A bipartisan group of senators is urging the FCC to ensure access to affordable broadband in rural communities. Led by Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, the group penned a letter the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday asking the FCC to “ensure its commitment to affordable and reliable broadband for consumers in the hardest to reach communities across rural America.” The senators …
China Pork Imports to Increase
Rabobank expects China to increase its pork imports through the last few months of the year. A new report by Rabobank suggests a stronger pricing trend, as the major importing countries, including China, will likely maintain steady import growth. China’s pork imports were down 27 percent in the first eight months of this year. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports China’s …
Cruz Outlines Hold on Northey Nomination, Wants RFS Meeting
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz wants the Trump administration to organize a meeting on the Renewable Fuel Standard and is holding up the Bill Northey nomination until the meeting is planned. Cruz has placed a hold on Northey’s nomination as the Department of Agriculture undersecretary for farm production and conservation. Eight other Senators are also seeking a compromise on the …
Court Upholds Ban on Front Yard Vegetable Gardens
A state appeals court Wednesday rejected a constitutional challenge to a Miami Shores ordinance that bars residents from planting vegetable gardens in their front yards. Hermine Ricketts and Tom Carroll, a married couple, filed a lawsuit after a code inspector issued a notice of violation because of their front-yard vegetable garden. Represented by attorneys from the Institute for Justice, a …
Drivers Pass Two Billion Miles on E15
Growth Energy announced this week that in just five months, American drivers have surpassed another billion miles on E15, bringing the total miles driven across the U.S. to two billion. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor says the two-billion-mile mark is an exciting milestone for the industry. E15 is approved for use in all vehicles 2001 and newer, as well as, …
Secretary Perdue Comments on Tax Reform
Details of the next federal budget are still being worked out in Washington, DC. Once that is done, work is expected to begin on a major tax reform. US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue thinks the proposed tax law changes will be good for agriculture. That’s Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service. Sponsored …
Volusia County Grower Re-elected as President of Florida Farm Bureau
Delegates at Florida Farm Bureau’s 2017 Annual Meeting have re-elected John L. Hoblick as the organization’s President. The Volusia County farmer has served as the organization’s chief executive since 2006. Hoblick, a third generation cut foliage producer from DeLeon Springs, began his involvement with Farm Bureau nearly three decades ago as the leader of what is now known as the …
NMPF Building Support in Congress to Approve DAIRY PRIDE Act
Force FDA to Take Action on Mislabeled Dairy Imitators Efforts to expose the deceptive labeling and marketing of plant-based products that exploit the nutritional halo of real dairy products continues to gain traction and “has these fake food marketers worried,” attendees here at the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual meeting heard this week by the organization’s leadership. NMPF President and …
Commissioner Putnam Announces Winners of Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced the recipients of the Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award, which recognizes the environmentally innovative farming techniques of Florida’s farmers and ranchers. This year’s recipients are Brad and Meghan Austin and Dale and Cindy Eade of Cindale Farms in Marianna; Greg Davis of Speedling Incorporated in Ruskin; and Brittany Lee of Florida Blue Farms, …
USDA Aims to Improve Food and Nutrition Education for Low-Income Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced support to develop local and self-reliant food systems, such as farm to table enterprises that bring nutritious food to low-income communities. This funding is available through NIFA’s Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “This program reaches into neighborhoods across America …