AgClips :: a service of the regional offices of the council of state governments | state ag and rural leaders

AgClips

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State Legislatures are in session across the country. Much of the
activity is focusing on dismal budgets, but if your state is doing
things related to agriculture or rural communities, send it to Ag Clips!

Legislative Ag Chairs Session summaries coming shortly.
If you would like a CD of the presentations, please contact corr@sarl.us

::January 29-February 5, 2010 ::
Agriculture News Rural Communities and Food Federal and International 

Ohio May See A Second Proposed Constitutional Amendment On Farm Animal Welfare
Not surprisingly, a group called Ohioans for Humane Farms has requested a petition initiative certification from the Ohio Attorney General that could place a second proposed constitutional amendment on farm animal care before Ohio voters this fall. The proposed constitutional amendment goes beyond the expected prohibitions on confinement of pregnant pigs, laying hens and veal calves that farm animal welfare advocates have advanced in other states. The current petition requires the newly created Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board “to adopt certain minimum standards that will prevent the cruel and inhumane treatment of farm animals, enhance food safety, and strengthen Ohio farms.”
Cattle network

USDA meets with NE commissioners on regional food
Vermont Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee says he and his counterparts from New England are talking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture about how to develop regional food systems.
Boston Globe

Missouri contests ruling on factory farm buffer zone
A judge’s ruling in a lawsuit created a two-mile buffer around the historic site to keep it out of range of a proposed factory farm. But now Missouri wants to eliminate the buffer around the site — which is protected by the state. Attorney General Chris Koster appealed the ruling.Koster says his decision to appeal the case is based in part on his concerns that the ruling could create chaos if it is allowed to stand. Already, he said, too many local officials have the authority to create buffers for factory farms. The judge’s ruling would mean 400 circuit and associate circuit judges can also decide, Koster said. Missourians would be better off with state control as opposed to local control in this particular situation, he said.
Kansas City Star

Towns aim to establish farming zone
Enterprise area would help preserve agricultural land. In such areas, farmland owners can enter into individual agreements with the state that their land remain in farm production for at least 15 years in exchange for annual tax credits ranging from $5 to $10 per acre.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Bill would establish standards for honey in Wis.
Standards for selling honey in Wisconsin would be established under a bill making its way through the Legislature. The proposal would prohibit labeling a product as honey unless it meets certain standards established by the state's Department of Agriculture.
 Chicago Tribune

Canadian Food Agency Puts the Kibosh on American Horse Export for Meat
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued the health requirements for all horses bound for slaughter in Canada. The requirements posted on the CFIA website state, “Effective July 31, 2010, it will be mandatory for all CFIA inspected facilities in Canada engaged in the slaughter of equines for edible purposes to have complete records for all animals presented for slaughter.”
horsebackmagazine.com

Grants expand Texas Wine Industry
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today announced the Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its Wine Grape Investment Grant Program from farmers wishing to expand existing vineyard operations by at least five acres or start new ones.
Southwest Farm Press

Bill establishes special category for Tennessee milk
Tennessee dairy farmers are hoping to get a boost from legislation that was unanimously approved by the Senate. The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Faulk of Kingsport passed 26-0. The legislation would establish a category of milk called "Tennessee Prime Milk," of which at least 80 percent is produced in Tennessee.
Capitol Press

ID:Lands agency recommends boosting timber harvest
The Department of Lands aims to increase timber harvests from state land by 16.5 percent annually, in hopes it will increase jobs and revenue to schools. That could result in 525 new jobs and up to $15 million in additional revenue annually. Rep. Jim Patrick, a Republican from Twin Falls, questioned if boosting the supply of lumber coming from Idaho forests, coupled with a slumping economy and depressed construction, would further erode prices.
Capitol Press

Iowa Department of Agriculture May Have to Absorb Big Budget Cut
Ag department's budget would be same as it was in 1994. Iowa Department of Ag may have to eliminate 50 positions. Ag Secretary Northey also points out that the state agriculture department has already experienced five layoffs and has currently has 44 open positions, which is over 10% of the department's workforce. "If the governor's proposal is implemented we will need to reduce staffing by approximately 50 positions," says Northey.
Wallace's Farmer

Former Montana lawmaker tapped as Salazar adviser
A former Montana state senator and wildlife commissioner has been tapped as Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar's senior adviser for the Northwest. Missoula attorney Steve Doherty served 12 years in the Montana Senate and chaired the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission from 2005 to 2009.
Capitol Press

The Monthly National Legislation Report
Or access state and local bill related to animals through the AKC website.
MNL report

Future Trends in Animal Agriculture proceedings available.

