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New agriculture committee puts focus on region
| Posted on May 3, 2023 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsWestern Massachusetts will have ample representation on a new legislative committee focusing on agriculture.
Sens. Ann Gobi, D-Spencer, and Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, were named Senate chair and co-chair of the new Agriculture Committee while Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, will serve as vice chair on the House side, with Rep. Paul Schmid, D-Westport, as House chair.
Colorado passes first right-to-repair law; others could follow
| Posted on May 3, 2023 in NewsColorado’s first-in-the-nation law allowing farmers to repair their own equipment could be “the first chink in the armor” that has allowed only manufacturers to complete some repairs, said Rusty Rumley, senior staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center.
North Dakota Governor signs corporate farming bill
| Posted on May 3, 2023 in Agriculture NewsNorth Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has signed a bill, which modernizes the state's corporate farming law to encourage growth in the animal agriculture sector.
SARL Members and Alumni News
New agriculture committee puts focus on region
| Posted on May 3, 2023Western Massachusetts will have ample representation on a new legislative committee focusing on agriculture.
Sens. Ann Gobi, D-Spencer, and Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, were named Senate chair and co-chair of the new Agriculture Committee while Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, will serve as vice chair on the House side, with Rep. Paul Schmid, D-Westport, as House chair.
Maryland 50% renewable by 2030, but republican governor wants more
electrek | Posted on May 23, 2019Maryland’s bill mandating 50% renewable energy by 2030 is set to become law on Friday. The bill will do so without the signature of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Why won’t Hogan sign the bill? It’s probably not what you think. Like a number of critics, Maryland’s GOP governor doesn’t believe the bill does enough to combat climate change, and it gives no guarantees of Maryland jobs.
Rural and urban economies can improve with cooperation
Wisconsin State Journal | Posted on May 23, 2019Data revealed Thursday at MadREP’s “State of the Madison Region Economy” event highlighted significant challenges facing the seven counties outside Dane while also breaking down research reports on the region’s target economic sectors: agriculture, food and beverage; advanced manufacturing; health care; information communications technology; and bioscience.“Our rural areas are significantly under-performing compared to Dane County,” said MadREP President Paul Jadin, who presented the region’s next five-year economic development strategy.There are many reasons for that, not the least of whic
Opportunity Zones Skip Over Hard-Hit Rural Places
Nonprofit Quarterly | Posted on May 23, 2019Shelterforce is right on the money in their article, “Pushing Opportunity Zones to Fulfill Their Promise.” The piece urges urban leaders across the country to set guiding principles to make sure this new tax incentive, called the “most significant community development program to pass in a generation,” leads to equitable development and not displacement of low-income residents and people of color.
Colorado to reward companies for hiring remote workers in state’s far-flung areas
Denver Post | Posted on May 23, 2019Companies have relocated thousand of jobs to Colorado since the Great Recession, many drawn by the state’s job growth incentive tax credit program (JGITC), which provides a state tax credit based on payroll taxes paid. But most of those positions have landed in metro Denver or now and then in nearby cities like Fort Collins or Colorado Springs. That Front Range concentration has frustrated economic development officials to no end. The Hickenlooper administration rolled out even more targeted and generous incentive programs to convince employers to go rural.
Agriculture News
North Dakota Governor signs corporate farming bill
| Posted on May 3, 2023North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has signed a bill, which modernizes the state's corporate farming law to encourage growth in the animal agriculture sector.
Ag Advocate Takes on all Opponents in Fight for Agriculture
| Posted on April 6, 2023Amanda Radke isn’t afraid to defend the beef industry, even if it means taking on some famous adversaries.
But Radke’s fight isn’t one that she seeks. It is more of a passion to dispel misconceptions and educate the public on all facets of beef production and nutrition.
American economy driven by U.S. food, agriculture
| Posted on April 6, 2023By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist
A new report highlights the significance of the U.S. food and agriculture sectors in feeding the American economy.
A study commissioned by 25 food and agricultural groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), found food and agriculture supports more than 46 million jobs and contributes over $8 trillion to the U.S. economy each year, while exports contribute another $202 billion.
The total food and agriculture industry’s economic impact is up 22% since 2019.
