AgClips
Recent AgClips
Vidalia onion farmer ordered to pay $1.4M in overtime suit
The Seattle Times | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Agriculture NewsOne of the largest producers of Georgia’s famous Vidalia onions must pay $1.4 million in damages and unpaid overtime owed to hundreds of workers, a federal judge ruled. A U.S. District Court judge found that Bland Farms Production and Packing LLC failed to pay overtime to 460 workers during spring harvest seasons from 2012 through this year. The U.S. Department of Labor filed suit against the company, owned by farmer Delbert Bland of Glennville, in 2014.
How to rebuild the public's trust in, and connections to, modern agriculture
Des Moines Register | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Agriculture NewsWe must do more to reassure society about the safety of agricultural innovation. The public is frequently bombarded with negative and misleading information about our food supply system. Even though we know advances in farming have increased safety and sustainability, it’s not enough to say “trust me.” Many people don’t trust the integrity of privately funded research, perhaps fearing that the industry may be hiding something from them. To address this misperception, Bayer has taken steps to allow public access to safety-relevant crop protection study information.
3 Kansas sites considered for Tyson poultry complex
Watt Ag Net | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Agriculture, Rural NewsThree Kansas communities have been identified as possible sites for a new Tyson Foods broiler complex that was originally planned for the Leavenworth County community of Tonganoxie, in the northeastern part of the state.
Michigan announces formation of the Michigan Cleaner Lake Erie through Action and Research Partnership
Michigan Government | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Agriculture, Rural NewsMichigan leaders today announced formation of a unique new coalition working to improve water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin. The Michigan Cleaner Lake Erie through Action and Research (MI CLEAR) Partnership includes farmers, agricultural and environmental leaders, universities, conservationists, landscape professionals, energy leaders, tourism and economic development interests, and more.
AL:Sen. Gerald Dial announces run for Alabama agriculture commissioner
Alabama.com | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsState Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville announced today he will run for commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Dial will run for the Republican nomination in hopes of succeeding Commissioner John McMillan. He said he would emphasize job creation."I have a reputation of rocking the boat, stepping on the status quo," said Dial, a retired brigadier general in the Alabama National Guard.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos just opened a massive wind farm in Texas
CNBC | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Energy NewsAmazon Wind Farm Texas would add over 1 million megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy to the grid annually. The facility, which is located in Scurry County, has over 100 turbines, each standing more than 300-feet tall and with a rotor diameter over double the wingspan of a Boeing 787.Amazon said the wind farm was built, owned and operated by Lincoln Clean Energy, which develops wind and solar projects in the U.S. Amazon has entered into a long-term agreement to purchase 90 percent of the facility's output.
Farm Lending Stabilizes, but Bank Liquidity Tightening
Kansas City Fed | Posted onOctober 20, 2017 in Agriculture NewsLending at agricultural banks appeared to stabilize in the third quarter of 2017, but risks in the sector have remained alongside a persistently weak agricultural economy. After declining in the winter months, the volume of loans used to finance non-real estate farm purchases rebounded in the third quarter to a level similar to a year ago. Despite the rebound in lending activity, however, risk ratings on new farm loans have increased somewhat, interest rates have edged higher and loan-to-deposit ratios—a key measure of bank liquidity—also have increased.
Gulf Coast Oil Spill May Be Largest Since 2010 BP Disaster
Bloomberg | Posted onOctober 19, 2017 in Energy NewsAn oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last week may be the largest in the U.S. since the 2010 blowout at BP Plc’s Macondo well that sank the Deepwater Horizon rig and killed 11 people. LLOG Exploration Co. reported 7,950 to 9,350 barrels of oil were released Oct. 11 to Oct. 12 from subsea infrastructure about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Venice, Louisiana
FPF Analysis: New USDA Net Farm Income Figures Not Exactly What They Seem
Farm Policy Facts | Posted onOctober 19, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsA new analysis by Farm Policy Facts reveals that the USDA’s projected Net Farm Income (NFI) increase is not exactly what it seems.In fact, according to our analysis, the major takeaway from the report should not be the increase projected for 2017, but the downward adjustment to the 2016 number.The ERS had projected 2016 NFI to be $68.3 billion, but the August 30 update reduced it by 10% to $61.5 billion.
GIPSA, tramps and thieves
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onOctober 19, 2017 in Federal NewsAt least it’s one less thing for processors to worry about. Scuttling the proposed GIPSA rules that would have shifted the balance of power between livestock producers and processors simplifies the regulatory landscape a little — a very little, considering issues such as the renegotiation of NAFTA continue to roil the waters.