California To Measure Methane To Pinpoint Emissions
California plans to install a network of computerized monitors to measure methane emissions from regions that are home to dairy ranches, farms and landfills. Those include the farm fields of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and landfills in the Los Angeles basin."What we'll be able to do is to find the identity, the location and the strength of methane emissions within the state," said Jorn Herner, scientist at the California Air Resources Board.
Cattle Network

Hope Returns After Year Of Steep US Dairy Losses
Only months ago, dairy producers were slaughtering an average of 50,000 dairy cows a week because a milk glut made it impossible to sell their milk for what it cost to produce. Now, with prices improving, dairy farmers are reversing course, saying they'll produce as much milk as possible this year.
Cattle Network

How Can Farming and Ranching Survive?
Farmers and ranchers have become a minority! Approximately 2% of the U.S. population is involved in farming or ranching. The majority of our population doesn't know when, where or how their food gets to them. They expect it to magically be there when they need it.
Cattle Network

Bill encourages schools to buy food from local farms
A bill making its way through the Legislature would try to make it easier for farmers in Massachusetts to sell their fresh produce to the area's schools.The bill, which passed the House yesterday, prohibits junk food in public schools, and an amendment to the bill calls for research to be done on what local food is available and what schools are interested in.
Wicked Local Norfolk

Budget cuts — Extension, research
“In the university system, opportunities for advancement were not very rewarding and many talented individuals moved to the private sector. Instead of finding solutions for producers, the university employee must spend a great amount of time trying to find funding.”As the lackluster economy puts a stranglehold on state budgets and officials search for places to make cuts, one target of the ax is agriculture programs, including Extension.Some were potentially draconian. Michigan was threatened with a 44 percent cut in funding for Extension and research stations after narrowly escaping elimination through line item vetoes. In October, however, the governor approved a budget that included the programs.
Delta Farm Press

Be prepared for dairy to go up….or down
Dairy markets continue to disappoint. While cash cheese prices have been hanging around the $1.50 range, Class III futures have been sliding.
Brownfield Ag News

Lack of national strategy threatens Canadian food sovereignty, P.E.I. agriculture federation told
A national strategy that champions domestically produced food over foreign imports must be developed or Canadian farmers could become little more than glorified gardeners running petting zoos, says a leader with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.“Food sovereignty is going to become a critical issue in Canada and we have to ask ourselves: ‘Do we want to be beholding to other nations for our food?’” said Grant Etsell during the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting here on the weekend.
The (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) Guardian

SPCA looked at dairy farm before video's release
The Finger Lakes SPCA was investigating reports of animal abuse at Willet Dairy in the town of Locke before an animal rights group released a video Tuesday allegedly showing farm employees abusing and neglecting cattle.Carol Russell, executive director of the Finger Lakes SPCA, would not comment on the specifics of the investigation but said dehorning or docking cattle tails would be illegal if the practices intentionally caused pain.That requires talking to veterinary professionals who can testify to whether or not certain practices, such as docking a tail, are painless depending on the age of the cow and at what age certain practices should be considered painful and illegal.
auburnpub.com, Auburn, NY

They tried to explain dairying to ABC News
But the network chose to emphasize the negative with last week's broadcast.
Dairy Herd

CBS News antibiotic piece to air next week
A two-part piece on antibiotic use in food-animal production is planned.
Dairy Herd

Handling difficult media interviews
One industry spokesperson shares tips on how he prepares for media interviews.
Dairy Herd

Ohio Farm Bureau responds to HSUS power grab
Animal-rights activists seek to undo Ohioans' overwhelming passage of Issue 2 last November
Dairy Herd

Alert: HSUS Seeks Initiative To Regulate Ohio Producers
“The enabling legislation hasn’t passed; the board hasn’t been appointed and the first discussions on what Ohioans find acceptable haven't been held. And yet, HSUS is saying, in effect, Ohioans got it wrong,” said Jack Fisher, Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President in an official statement.
Animal Ag Alliance

National Milk's Radical New Dairy Plan
Finally. Jerry Kozak, National Milk Producers Federation president and CEO, has started talking publicly about his organization's proposal to revitalize U.S. dairy policy for the 21st century.
Ag Web

Our Dependence on Foreign Vitamins
Recent increases in vitamin D prices are evidence of what can happen when competition in the marketplace is eliminated.
Ag Web

California Records Net Loss of 109 Dairies for 2009
Higher-than-average feed costs, consistently low prices paid to producers, and the numerous herd buyout programs all contributed to the loss of dairies operating in California last year.
Ag Web

NJ Governor Christie signs executive order to help gaming industry
Executive Order 11 creates a New Jersey Gaming, Sports and Entertainment Advisory Commission charged with issuing recommendations to fix New Jersey’s gaming industries.
Jackson NJ Online

We Decided to Sell the Herd
The federal pricing system creates regional disparities that pit farmers against each other in national policy debates. No one wins in this setting — not the farmers and not the consumers who depend on them for fresh, healthful dairy products.
Daily Yonder

Veal group adopts state of ethics, code of conduct
The American Veal Association has adopted a statement of ethical principles and a code of conduct to articulate the industry's commitment to humane handling, ethical conduct and sustainable production methods.
meatingplace.com