Agriculture Technology-as-a-Service Global Market Report 2023: Decreasing Agriculture Workforce Drives Demand
| Posted on March 29, 2023Dublin, March 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Agriculture Technology-as-a-Service Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Product, Application, and Country Analysis - Analys
Workshop series to focus on workforce development in animal agriculture
https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/workshop-series-focus-workforce-development-animal-agriculture/ | Posted on March 7, 2023UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The applicant pool for high-demand livestock production occupations is shrinking, lacks diversity and often falls short in critical animal husbandry skills, according to an interdisciplinary team of educators and faculty from Penn State Extension and Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Federal News
Progressive agriculture groups rally for land access, climate-smart policies in farm bill
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/08/progressive-agriculture-groups-rally-for-land-access-climate-smart-policies-in-farm-bill/ | Posted on March 10, 2023WASHINGTON — Farmers and leaders from more than 20 progressive agricultural groups gathered this week to march on the U.S. Capitol, and promote climate solutions and underserved producers as priority issues for lawmakers in the upcoming farm bill.
“As farmers, we are close to the land. We love the land. We understand the sanctity and the sacredness of water. We understand the essence of life,” said Duane “Chili” Yazzie, a regenerative farmer in Arizona and member of Shiprock Chapter of the Navajo Nation, to dozens of demonstrators at Freedom Plaza Tuesday.
USDA Proposes New Requirements for the “Product of USA” Label Claim
https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/03/06/usda-proposes-new-requirements-product-usa-label-claim | Posted on March 7, 2023WASHINGTON, March 6, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a proposed rule with new regulatory requirements to better align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means.
EPA’s new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program will invest in America, expedite investments to reduce pollution in disadvantaged communities
| Posted on February 28, 2023WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2023) – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the availability of $550 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to expedite investments through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) program. This new, innovative program will fund up to 11 entities to serve as grantmakers to community-based projects that reduce pollution.
AgriLife Extension policy expert updates on potential changes
| Posted on December 21, 2022Changes in the new farm bill will mostly be about money.
U.S. SENATOR TINA SMITH ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT TO HELP MINNESOTA VETERANS PURSUE CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE
| Posted on December 21, 2022WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/19/22] — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced $750,000 in federal funding to support training, mentorship and other opportunities for veterans looking to transition into agricultural careers. The investments will create jobs and strengthen Minnesota’s agricultural workforce by providing hands-on training and mentorship for veterans pursuing opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness.
Rural News
Rural agriculture needs reliable communication: Josh Peschel launches new technology in ag hotspots
https://news.engineering.iastate.edu/2023/03/06/rural-agriculture-needs-reliable-communication-josh-peschel-launches-new-technology-in-ag-hotspots/ | Posted on March 7, 2023Mobile communication has changed the world around us nearly overnight.
Yet still, with much progress in this realm of technology, remote, rural areas are still struggling to connect with the outside world. These remote areas are hotspots for agriculture, with acres upon acres of crops and animals.
Healthcare Access in Rural Communities
| Posted on January 4, 2023Access to healthcare services is critical to good health, yet rural residents face a variety of access barriers.
Immigrant families forgoing food, housing in fear of Trump's visa plan
Newsweek | Posted on May 23, 2019Immigrants in the United States and their families are forgoing essential welfare benefits like public housing, food stamps and Medicare over fear of persecution, a new study has found. One in seven immigrants avoided public benefit programs in 2018 out of concern they would risk their future green card status, the Urban Institute found.Last week, President Donald Trump proposed changing the nation’s legal immigration system to limit green cards given to migrants who rely on welfare benefits or who are not financially independent.
Rural and urban economies can improve with cooperation
Wisconsin State Journal | Posted on May 23, 2019Data revealed Thursday at MadREP’s “State of the Madison Region Economy” event highlighted significant challenges facing the seven counties outside Dane while also breaking down research reports on the region’s target economic sectors: agriculture, food and beverage; advanced manufacturing; health care; information communications technology; and bioscience.“Our rural areas are significantly under-performing compared to Dane County,” said MadREP President Paul Jadin, who presented the region’s next five-year economic development strategy.There are many reasons for that, not the least of whic
School Meals Expansion story
AP News | Posted on May 23, 2019In a story May 16 about school meals programs in Oregon, The Associated Press reported erroneously the number of public school students in Oregon. There are about 580,000 students, not 400,000. A corrected version of the story is below:Oregon OKs largest expansion of federal free lunch program. Oregon is spending $40 million to dramatically expand the federal free breakfast and lunch program, ensuring that more than 60 percent of its 58,000 public school students will be included, the only statewide effort in the country
Energy News
Maryland 50% renewable by 2030, but republican governor wants more
electrek | Posted on May 23, 2019Maryland’s bill mandating 50% renewable energy by 2030 is set to become law on Friday. The bill will do so without the signature of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Why won’t Hogan sign the bill? It’s probably not what you think. Like a number of critics, Maryland’s GOP governor doesn’t believe the bill does enough to combat climate change, and it gives no guarantees of Maryland jobs.
