Celebrating Our Feathered Friends

Everyone loves birds. Cathy Isom tells us this is a day to shine a light on some of our feathered friends. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Celebrating Our Feather Friends Nature lovers, bird lovers, and bird watchers across the country annually recognize National Bird Day on January 5. The non-profit organization Born Free USA emphasizes the importance …

“Connect Americans Now” Formed to Improve Rural Broadband Access

A group of community leaders, rural advocates, and industry innovators have come together to form “Connect Americans Now.” Their goal is to work with the Federal Communications Commission and other policymakers to ensure that there is sufficient unlicensed broadband access in every market in the country. The end-goal is unlimited broadband connectivity by 2022. Richard Cullen, the executive director of …

Dairy Farming Desperate for Immigration Reform

Next to the cost of feeding their animals, the cost of labor on dairy farms will always take up a large share of the budget. A Milk Business Dot Com article says labor costs will rise in the new year. As of January first, farmers in some of the largest dairy-producing states now face government-mandated higher minimum wages. California farmers …

Winterkill Likely in Wheat Belt

A large portion of the nation’s winter wheat crop lacks a protective layer of snow cover and meteorologists are saying the recent deep freeze is doing some damage. Snow cover is adequate in the northern plains and the northern Midwest. However, an Agriculture Dot Com article says the snow cover is very thin in the central and southern plains as …

USDA Wants More Done to Combat Crop Insurance Fraud

The Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the Risk Management Agency hasn’t done enough to combat crop insurance fraud. Since 2001, the RMA has contracted with the Center for Agribusiness Excellence at Tarleton State University in Texas to collect data on producers who have unusual crop insurance claims that merit further review. Every year, the center produces …

Eleven States Support Injunction Against California’s Prop 65 Regulation

Attorneys General in 11 states have filed a brief in support of a preliminary injunction that multiple Ag organizations are seeking against California’s Prop 65. Additionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the California Chamber of Commerce have also filed briefs in support of the injunction. Even though there is no scientific evidence to support Prop 65, it requires that …

Agri View: Texas Storm Losses

Everett Griner talks about Texas storm losses in today’s Agri View.  It takes time to calculate total losses from where natural disasters strike. Like Hurricane Harvey which struck the Texas area and the Gulf coast back in September. Everett tells us some of the losses suffered by the cotton farmers, livestock farmers, including hay losses. Officials are still adding to …