Control Runoff From Your Farm – or Else
Learn how to control water runoff from your farm, or the government will force you to make changes in your business.That's one message resonating from the latest battle over runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. The same regulations bay area farmers may face could be visited on other U.S. farms. By the end of 2011 Virginia, would be expected to reduce its nitrogen runoff into the Chesapeake Bay by 3.39 million pounds, and reduce phosphorus runoff by 470,000 pounds. To achieve these goals, the following will be required: 119,000 acres of cover crops planted; 12,500 acres of reforestation; 9,000 acres of stormwater management controls; 10,000 acres of forest buffers; 258,000 new acres of nutrient management control; 13,000 feet of agricultural stream restoration; 233,000 pounds of wastewater nitrogen reductions; and 126,000 pounds of wastewater phosphorus reductions.
Farm Futures

OR:Lobbyists blast lawmakers
Agricultural lobbyists have called out Oregon lawmakers for introducing big-impact policy bills in the Legislature's one-month supplemental session. "There are 200-plus pieces of legislation being introduced," said Tammy Dennee, executive director of the Oregon Wheat Growers League.
Capitol Press

CA: DWR predicts further limits on water deliveries
A draft report by the state Department of Water Resources says future water deliveries will suffer more than previously expected from the impacts of current environmental rules and projected climate change. The report shows a "continuing erosion" of the state's ability to maintain its water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Capitol Press

Pork producers study footprint
Pork producers are identifying ways to reduce their carbon footprint, but more than 25% of the matter depends on retailers and consumers. Manure management plays a large role in carbon emissions, transportation plays a minor role, processors are efficient and more than 25% of pork's footprint occurs at the retail store and home levels.
Feedstuffs

HSUS Gets Some Bad Press  
The HSUS has recently come under fire from the Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance, which says that HSUS's lobbying on national and state levels likely surpasses the boundaries set by its nonprofit status under the IRS code. SAOVA also cites a “conflict of interest” by Michael Markarian, who serves as HSUS's chief operating officer as well as president of an affiliated lobbying charity, the Humane Society Legislative Fund. HSUS reported that it spent about $4.2 million on lobbying out of a total budget of nearly $100 million in 2008. The independent nonprofit charity watchdog group American Institute of Philanthropy gave HSUS a C- based on the percentage of money the organization spent actually running its programs. The group also penalized HSUS for paying excessive salaries to its top executive. Money given to organizations that actually worked with animals totaled just $450,000. That’s half of 1 percent
NPPC.org.

OMG cattle wandering in fields
HSUS:Please make an emergency gift today to our Disaster Relief Fund.
I arrived here in Haiti from across the border -- despite a flat tire, overheated engine, and two aftershocks -- and am seeing firsthand the total devastation left behind in the wake of last week’s earthquake. Tent cities everywhere are teeming with tens of thousands of people now homeless.And amid all this human suffering, there’s something else: Animals are suffering, too. Will you please support our efforts to help with a special gift right now? The entire nation is overwhelmed by a lack of basic necessities -- adequate food, water, shelter, and medicine…the conditions for animals are still deteriorating. In our short time here, I’ve seen cattle wandering through fields and stray dogs by the roads. With food and water in short supply, it is only a matter of time before these animals -- especially the injured -- come under threat of dehydration, starvation, and disease.
Humansociety.org

National Milk's Chris Galen Responds to Nightline Dairy Segment
Many in the dairy business had been awaiting ABC News's investigation into the alleged evils of dairy farming. Dairy Today had a30-minute sit-down interview with investigative reporter Brian Ross.
Ag Web

Deer farming may soon be under Department of Agriculture's control
The Ohio House and Ohio Senate are looking into changing the regulation of deer farming from the Ohio Division of Wildlife to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.The Division of Wildlife is not taking the potential change lightly.HB 410 and SB 225 want to take away the regulating of captive cervids (whitetail deer and other deer) from Division of Wildlife, which has been monitoring hunting preserves since 1953 and deer propagators since 1994, and transfer the authority to the Department of Agriculture.
The Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio)

Senate: Keep state out of bake sales
Bake sales, chicken barbecues, fish fries, and other charitable food sales would be safe from state health inspections under a bill on its way to the state House of Representatives. The state Senate passed the bill unanimously. The bill is in response to a cease-and-desist order delivered last spring at St. Cecilia Church in Rochester, near Pittsburgh. Church officials said volunteers were cutting slices of homemade pies to sell at a fund-raising event when a state food-safety inspector warned them that selling baked goods made in an unlicensed kitchen is illegal.
The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Gothic kittens" case could lead to changes in Pa. animal cruelty laws
A woman in Pennsylvania reportedly is being charged with animal cruelty for docking the tails and piercing the ears of several kittens to sell them as "gothic kittens" on eBay. The woman's lawyer said the state's animal cruelty laws do not say "anything about you can't pierce or dock a cat's tail," and that the case likely will result in the state's animal cruelty laws being amended.
United Press International

N.C. officials propose allowing pets at outdoor dining areas
Maybe it's not so bad to bring Fido when dining at outdoor tables at North Carolina restaurants. Health officials are proposing a rule to allow pets to come to the table at outdoor restaurants as long as they don't go inside or contaminate the food.
WTKR-TV (Norfolk, Va.)

