Stakeholder sessions will be held weekly between September and November The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) will hold 11 sessions to give stakeholders an opportunity to provide recommendations on a revised definition of “waters of the United States.” The agencies will hold nine, 2-hour long teleconferences that will be tailored for specific …
China Threatening Retaliation Against U.S. Over Trade Sanctions
China is threatening to retaliate against the U.S. over trade sanctions and a trade investigation, and that has U.S. agriculture on edge. China’s upset with U.S. sanctions against Chinese firms buying coal and other minerals from North Korea, and with a pending U.S. probe of China’s intellectual property practices. Beijing says the probe’s “poured cold water” on improving trade relations, …
Culver’s Restaurants Celebrating Farmers with Corn Mazes
Culver’s Restaurants Thank You Farmers campaign is celebrating farmers through 12 corn mazes this fall. The company announced last week that to date, 33 corn mazes in 19 states have joined together to show support for farmers and the future of farming over the past few years, with 12 corn mazes announced this year. The idea for growing messages of …
Low Education Rural Counties Worse Off than Higher Education Rural Counties
New data announced by the Department of Agriculture shows that rural counties with low education levels have worse economic outcomes than other rural counties. USDA’s Economic Research Service classifies 467 counties as “low education” counties, where at least 20 percent of working-age adults, ages 25 to 64, do not have a high school diploma or equivalent. Nearly 80 percent of …
Stabenow Concerned with Monument Review
The top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee says she is “deeply concerned” with the Trump administration review of national monuments. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke submitted findings to the White House last week as part of a review of 27 national monuments, which includes thousands of acres of U.S. Forest Service land, managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The …
Urban Agriculturalists Hoping for Beneficial Legislation
Proponents of urban agriculture are hoping two bills will be reintroduced this year in time to be added to the 2018 Farm Bill. Bloomberg reports the bills have very different initiatives but similar goals, with hopes to create economic opportunity and show support for farmers and ranchers in urban areas. The Urban Agriculture Act of 2016 outlines a plan to …
GAO Recommends Lowering Crop Insurance Expected Rate of Return
The Government Accountability Office is recommending that Congress considers directing the Department of Agriculture to adjust the expected rate of return for crop insurance. In 2010, USDA negotiated a set rate of return with crop insurance providers. The return is how much companies can profit from insurance policies. In a report released last week, the GAO found that the expected …
NAFTA Nations Sign Non-Disclosure Agreement
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico signed non-disclosure agreements before negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement got underway. Officials from Mexico last week confirmed the non-disclosure agreements to Reuters, which reports that the first round of talks this month concluded with signs of deep division on key issues. Per the non-disclosure agreements, each government is barred from distributing texts, …
New Food Labeling Regulation in Development by USDA Should Not Disparage Biotechnology, Mislead Consumers
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prepares to develop a regulatory standard for the labeling of bioengineered food ingredients, it must ensure that consumers receive clear, accurate information about the foods they eat, according to the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). In comments filed with USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service, NMPF said it supports a strict, science-based approach in determining how foods …
Agriculture Looks for Ways to Boost Exports
Agriculture is looking for every way possible to boost farm exports, at a time when other trade avenues seem to be limited or closed. TPP is off the table, the NAFTA renegotiations may or may not bear fruit, and U.S.-imposed sanctions on China over North Korea could invite retaliation. So where does U.S. agriculture go? One answer came recently when …