Illegal spraying seems to be the cause of a majority of crop damage earlier this year from dicamba-based herbicides. Given that BASF sold enough dicamba herbicide to cover roughly 52 percent of the dicamba-tolerant acres planted in Arkansas, Bloomberg speculates that a large quantity of off-label dicamba could have been used to fill the gap. Such versions of the herbicide …
USDA Offering $5 Million in Farm to School Grants
The Department of Agriculture is offering $5 million in grants to schools through the USDA Farm to School Program. The program has been awarding grants to schools and communities since 2013. Farm to School refers to efforts that bring locally or regionally produced foods into school cafeterias. USDA says that also includes hands-on learning activities such as school gardening, farm …
Conaway Supports House Guest Worker Bill
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway offered his approval to a bill that would bring reforms to agriculture labor. Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Ag Act, which supporters say would replace the flawed H-2A guestworker program. Conaway says the bill would help provide farmers with access to a legal, steady supply of workers. Saying it’s time for a …
Dairy Industry Applauds Introduction of School Milk Nutrition Act
The nation’s dairy industry applauded the introduction of a bipartisan bill this week that would help reverse the decline in milk consumption in schools. The National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association say the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017 would make permanent the administrative changes in the school lunch program proposed earlier this year by the …
Congress Member Questions Trump’s Ability to Withdraw From NAFTA
Wisconsin Representative Ron Kind, a Democrat who represents a district of dairy farmers, is questioning President Donald Trump’s ability to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Kind said this week: “Constitutionally, I think the president would be on pretty shaky grounds if he tries,” according to Politico. Congressman Kind made the comments during a speech to the National …
Misbranded Dairy Imitations Mislead Americans
Require Enforcement Action, NMPF Tells FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s recent comments about the need for strong federal oversight of food labels are exactly what is needed to address the misleading labeling and branding of imitation dairy products, the National Milk Producers Federation said. In a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, …
Florida FFA Chapter Named National Premier Chapter: Strengthening Agriculture
The Barrington Middle FFA Chapter from Florida has been named the 2017 National Premier Chapter: Strengthening Agriculture winner at the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards and …
Georgia FFA Chapter Named Middle School Model of Excellence
The West Jackson Middle FFA Chapter from Georgia has been named the 2017 National FFA Middle School Model of Excellence winner at the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality FFA …
How Many U.S. Soybean Acres Needed in 2018
Farmers in the United States have been planting more and more acres to soybeans. There is a simple reason behind this increase. Soybeans have been more profitable than other crops over the last several years. The question now is how many acres will they plant next year. University of Illinois Commodity Markets Specialist Todd Hubbs has been thinking about that …
Farm Bureau Supports Proposed Safety Net Fix
Legislation introduced by Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joni Ernst would make changes to the Agricultural Risk Coverage program. American Farm Bureau Federation and other farm groups penned a letter to the Senators this week expressing support for the bill. AFBF congressional relations director Mary Kay Thatcher says the bill would change the program to better serve farmer’s needs. The bill …