FL:Rural folk oppose high-tech corridor
Allowing huge high-tech businesses to move into the county's rural areas is just too extreme, some residents told The Planning Commission staff.The Interstate 4 Green Tech Corridor should be limited to the urban areas in either Tampa and Temple Terrace or Plant City, they said.And if it will only take 1,000 acres to create the corridor, Hillsborough County should not be including 12,000 acres in its plan to lure high tech businesses to the area, said Terry Flott, director of the Seffner Community Alliance.
The Brandon (Florida) News and Tribune

Utah governor's office cashed coal company check on same day permit application was fast-tracked
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's campaign aides cashed a $10,000 check from a coal company on the same day that he met with the company to hear complaints about delays in the permitting of a strip mine. State regulators at the meeting listened to Alton Coal Development LLC's pleas and "agreed to fast-track a decision approving the mine near Panguitch, despite opposition from residents,"
The Associated Press/Rural Blog

In rural Mississippi, dreams of a green car fleet
Here in this Mississippi Delta county, they are waiting for the return of the slender man in the elegant suit -- the one who spoke, in a heavy Chinese accent, of a promise that couldn't have been more welcome or fashionable.It was the promise of a new green industry, with hundreds of green jobs. His name is Xiaolin "Charles" Wang, a 43-year-old native of Hunan, China, and CEO of the fledgling GreenTech Automotive Inc. He hopes to build a billion-dollar hybrid and electric auto plant here on 1,500 acres of pancake-flat delta farmland, in what was once one of the most depressed settings in the rural South.
The Los Angeles Times

San Diego homeowners struggle with housing restrictions on pets
Many homeowners as well as renters in San Diego are being denied insurance because of the breed or weight of their pet dogs. Insurers point to a joint study issued several years ago by AVMA and the CDC assessing dog bites in deciding which breeds are restricted, even though the CDC has issued a statement saying the study does not "identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions
San Diego Reader

Yellow Tail Wine Gives Money to HSUS
Sportsmen Urged to Voice Protest.The Australian maker of Yellow Tail Wine has pledged $100,000 to the HSUS, the nation’s largest anti-hunting organization. This partnership offers further proof of HSUS’ work to spin its animal rights message in a way as to seem mainstream.As HSUS states on its website: the HSUS has paired with [yellow tail] for the "tails for tails" program. Through the end of March, you'll see special [yellow tail] displays bearing The HSUS name and logo in stores across the country.Through "tails for tails," [yellow tail] is donating $100,000 to support us and our programs to help animals, including our Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest.”Alerted to this relationship, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) immediately contacted the American distributor of the wine, W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd., and urged them to ask Yellow Tail to sever its relationship with HSUS.“This wine maker has fallen into the same trap as other companies who donate money to HSUS,” said Bud Pidgeon, president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “They believe they are helping animals in shelters when in fact they are funding an agenda from an animal rights group that is largely divergent from the vast majority of Americans.”
New Jersey Hunter

Study fails to link saturated fat, heart disease
The saturated fat found mainly in meat and dairy products has a bad reputation, but a new analysis of published studies finds no clear link between people's intake of saturated fat and their risk of developing heart disease.
Reuters

U.S. soldiers send pets to temporary care while overseas
He was relieved when he found Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pet, a volunteer organization that helps men and women in any branch of the armed forces find temporary homes for pets. It is one of several pet foster programs that offer such free help to military personnel.
ABC News/The Associated Press

Hope on the farm
John Rosenow does what rural development experts say needs to be done to create jobs and grow the economy in rural areas.He’s expanded with value-added components to his Buffalo County dairy farm, created new products, and now employs 53 people. Plus, he’s a member at a cooperative that’s operating its own small cheese plant, employing 53.
That’s the kind of economic activity that Rick Terrien, executive director of the Iowa County Economic Development Corporation, envisions.
Dunn County News

Waiting for Water on Ruleville-Drew Road
How hard is it to get water in some parts of rural America? Ask the residents along the Ruleville-Drew Road in Sunflower County, Mississippi. They've been waiting seven years.
Daily Yonder

Vilsack: Rural America is in need of renewal
After a year as the U.S. secretary of agriculture, I've reached two conclusions: Most Americans do not fully appreciate the work and sacrifice of the farmers and ranchers who produce the food and fiber that keeps all of us alive, and an overhaul of our approach to economic development in rural America is long overdue.
Des Moines Register

Beyond the USDA: How other government agencies can support a healthier, more sustainable food system
A report on federal agencies and their role in administering programs, grants and regulatory oversight that affect food. This agency-by-agency review covers: food safety regulations, community economic and housing development, health education, food procurement, labor standards, trade negotiations and transportation infrastructure.
IATP.org

