is something that should make us uncomfortable and embarrassed. This is what seems to be happening. It’s alarming. It changes things for me as a writer. No longer is a column about food and agriculture about demonstrating truth — perhaps it never was. Instead, it’s now about staging an attractive argument, like a house that you can picture yourself living in.
NY Farmworkers Fight to End 80-Year Ban on Unionizing
COurthouse News Service | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsContesting New York’s nearly century-long failure to protect farmworkers from wage theft and other labor abuses, an attorney urged a New York appeals court Monday to bring state law out of the Jim Crow era. “The court ruled that farmworkers do not have a constitutional right to organize, despite the very clear language in the New York Constitution giving all employees the right to organize,” said Erin Harrist, senior staff attorney at the New York City Civil Liberties Union.
Lawmakers introduce fairness for farm workers act
American Ag Radio Network | Posted on February 14, 2019 in NewsLegislation introduced by lawmakers from California would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act and end the minimum wage and overtime pay exemptions for farm workers. The Fairness for Farm Workers Act was introduced by Representative Raúl Grijalva and Senator Kamala Harris, both Democrats from California, Thursday. In a statement, the lawmakers say that “it’s unacceptable” many farm workers live in poverty, adding it’s time farm workers “receive the wages they deserve.” Harris called the legislation “a major step towards economic justice” for farmworkers.
U.S. settles with Antero over water pollution from fracking
Reuters | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Energy NewsThe U.S. Justice Department reached a settlement with oil and natural gas company Antero Resources Corp over claims it violated the Clean Water Act at 32 different sites in West Virginia, mostly tied to fracking. Antero agreed to pay a penalty of $3.15 million and provide mitigation for affected sites, estimated to cost $8 million. The violations involved unauthorized disposal of materials into local waterways associated with hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, for natural gas extraction, the Justice Department said.
Bavarians vote to save bugs and birds—and change farming
National Geographic | Posted on February 14, 2019 in Agriculture NewsA coalition of conservation groups has recently called for the world to adopt a goal of protecting 30 percent of the whole planet by 2030 in order to preserve biodiversity. Bavarian supporters of the petition see themselves as pursuing a similar purpose at home—in a state that is the bastion of German political conservatism.
What the FDA’s actions mean for dietary supplements
AP News | Posted on February 14, 2019 in NewsThe Food and Drug Administration announced plans Monday to step up its policing of dietary supplements, which it said has mushroomed into a $40 billion industry with more than 50,000 products. The agency warned 17 companies for illegally making claims about their products’ ability to treat diseases. Dietary supplements, including vitamins, are regulated more like foods than drugs.