Attorneys General in 11 states have filed a brief in support of a preliminary injunction that multiple Ag organizations are seeking against California’s Prop 65. Additionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the California Chamber of Commerce have also filed briefs in support of the injunction. Even though there is no scientific evidence to support Prop 65, it requires that …
New Produce Safety Rule Starts January 26
The Produce Safety Rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, will go into effect January 26 for farms with $500,000 or more in revenue. The Food and Drug Administration has emphasized the first year will focus less on regulation and compliance and more on education and readiness. Regardless, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Veronica Nigh says produce growers …
Florida Farmers Brace for Cold Weather
Florida farmers were preparing Thursday for continuing cold weather, with temperatures expected to drop into the 30s overnight as far south as Fort Myers and Homestead. Many of Florida’s crops cannot handle freezing temperatures for long periods. Citrus and strawberry farmers are preparing harvests ahead of time, often running irrigation systems to create small layers of ice over the fruit …
Report: Vertical Farming Happening Now
Vertical farming won’t replace conventional farming, but researchers say vertical farming is happening now, and growing. Research by Stanford University shows vertical farming is growing and will likely be needed to complement traditional farms to “meet the food demands of tomorrow.” Vertical farming is the practice of producing food in vertically-stacked layers. The farms are in enclosures that provide a …
U.S. Sugar Prepares for Cold Weather in South Florida
With South Florida expected to experience some of the coldest weather of the season, U.S. Sugar and its family of farmers have begun making preparations to limit any impact on crops. U.S. Sugar’s Senior Director for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Judy Sanchez issued the following statement: “As the coldest weather of the winter thus far approaches, like most farmers …
Marijuana Operation Seeks Farm Status in Washington State
A Washington State marijuana grower argues his farm should be exempt from the state’s Clean Air Act because it is an agricultural activity. An appeals panel will tour the operation this month to help decide whether smells from the harvest of marijuana should have the same leniency as odors from raising livestock and other agricultural activities, according to the Capital …
USDA Survey Shows Millennials Prefer Fruits, Vegetables
A recent Department of Agriculture report shows that millennials prefer fruits and vegetables over grains and meats. The USDA report analyzed food-buying data by generation. Agri-Pulse reports that millennials spend the smallest share of their food budgets on grains, white meat and red meat. Millennials, those born between 1981 and the mid-2000s, are now the largest, most diverse living generation, …
Produce Safety Rule Implementation Nearing
The Produce Safety Rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, will go into effect January 26 for farms with $500,000 or more in revenue. The Food and Drug Administration has emphasized the first year will focus less on regulation and compliance and more on education and readiness. Regardless, AFBF economist Veronica Nigh says produce growers need to be ready …
Celebrating National Fruitcake Day
Cathy Isom gives us a bit of history about a day celebrated by fruitcake lovers young and old. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Celebrating National Fruitcake Day Christmas may by behind us, but one holiday tradition continues across the United States on this day which is known as National Fruitcake Day. Every year on December 27th so many …
Hops Industry Toasting This Holiday Season
There’s an awful lot for the hops industry to be toasting to this holiday season. The USDA Economic Research Service released numbers this week showing that hops production in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington jumped 20 percent this year to a record 104 million pounds. While there are other states that produce hops, those three states account for the bulk of …