EFSA Reports on Causes of Campylobacteriosis
A European Food Safety Authority report confirms that poultry meat is a major source of human cases of campylobacteriosis. EFSA's Biological Hazards Panel has adopted an opinion on the extent to which broiler meat contributes to human cases of campylobacteriosis. Experts conclude that the handling, preparation and consumption of broiler meat may directly account for 20 to 30 per cent of human cases of campylobacteriosis in the European Union.
The Poultry Site

AFIA urges Oprah Winfrey to Air Alternate Program about Food.
Oprah Winfrey is encouraged to give her viewers a more complete picture of the wonders of most all modern food production in a letter sent by the American Feed Industry Association. The letter by AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman was sent in response to the Jan. 27 edition of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that featured journalism professor and author Michael Pollan and actress Alicia Silverstone.
Agrimarketing.com

Couric, CBS news explore antibiotic use for livestock
The CBS Evening News is set to aired a two-part story Feb. 3-4 on antibiotic use in livestock and poultry production. The series focused on CBS anchor Katie Couric’s visit to Koch's Turkey Farm in Tamaqua, Pa., which raises free-range and antibiotic-free turkeys. The segment also may include footage on Applegate Farms, a New Jersey producer of antibiotic-free, ready-to-eat foods including deli meats, bacon and hot dogs
Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers.

U.S. sets sights on stimulating broadband access for rural areas
The federal government on Tuesday brought the broadband segment of its massive $787 billion economic stimulus package to St. Louis. The two agencies charged with distributing $7.2 billion to improve high-speed Internet for rural and low-income Americans hosted a daylong informational workshop in Eureka. The fifth of 10 such events scheduled around the nation drew participants from across the Midwest.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Trainer Rick Violette on the future of racing
They can't afford to participate in an industry where they have zero chance of economic survival. “It is hard enough to make ends meets in this business. As it is, 90 percent of horse owners lose money every year.
Albany Times Union

University of Richmond Law School Student Reviews HSUS
The Myth of the Humane Society of the United States. I recently viewed a commercial for the Humane Society of the United States. It contained footage of pets suffering from abuse. The footage was intended to tug at the heartstrings of anyone with half a heart. In addition to the animal footage, the commercial featured the lady from Just Shoot Me asking the viewers to commit to a $19 monthly pledge to help save these animals from abuse and neglect. While most local animal shelters scrimp and scrape to collect enough funds to cover overhead, the HSUS has a healthy budget of well over $100 million. The bulk of the balance was spent on fundraising, campaigns, lawsuits, propaganda, and those people that stand outside the D.C. Metro who stop you and ask "Do you have a minute to talk about saving animals?"Deception notwithstanding, the HSUS has cornered the market on the animal rights movement.
Law.Richmond.edu

Is kosher better for the planet?
I usually buy organic, sustainably raised meats, but sometimes when I can't find them, I get kosher meat instead. Does that make environmental sense, or is the stuff approved by rabbis just as bad as anything else?
The Washington Post

Rules Worth Following, for Everyone’s Sake
Michael Pollan’s new book, “Food Rules,” is an easy-to-digest guide to health and eating that could do almost anybody good.
NYTimes.com

Russia’s Evolution, Seen Through Golden Arches
When McDonald’s entered the Soviet Union 20 years ago, it had to supply its own ingredients. Now the last one — burger buns — has been turned over to the private sector.
NYTimes.com

Dairy-based package wraps
Food-packaging products made from dairy ingredients could provide an alternative to petroleum-based packaging products, according to a chapter written by Agricultural Research Service scientist Peggy Tomasula for a new book, “Dairy-Derived Ingredients: Food and Nutraceutical Uses.”
Western Farm Press

Comprehensive report disputes cancer-meat link
A comprehensive report about the epidemiologic evidence surrounding cancer and consumption of red meat and processed meat was released to the cattle industry's human nutrition research committee.The report states that all available evidence from epidemiological studies of a cancer-red meat/processed meat link "is not supportive" of a causal relationship, said Dr. Shalene McNeill, NCBA executive director of nutrition research.
Feedstuffs

More Agriculture News

Cattle Blood Used in Treatment Experiments
A South Dakota bio-tech firm is using blood byproducts from cattle to develop new ways of treating injured soldiers on the battlefield.IKOR aims to use hemoglobin from cattle as its raw material to develop blood replacement products for injured soldiers, Tye says. The goal is to heal their wounds more quickly and effectively, partly because the products can help deliver oxygen to the wound.
Beef Magazine

Conference Proceedings for the Southern Dairy Conference are available
Discussions on state of the Dairy Industry, supply management, sustainability, nutritional and health benefits of dairy food and more are available on line now.
Southern Dairy Conference

Farm Subsidy Battles: A Fighter Looks Back
Mariann Fischer Boel is preparing to step down as Europe’s agricultural commissioner after five years of struggling to cut back the most generous farm subsidy system in the world.
NYTime.com

