The White House over the weekend promised an executive order for agriculture. In a memo to reporters, the White House press office said President Donald Trump would hold a roundtable discussion with farmers on Tuesday, and sign an executive order to protect and provide relief for rural America. Details on the executive order are similar to the Rural Council established …
Ag Groups Pleased With Perdue Confirmation
American Farm Bureau Federation The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Farm Bureau heartily congratulates Secretary Sonny Perdue on his new role leading our nation’s Agriculture Department. We are eager for agriculture to finally have a seat in the president’s cabinet, and we know Secretary Perdue is just as eager to get to work …
Chairman Conaway Applauds the Confirmation of Secretary Perdue
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway issued the following statement upon the confirmation of Governor Sonny Perdue as the 31st Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). “Today is a great day for American agriculture. Secretary Perdue is a strong friend of America’s farmers and ranchers, and I know he will work to ensure that agriculture is …
Renewal Sign-up for Expiring CSP Contracts Continues
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds landowners that a contract renewal sign-up continues for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), NRCS did make several updates to the popular program last fall to help producers better evaluate conservation options that benefit their operations. Participants with existing CSP contracts that expire on December 31st can access the benefits of the recent program …
A Better Way to Pasteurize Eggs
An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and his colleagues have developed a technology that rapidly pasteurizes eggs and could sharply reduce the number of illnesses caused each year by egg-borne Salmonella bacteria. The device invented by David Geveke, a chemical engineer at the ARS Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, uses radio frequency (RF) waves to …
Cotton Incorporated Launches New Consumer Campaign
Leave Comfort to Clothes Cotton Incorporated’s Consumer Marketing Division has announced the launch of a new consumer-directed advertising campaign, Leave Comfort to Clothes. “The ‘Leave Comfort to Clothes’ campaign leverages consumers’ strong connection between cotton and comfort and inspires them to rethink the way they view comfort,” says Jill Orsini, Cotton Incorporated’s Director of Advertising. “The comfort doesn’t come from …
RFA to EPA: Keep the RFS on Track in 2018
In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) encouraged the agency to ensure the 2018 RFS renewable volume obligation (RVO) rulemaking stays on schedule and maintains the conventional renewable fuel requirement at the statutory level of 15 billion gallons. Along with the letter, RFA submitted a new analysis to EPA showing that gasoline contained …
Salad Shortage Because of California Rains
Over the last several years, California farmers have been plagued by drought. However, the problem in 2017 is too much rain, which may be putting a squeeze on the nation’s salad supplies. A Bloomberg report says it may take until sometime in May before the nation’s grocery store shelves are fully stocked with salads again. Unusually warm weather meant an …
Another Farm Credit System Merger Takes Place
Two Farm Credit organizations serving the upper midwest will join together after both received stockholder approval. AgCountry Farm Credit Services and United FCS serve farmers in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, but now become AgCountry Farm Credit Services beginning on July first. The headquarters will be in Fargo, North Dakota, with the Association serving 18,000 customer-members and have nearly $7.2 …
Buffet Foundation/Drovers to Raise $2 Million for Wildfire Relief
Drovers, a Farm Journal Media franchise, and the Drovers Foundation have accepted a challenge from philanthropist and American farmer-rancher Howard G. Buffet to raise $2 million for wildfire relief. Last month saw devastating wildfires burn 1.6 million acres in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Starting now, all monetary donations to the Drovers/Farm Journal Million Dollar Wildfire Relief Challenge will be …