Canada has not included the United States in an upcoming meeting aimed at saving the international trading system because it doesn’t share the views of the 13 invited countries, says the new Canadian trade minister. Canada will host senior ministers from 13 “like-minded” countries for a two-day discussion in Ottawa later this month to brainstorm ways to reform the World Trade Organization, said Jim Carr, Canada’s newly appointed international trade diversification minister. [node:read-more:link]

Iowa-based land brokerage firm Peoples Company, offering management, investment and appraisal services in 20 states, is partnering with Stine Seed, the largest independent corn and soybean seed company, and one of the most-recognized corn and soybean seed brands, to offer land owners a “paid-in-full, managed cover crops program.” According to a press release announcing the cover crop partnership program, the initiative will demonstrate to land owners that it’s possible to simultaneously protect environmentally sensitive acres, maximize yield on the productive acres and improve overall retur [node:read-more:link]

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced that its Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Milk Cooler Grants are now available. The MDA will award up to $22,500 to eligible institutions to increase the use of Minnesota dairy by adding milk coolers to their nutrition programs. “Our goal is to invest in schools and early care and education organizations so they can buy and serve more Minnesota dairy,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson. “Dairy is a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin D. [node:read-more:link]

U.S. dairy farmers remain hopeful that a new trade deal with Canada could help lift them out of a deep slump, but some are casting doubt that it will make much of a difference in an American market flooded with milk. The deal, announced Monday by President Donald Trump, is “more of the same,” except it hurts Canadian farmers, said Jim Goodman, a Wisconsin dairy farmer and president of the National Family Farm Coalition.“Canadian family farms will go out of business, and Canadian dairy farmers will see their incomes fall due to increased U.S. imports. [node:read-more:link]

Millions of 4-H students, parents, and volunteers will celebrate the 76th consecutive National 4-H Week. The festivities run from Oct. 7 through 13; you can find the 4-H youth and alumni sharing the theme, Inspire Kids to Do. This year’s theme hopes to inspire the youth to take advantage of opportunities, empower them with the skills they need to succeed in life and their future career. 4-H gives today’s youth the tools to pursue their passion while creating their own course. [node:read-more:link]

Livestock operations in Illinois are environmentally sustainable economic engines that keep young people from fleeing the state. [node:read-more:link]

The latest trade deal allowing more U.S. milk to pour into Canada has sparked a rallying cry to buy Canadian dairy. The message comes not only from dairy farmers upset over losing market share but also from many Canadian consumers pledging their support on social media."My heart hurts for the local industry," said software engineer Erum Tanvir in Winnipeg. Last week, she posted a Facebook message to buy Canadian milk.Tanvir says she'll choose Canadian over U.S. dairy products — even if they're more expensive. [node:read-more:link]

The prospect of a fresh trial that could overturn $250 million damages against Bayer’s Monsanto unit lifted the German company’s shares, after an August ruling that it failed to warn users of the alleged cancer risks of its weedkillers.The original verdict wiped 10 percent off the value of the company and marked the first such decision against Monsanto and its glyphosate-containing weedkillers Roundup and Ranger Pro.Bayer, which bought Monsanto this year for $63 billion, faces more than 8,000 similar lawsuits in the United States. [node:read-more:link]

Little progress has been made over the past month cleaning up an environmental mess at Oregon’s second-largest dairy. In fact, manure lagoons are fuller than they previously were and continue to overflow, the Oregon Department Justice told a Multnomah County judge Friday.“As of today there are still some pretty serious concerns,” state lawyer Nina Englander said.On Aug. [node:read-more:link]

The American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Chief Economist Matthew J. Salois, PhD, calls for nuanced and evidence-based antibiotic policies that consider a holistic view of antibiotics' impacts on animal welfare, the environment and economics. In recent years, some companies and consumers have embraced raising animals without antibiotics. Today, nearly half of all broiler chickens are raised without antibiotics.While many consumers have hailed these changes, Dr. [node:read-more:link]