If beef producers were to give advice to industry officials, what might they say?
January is meeting month for agricultural producers. At most of these meetings, industry officials and other experts offer advice to producers.What advice and reminding might farmers—beef producers in particular—give to industry experts, especially those that primarily represent segments of the beef and livestock industry? They would say, the livestock industry is being challenged on issues ranging from BSE and E. coli O157:H7 to antibiotic use, air and water quality issues, animal identification and traceback, COOL, and the conditions under which animals are being raised.
Ag Policy

Deadly horse disease outbreak affects 12 states
The Texas Animal Health Commission has identified a South Texas ranch as the source of an outbreak of equine piroplasmosis that reportedly has affected 12 states, including Indiana, Alabama and California. Of the 364 cases confirmed as of Jan. 20, 289 have been traced to the Texas ranch, which has ordered a quarantine of its more than 300 horses.
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

View from Across the Pond
Farmers and ranchers produce corn, milk, hogs, beef and lots more. But we all know that they also produce other things that are incidental to these farming enterprises.Things like; the farming landscape, community values, food security, and "heritage" are deemed to be positive. But they sometimes also produce negatives e.g. air pollution, degraded soil and excess pressure on wild species or natural habitats. These "incidental" products may be described as "public goods" and there has been a debate raging about "good" and "bad" public goods for decades.
Meatingplace.com

Expect A Massive South America Soybean Crop
U.S. soybean growers have benefitted recently from grower misfortunes in South America to increase their export market share, but that may come to an end soon, says Chad Hart, Iowa State University agricultural economist.“All the current indicators point to the potential for record South American soybean production,” he says
Corn and Soybean Digest

Would a farm reality show help teach consumers?
It is an established fact that American agriculture needs to do a better job of communicating with the non-farm public, but how to accomplish this is a matter of considerable debate. I would like to suggest the ag industry try sponsoring a television reality show. They are inexpensive to produce and, judging from the number of them that are on the air, they are quite popular. The show should have the goal of helping viewers understand what life is like on a farm and what farm families do every day. In order to accomplish this, the show would have to combine elements of the programs Lost, Survivor, Super Nanny, Dirty Jobs, Fear Factor, The Apprentice, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, and The Simpsons.
Hoosier Ag Today

Alberta farmers face 'critical situation'
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, adding plenty of spring rain is needed to quench dry soils and prevent drought conditions seen last year.
Edmonton Sun

Ag Committee Leaders React to President's Budget
Senator Blanche Lincoln, pledges to stand up for farmers and ranchers and all of rural America by opposing cuts in President Obama's proposed budget. According to Lincoln, "This proposal places a disproportionate burden on the backs of farmers and rural communities. While I too believe we must reduce the federal deficit, we must all share in this responsibility."
Hoosier Ag Today

Vilsack: $26B Agriculture request a freeze
The US Agriculture Department's $26 billion request for fiscal year 2011 "essentially freezes" discretionary programs,
UPI.com

President Asks Congress To Cut Crop Subsidies
President Barack Obama asked Congress to slash crop subsidies to "wealthy farmers" and to pare federal support for crop insurance, moves estimated to save $10 billion over 10 years. The White House also requested a 25 percent cut, to $1.2 billion, in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. It shares the cost of controlling runoff from fields and feedlots. The green-payment Conservation Security Program would be cut by roughly $1 million and enrollment held to 12 million acres in fiscal 2011 instead of 12.8 million acres.
cattle trader

USDA's New Budget Proposal: What Is Increased And What Is Decreased?
The 138 page budget message that will be conveyed to the House Agriculture Committee confirms expectations and contains some surprises.
 CattleNetwork.com

Obama budget cuts farm programs
Obama’s attempt to control government spending (pegged at over $1.5 trillion for this year) would mean payment cuts not only to large farmers (more than $2 billion over a decade) and agriculture-related insurance (some $8 billion over a decade) — but also, to the consternation of some environmental groups, would reduce the growth of conservation programs.Crop insurance has been on the Obama administration’s radar for months.
Delta Farm Press

ERS awards grants to establish centers of food assistance research
The Economic Research Service  has awarded grants to establish two research centers in the Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Program.
USDA

Conservation cuts concern groups
Despite proposed Obama Administration budget cuts, conservation is promoted and practiced with help from other organizations.  There is, however, concern about proposed Obama Administration budget cuts. At the same time that President Obama was proposing his budget, USDA Undersecretary Harris Sherman was telling the National Association of Conservation Districts annual convention that many federal programs will have to live with frozen or lower budgets.
Brownfield Network

Budget proposal undermines farm safety net
The National Cotton Council said that President Obama’s FY2011 USDA budget ignores the extensive changes to production agriculture support that were embodied in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.
Southwest Farm Press

USDA funds healthy urban food initiative
USDA announced a $900,000 grant to the Wallace Center at Winrock International, Little Rock, Ark., to run the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center to increase access to healthy, affordable foods, including locally produced agricultural products, to underserved communities. "This ambitious effort will create a national center to help establish local and regional food systems and get healthy food into low-income communities, which are important components of USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Meatingplace.com