Ohio House Republicans overhaul ‘clean-energy’ bill to focus on nuclear, coal subsidies
Cleveland.com | Posted on May 23, 2019Ohio House Republicans on Wednesday dramatically transformed a controversial “clean-energy” subsidy bill, turning it into a bailout plan for both nuclear and coal power plants owned by Ohio companies. The changes to House Bill 6, made by the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee, would also end Ohio’s much-disputed renewable-energy and energy-efficiency mandates for utilities after this year, which cost residential electricity users an average of about $4.60 per month.
Indiana utilities are in midst of identity crisis as customers take power into own hands
Indy Star | Posted on May 23, 2019The changes came slowly, then seemingly all at once. Next door, your neighbor installed solar panels. You started seeing more and more electric vehicles. When you drove north on I-65, you hit a patch of farmland dotted with large windmills.
Renewable Fuel Standard Saves Consumers 22 Cents on Every Gallon of Gas
Hoosier Ag Today | Posted on May 23, 2019The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has lowered gas prices by an average of 22 cents per gallon in recent years and saved the typical American household $250 annually, according to a study published by economist and energy policy expert Dr. Philip K.
Trump EPA did not await court ruling to loosen biofuel rules for refiners - documents
Reuters | Posted on May 23, 2019The Trump administration made it easier for oil refineries to get waivers from the nation’s biofuel law at least four months before a 2017 court decision it often cites to justify the move to the corn lobby, and the move was motivated by a desire to save the oil industry money. The timing and motivation for the Environmental Protection Agency’s policy change, revealed through court documents and an interview with a former top agency official, have not been previously reported.
Food News
Atlanta creates first food forest in Georgia, largest in U.S.
Atlanta Journal Constitution | Posted on May 23, 2019Atlanta residents will have greater access to fresh food thanks to a public “food forest.”City Council, on a unanimous vote, approved the transformation of 7.1 acres of property near the Lakewood Fairgrounds and Browns Mill Golf Course into a public park and garden. The food forest is the first in Georgia and the largest in the United States.The Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill has been in the works since November 2016 when the city accepted an $86,150 grant from the U.S. Forest Service Community Forest and Open Space Program.
School Meals Expansion story
AP News | Posted on May 23, 2019In a story May 16 about school meals programs in Oregon, The Associated Press reported erroneously the number of public school students in Oregon. There are about 580,000 students, not 400,000. A corrected version of the story is below:Oregon OKs largest expansion of federal free lunch program. Oregon is spending $40 million to dramatically expand the federal free breakfast and lunch program, ensuring that more than 60 percent of its 58,000 public school students will be included, the only statewide effort in the country
These Missouri Poultry Producers Include Dispatches From The Farm In Every Egg Carton
KBIA | Posted on May 23, 2019One of Campo Lindo’s most defining qualities is a personal note included in every carton of eggs that leaves the farm. Carol writes those notes every two week; she began doing it when the farm started selling its eggs through grocery stores. “I just missed the communication that I had with our customers,” Carol says. “So I was like, ‘Well, I'll just start putting a little note, at least it's one-way communication,' but what's turned out really cool is a lot of times people take the time, they'll send a little email or phone call.
National Pork Board Uncovers What Diners Crave and Why
PR Newswire | Posted on May 23, 2019The National Pork Board released its latest findings from the comprehensive Insight to Action research, this time examining trends in consumer behavior related to dining out.
CBD entering food and drink at an 'astounding pace,' report says
Food Dive | Posted on May 23, 2019A new Rabobank report found that CBD has been entering food and beverage products — beer, coffee, cocktails, jelly beans and others — at an "astounding pace." However, the substance remains illegal in foods and beverages on a national level, and it may not be approved for several more years barring congressional action, according to the report.Meanwhile, the market appears poised for more CBD-infused products, and Rabobank said the demand is likely to continue.