The Agricultural Broadband Coalition applauded bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate for introducing the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018 on Thursday, a milestone piece of legislation that will help to revolutionize farming across the United States. The legislation, which was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and in the House by …
CURD Act Would Codify Formal Definition of Natural Cheese
Bipartisan Senators from Wisconsin have introduced the CURD Act, or the Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions Act. Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, says the bill would codify a formal definition of “natural cheese”, a term commonly used on food packaging that currently has no official definition. Need Under the CURD Act, “natural cheese” would be defined as cheese that …
USDA Helped Improve Essential Services for 7 Million Rural Residents in 2017
Funding Supports Schools, Libraries, Municipal Centers, First Responder Vehicles and Equipment, Other Community Needs Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that USDA invested in nearly 400 projects to provide essential services for more than 7 million people in rural areas across the country in Fiscal Year 2017. “Partnering with our small towns and cities to support essential services that rural residents …
RFA Develops ‘Ethanol in the Classroom’ Program for Students
Consumers are never too young to learn about the benefits of ethanol. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has developed an “Ethanol in the Classroom” course, providing a fun and interactive way for students to learn about the renewable fuel. The e-Learning program is broken down into three levels: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. After selecting the appropriate level, …
New York Times: How NAFTA Shapes Beer, Bacon and Blue Jeans Trade
The New York Times recently outlined what the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) means for three items notorious for their association with American culture. Combined, what should be considered for a country song title, the article details the cross-border trade of beer, bacon and blue jeans. The article notes that a change in trade policy could change the future …
Partnership Formed to Improve U.S. Water Quality
A new partnership seeks to assess agricultural practices and strategies to further improve water quality in the United States. The Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with the Sand County Foundation, the Noble Research Institute and Farm Foundation, launched the National Agricultural Water Quality Practice Assessment this week. The groups say the assessment seeks to better understand how …
Reports Shows States with Most to Lose in NAFTA
A new report shows which states stand to lose the most when it comes to withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Farmers for Free Trade, a self-described bipartisan, grassroots campaign working to rebuild support for trade, says the report outlines the specific threats the states most dependent on NAFTA ag trade with Mexico would face if America …
Canada Says No NAFTA Dairy Negotiating Room with TPP 11 Agreement
With an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership in place, Canada says there is now no room to negotiate it’s dairy pricing scheme through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). TPP-11, as it’s called, will be signed in March by the 11 remaining member countries. The agreement was reached a day shy of a year after President Trump removed the …
Remember to Invest in Farm and Ranch Employees
When it comes to farming, it’s important to remember your number one assets. Forget about all the fantastic technology and equipment available for ag these days, focus on the most important cog in your business machinery, your people. As labor becomes harder and harder for growers to find, its important invest the time to develop a culture at your business …
Ice Blockage In Major Waterways Slowing Grain Shipments
The brutally cold arctic air that’s covered the U.S. at different times this winter has caused an unusually high buildup of ice in some of the nation’s waterways. Portions of the Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers that are open year-round have become smaller, or closed entirely, due to ice buildup. Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition says it’s impacting …