The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that starting Nov. 1, farmers and ranchers with base acres in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net program may enroll for the 2018 crop year. The enrollment period will end on Aug. 1, 2018. “Since shares and ownership of a farm can change year-to-year, producers must enroll …
Breeding Resistant Chickens for Improved Food Safety
A new test developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in College Station, Texas, could make it easier to breed pathogen-resistant chickens. The test identifies roosters whose blood contains naturally high levels of two key chemicals, cytokine, and chemokines. These chemicals mobilize the birds’ innate immune response, according to ARS microbiologist Christi Swaggerty, in ARS’s Food and Feed Safety Research Unit. Using …
Scott to Seek More Money for Lake Okeechobee Dike
Gov. Rick Scott confirmed Monday his budget request for the 2018 legislative session will include $50 million to help speed federal repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. “These repairs are a priority, and that’s why I’m proposing $50 million in state funding to help expedite the project,” Scott said in a prepared statement. Scott last week announced …
Ethanol Versus Big Oil Politics Fueling Fight in U.S. Senate
Ethanol versus Big Oil politics is apparently fueling a fight in the U.S. Senate over the president’s nomination of Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey to a top USDA post. Northey’s nomination was blocked last week by oil-patch Republican Ted Cruz of Texas. Another Republican, Mike Lee of Utah, had lifted his ‘hold’ on the nomination. But the Cruz ‘hold’ sparked …
One Step Closer to Tax Cuts?
National Hog Farmer says the fiscal year 2018 budget proposed by Republicans and passed by Congress is a step forward toward possible tax cuts. Republicans will be able to use a procedural move that lets tax legislation be passed in the Senate with 50 votes. The goal of the Trump Administration and Republican leaders is to get the tax bill done …
New Film Discusses GMO Misinformation
The maker of a film called Food Evolution, supported by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, says his documentary shows how easily misinformation can overwhelm objective analysis. Scott Hamilton Kennedy is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who produced the movie. Kennedy says the GMO story shows how important it is to use science to make decisions. “I was very honored that …
EPA Releases Guidance on Air Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance to help farmers report the release of hazardous air emissions from animal waste at their farms. Pork Business Dot Com says the EPA made the information available to aid farmers in preparing for the reporting deadline, which is November 15. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says his agency is working on addressing the undue …
NAFTA Notice Would Devastate Farm Economy
President Trump has been weighing the idea of giving notice that the U.S. intends to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a way of taking a tough stance on the negotiations. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says even giving the notice would cause immediate harm. A group of 86 food and agriculture groups sent a letter to …
National Farmers Organization Talks NAFTA
The National Farmers’ Organization took its turn to weigh in on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations. The Hagstrom Report says the NFO called on the Trump Administration to be “cautious” when it comes to the negotiations, noting that there would be substantial fallout for American farmers and ranchers if the agreement is terminated. Paul Olson, NFO President, …
Treasure Forest Annual Meeting Educated, Honors Alabama Landowners
Rural roots and forest stewardship were celebrated during the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association’s (ATFA) annual meeting in Florence Oct. 26-28. At the conference, the ATFA added a landowner leader to its ranks by presenting Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey a TREASURE Forest certification for her property in Monroe County. Ivey addressed over 100 landowners and industry representatives Friday night during the …