Record amount of money spent in rural Neb.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says a record amount of money was given to programs to help rural Nebraska last year.About $209 million from USDA funds were invested, more than half of it for housing. About $74 million went to infrastructure such as and water and wastewater treatment, and about $21 million went toward business and energy.The aim of USDA Rural Development is to help to communities provide access to affordable and essential utilities such as electricity and telecommunications.
KCAU-TV, Sioux City, Iowa

Obama export plan nudges farm trade agenda
U.S. farm exporters are relieved that trade has finally made it on to President Barack Obama's agenda, although his new goal to double U.S. exports in five years might be a little too much to hope for.After a year when farm exporters wondered aloud whether the administration even had a trade policy, Obama linked export growth to job growth. He also promised an initiative to address deep distrust many American hold toward trade pacts, viewed as sapping manufacturing jobs from the United States.
Reuters

U.S. officials frustrated by China’s pork stance
The top trade official for the National Pork Producers Council was in China last week.Nick Giordano met with U.S. and Chinese government and private sector representatives on a host of trade-related issues.  Topics included China’s continued reluctance to import U.S. pork because of H1N1 flu concerns and its refusal to take pork from pigs given ractopamine That’s a feed additive widely used in U.S. pork production to promote leaner meat.In December, China announced it would lift its H1N1-related ban on U.S. pork, but it has not yet begun accepting imports.  Phil Seng, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, says China is simply using H1N1 as an excuse to halt imports while it increases its own pork production.
Brownfield Network

Feingold says ag can make more cuts
Senator Russ Feingold, a member of the Senate Budget Committee says while the President’s budget does make some attempts to rein in spending, we must do more. The Wisconsin Democrat says some of those cuts can be made in agriculture.He has proposed a cap on irrigation subsidies at 960 acres and/or $500,000 in gross income, he says that would save $4.4 billion over ten years.He proposes a reduction in crop insurance subsidies along with increasing the federal share of risk to 20 percent for a $2.1 billion savings over ten years.
Brownfield Network

USDA economist lays out climate change concerns
A USDA economist says agriculture can and should play a part in the climate change discussion. Jan Lewandrowski, with the agency’s Climate Change Program Office, says the climate is changing, however he says the consequences aren’t all bad for agriculture. It’s a mixed bag because, he says, the northern and eastern parts of the U.S. are in for longer growing seasons and adequate precipitation. However, he feels being part of climate change mitigation is the thing to do.
Brownfield Network

Fewer Than 1% of U.S. Farms Are Organic, USDA Says
Fewer than 1% of American farms are organic, and generated $3.16 billion in sales in 2008, the USDA found in its first in-depth survey of organic farming.The USDA said that it tallied 14,540 organic farms and ranches that were either certified by the USDA or exempt from those rules because their annual sales fell below $5,000.While organic products have been one of the hottest growing areas in the supermarket, the USDA survey found that they were still a tiny enterprise in the farm belt. In its 2007 agriculture census, the agency counted a total of 2.2 million U.S. farms of all types and sizes using 922 million acres of land.
The Wall Street Journal

Mixed reaction greets Obama's USDA budget proposals
The Obama administration found a bit of support across the aisle for part of its USDA budget proposals. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, said he wasn't sure he liked a proposal to lower the payment limit on direct payments from $40,000 to $30,000, but he's more inclined to support another idea, lowering eligibility for all farm program payments to individuals with adjusted gross income from farming of $500,000 or less. Currently the AGI cap is $750,000.Grassley told reporters that when it comes to lowering the cap on direct payments, "I haven't studied the impact of that. I think it could be a negative. But it's very much a positive on trying to tighten up payments to higher income people."
Agriculture O
nline

Renewable Energy

Wind farms creating blackout zones for aviation radar
Wind turbines may be seen by governments across the land as a power source for the future, but a group of Canadian engineers could hold the key to ensuring that the clean energy system doesn’t end up causing an aviation disaster. As wind farms sprout up around the world, but aviation specialists are raising concerns that the giant turbines create blackout zones for air traffic control radars.
Vancouver Sun

Microbes produce fuels directly from biomass
Researchers have developed a microbe that can produce an advanced biofuel fuel directly from biomass. Deploying the tools of synthetic biology, the researchers engineered a strain of E. coli bacteria to produce biodiesel and other important chemicals derived from fatty acids.
Science Daily

Could generating energy from waste be the answer?
Scientists are helping to find answers to one of the most difficult problems facing the world today: generating energy without accelerating climate change or harming food production. Researchers are investigating biofuels generated from wastes. These are seen by many as the 'green alternative' to using fossil fuels.
Science Daily

 Brazil Shortfall Affects Ethanol Production
It’s being reported that Brazil has failed to produce enough sugarcane to meet its own ethanol demand. As a result, Brazil will be forced to rollback its ethanol blend from E25 to E20. In response, Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis has stepped forward with a warning that U.S. public policy should not make America dependent on Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. He says "It makes no sense to become dependent on any foreign source of energy.
Hoosier Ag Today

