The first round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) wrapped up in a few days ago in Washington D.C. but negotiators will get back together soon, as the next round is scheduled to take place September 1-5 in Mexico City. One group very interested in how these talks go is the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association …
United Soybean Board Announces Polly Ruhland as New CEO
After an intensive search by a farmer-led team, the United Soybean Board (USB) has named Polly Ruhland as the new chief executive officer (CEO) effective November 1, 2017. “Polly exceeded all of the attributes for what we as a board were looking for in a new CEO to lead us into the future,” says John Motter, USB chair and soybean …
Grow Veggies Differently-Hydroponics
Cathy Isom dives into a different way to grow veggies, or just about any plant, with very little space or soil. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. You may be hearing the word Hydroponics a lot these days. It’s because it’s becoming quite popular for farmers and gardeners and urban garden designers who can grow plants vertically. Hydroponics …
Farm Computer Ownership Report Released by USDA
A report by the Department of Agriculture shows farm access to the internet is increasing. The 2017 USDA Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report show that nationally, 73 percent of farms have computer access. Of those farmers having computer access, 72 percent, up one percent from 2015, own or lease a computer. To connect to the internet, eight percent of …
ISU Study Shows No Impact of RFS on Greenhouse Gasses
A study by Iowa State University (ISU) says the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) brings a net positive to the U.S. economy but fails to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. The study, produced in June, was released by the Renewable Fuels Association recently, highlighting the net positive to the U.S. economy. Iowa State University’s Center for Agriculture and Rural Development developed …
Groups See Pruitt NCBA Video Biased Against WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s appearance in a video with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is drawing criticism from critics and so-called government ethics experts. The Cattle Network reports that critics say Pruitt inaccurately uses industry talking points to describe the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule and that his comments sound as if he has already made up …
U.S. Moving Forward with WTO China Grains Case
The United States is moving forward with a World Trade Organization case against China regarding tariff-rate quotas for agricultural products. The WTO said this week that the U.S. is requesting that the WTO set up a panel to investigate the tariff-rate quotas, a move that Reuters says sets up a showdown between the two largest economies in the world. The …
Agri View: Florida Carrots
Everett Griner talks about Florida farmers growing carrots in today’s Agri View. If you wrote down the 10 healthiest vegetables grown in America carrots would certainly be in that group. If you want to know where the most carrots are grown. Well, you can say California. Although Texas and a couple of other states do produce …
Wheat Growers Say NAFTA Can be Improved
As formal renegotiation discussions for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) begin in Washington, NAWG continues to stress “Do No Harm.” In the next couple of weeks, negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the United States will commence the second round of NAFTA renegotiations in Mexico City, before heading to Canada for round three. NAWG recognizes some areas where the …
USDA Rolls Out New APHIS Compliance Database and Search Tool
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is pleased to announce the rollout of the refined public search tool that provides access to Animal Welfare Act compliance records. The public search tool is a component of the Animal Care Information System (ACIS) and will allow APHIS to make animal welfare information publicly available and …