AgClips
Recent AgClips
Fish farm has 60 days to fix net pens outside Seattle as 1 million Atlantic salmon move in
The Olympian | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture, Rural NewsJust a week after the state Department of Fish and Wildlife approved shipment of 1 million more farmed Atlantic salmon to Cooke Aquaculture’s fish farm near Bainbridge Island, another state agency says it has found holes in the nets and corrosion in the structure of the facility. The Department of Natural Resources on Monday notified Cooke that it is in default of the terms of its lease at its Rich Passage operation. It ordered the facility repaired within 60 days, or the department may cancel the company’s lease for the facility, which operates over public bed lands.
Farm Credit Announces Launch of AgPitch17 Contest: Deadline for Applications November 1
PR Web | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture NewsMidAtlantic Farm Credit, in partnership with the Rural Maryland Council, has announced the creation of AgPitch17, a competition seeking those who have innovative ideas to enhance the agricultural industry. The deadline for applications is November 1. “The agricultural industry is evolving in ways many people never saw coming,” says Andrew Rose, marketing manager with MidAtlantic Farm Credit, and one of the founding members of AgPitch17. “We’re excited about the direction the industry is headed, both at the local and national level.
Coalition challenges Iowa 'ag gag' law
Globe Gazette | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA coalition has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Iowa’s so-called “ag gag” law that criminalizes undercover investigative efforts to expose poor conditions for workers, food safety violations, environmental harm and animal cruelty in agricultural facilities.The lawsuit asks, among other things, the federal court to declare that Iowa’s ag gag law is a violation of the U.S. Constitution, strike it down and block the state from enforcing it.
Vital Farms video disparages cage-free egg production
Watt Ag Net | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture NewsAn online video released by pasture-raised egg producer Vital Farms purports to tell the difference between pasture-raised and cage-free eggs. A commonly used vulgarity to describe bovine feces is “bleeped out” when it is used over and over to describe eggs produced in cage-free barns, or the pasture-raised eggs which are said to be bovine-feces free. No cage-free hens are shown in the video, but the one square foot of floor space provided per hen in many cage-free houses is depicted as a wooden box of that size.
Minnesota grants fund on-farm livestock improvements
Farm Forum | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsLivestock producers may apply for a portion of $1.9 million in Livestock Investment Grants. Funds are provided by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Program and may be used for on-farm improvements. “Livestock Investment Grants help farmers stay competitive and reinvest in their industry,” said MDA Commissioner Dave Frederickson. “Last year, 105 livestock farmers received grants to improve their operations.”
Iowa: Drainage districts could be part of Iowa's nitrate solution
The Des Moines Register | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture NewsDrainage districts, once the target of a Des Moines Water Works lawsuit, could be part of the solution to cut high nitrate levels in Iowa's lakes, rivers and streams, according to a new report.
Sugar’s Storage Loans Benefit Farmers, Consumers, Taxpayers Alike
Agri-Pulse | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsFall marks the start of the busy harvest season for sugarcane and sugarbeets across the country.
Who owns who? A farmers guide to seed company mergersr
Wallace's Farmers | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Agriculture NewsA South Dakota farmer and seed dealer charted the family trees of some of the major seed companies in the Midwest. He created two family trees. The first shows the evolution of five major brands.The second is a more detailed chart of Syngenta’s brand history
As the immigration debate ramps up, here are the leading bills already pending in Congress
The Los Angeles Times | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in Federal NewsBecause of the deep divides over immigration, passage of reform will be difficult. But since the issue has been kicking around Congress for years, there are already several bills that could provide a foundation or pieces for an immigration package. The Dream Act,a longstanding bill that would offer Dreamers a path to citizenship if they continue to participate in the higher education system, the military or the workforce.
Clean water vs. farm profits at heart of debate over new fertilizer rules
Minnesota Star Tribune | Posted onOctober 12, 2017 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsNow Minnesota is poised to roll out its first-ever strategy to protect drinking water from the farm fertilizers that carry nitrates — one of Minnesota's worst pollution problems. The contradiction between supporting farmers and protecting water may be inevitable in a state where agriculture contributes $19 billion annually to the economy. Every year, farmers plant 16 million acres with corn and soybeans, using close to 800,000 tons of fertilizer.