Report: US will fail to meet biofuel goals
An administration task force on energy says the United States is not likely to meet a congressional mandate to produce more biofuels.
Capitol Press

Brazil, Royal Dutch Shell to make the largest investment in the history of biofuels,
The agreement is to establish a 50-50 Brazilian ethanol joint venture with Cosan which will own 4,500 retail stations, sugar, ethanol, fuel distribution and power generation, and the Shell aviation fuel distribution business. The companies said that they plan to increase the venture's ethanol production levels from 529 Mgy to 1323 Mgy, which would make the venture one of the top three ethanol producers in the world.
Bi0fuels Digest

Poet Files Lawsuit in California Lawsuit
CARB introduced that standard that could make it difficult for the U.S. industry to access what is a growing 1-billion-gallon ethanol market in California, as the LCFS classifies corn ethanol as a higher-carbon fuel.Many ethanol-producing states sell ethanol to the California market, and ethanol plants generally add value to the price of corn. In Nebraska, for example, the Nebraska Corn Board said that 27 percent of Nebraska ethanol is shipped to California. Poet LLC filed the lawsuit as a result of a public information request made with CARB in August 2009 by ethanol advocacy group Growth Energy.
DTN

Obama Administration reorganizes US biofuels policy, leadership, rules in sweeping change
The administration issued a sweeping new set of rules and directives regarding US biofuels policy, including the release of the revised Renewable Fuel Standard from EPA, and a new set of “Lead Agency” assignments to support first-generation biofuels while driving the development and commercialization of advanced fuels, with a forces on drop-in fuels for aviation and ground transportation.The announcement followed 14-page report from the Biofuels Policy Working Group — chaired by Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, Energy Secretary Chu, and EPA Administrator Jackson — that found that US biofuels targets for 2022 will not be met – as the 2010 cellulosic ethanol targets will not be met – unless the US government undertakes to re-organize its development effort.
Biofuels Digest

Senators oppose EPA on greenhouse gases
Farm organizations are welcoming the decisions of the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee to support a Senate resolution opposing EPA’s plan to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases through the Clean Air Act.A total of 138 commodity and agricultural organizations have signed a letter circulated by the National Cotton Council that endorsed a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., have agreed to cosponsor the Murkowski resolution and offered their support for legislation to block EPA’s attempt to regulate greenhouse gases under an endangerment ruling.
Delta Farm Press

Ethanol demand key to grain prices in 2010, U of I economist says
Demand for ethanol probably will be the deciding factor for prices and planting this spring, a University of Illinois farm economist said.Both corn and soybean prices have fallen in the last three weeks, since the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a larger corn harvest than expected in 2009 and in anticipation of a “monster” soybean crop in Brazil, said Darrel Good. “The challenge for some is going to be if they want to plant corn where they had corn last year,” Good said, noting that a wet spring and fall resulted in one of the latest harvests in decades last year.
The State Journal-Register(Springfield, Illinois)

Solutions to climate change: Using trees and grasses to capture carbon and produce energy
A unique research project in the UK is investigating how coppiced trees and grass crops can be used both to generate renewable energy and to trap carbon in the soil over the long term.
Science Daily

EPA rules ethanol green enough for fuel mandates
 The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday released its final rule for putting the 2007 energy law into effect. The EPA announcement, timed with a White House push for more energy independence, makes it clear that both corn ethanol and soy-based biodiesel will lower greenhouse gas emissions enough to be in the fuel mix as the nation ramps up to using 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022.The EPA's final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2) found that ethanol's carbon footprint is at least 20% lower than gasoline, a requirement of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. And soy-biodiesel meets the requirement of being 50% greener than diesel fuel.
Agriculture Online

More AgClips

click here to view this week's More Ag Clips story summaries

 
Spongiform brain diseases are caused by aberrant protein, new research shows
Better food makes high-latitude animals bigger
Research shows pigs may pass Hendra virus to humans
Phage Therapy May Reduce Salmonella Infection in Pigs
Pork better for sex than Viagra - Argentine leader
Environmental change impacts Oklahoma rivers
Horses Die, Jockeys Boycott and Owner Blames a Track
Saving Tiny Toads Without a Home
MO residents want more $ from Premium Standard
If experts cannot ID dog breeds, how can cities?
Tobacco plant-made therapeutic thwarts West Nile virus
Storm runoff and sewage treatment outflow contaminated with household pesticides
Genetic test for 'speed gene' in thoroughbred horses
Agriculture is bright spot in a bad economy
Missouri agriculture sees 2 percent drop in number of cattle and goats
Boll weevil nearly history
VA: I can’t drive … 70?
Monsanto targets resistant weeds with new herbicide
Missouri firm recalls beef on E.coli concerns
U.S. Debates Whether to Lift Ban on Scottish Haggis
Black farmers still seeking decade-old payment
Most of Florida declared agricultural disaster after January freeze

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