State regulators have filed criminal contempt of court charges against Oregon mega-dairy owner Greg te Velde, hoping to quickly close the dairy and stop it from continually violating environmental regulations. The state has asked a judge to issue remedial sanctions that would effectively shut down the dairy, called Lost Valley Farm, within 60 days. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 29 in Multnomah County Circuit Court. [node:read-more:link]

In cities we know how to keep houses from burning. We have to relearn that in areas where human developments mingle with forests. It will need to be a local task, not just a federal one.  So far, the 2018 fire season has produced a handful of big fires in California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado; conflagrations in Oklahoma and Kansas; and a fire bust in Alaska, along with garden-variety wildfires from Florida to Oregon. Some of those fires are in rural areas, some are in wildlands, and a few are in exurbs. [node:read-more:link]

When Massachusetts and Kentucky residents from politically polar-opposite regions met, it was “love at first sight.” Led by Paula Green, who has led “conflict transformation” efforts for decades in Bosnia, Rwanda and other trouble spots around the world, Hands Across the Hills has included more than a dozen hours of direct dialogue — last October in Leverett and then in April in Whitesburg, Ky. [node:read-more:link]

In the Trump administration’s trade war with China, American farmers are fast becoming the biggest losers. Farmers are enduring the worst cycle they’ve seen since the 1980s farm crisis: a multiyear slump in farm prices that has slashed net farm income by more than 50 percent since 2013. Increasingly, farmers are pinched by prices that are far below their cost of production, as well as rising input costs, growing debt, tightening credit conditions and much more. Every day on our 1-800 Farm Aid hotline, we hear from farmers struggling to make ends meet. They can't pay their electric bills. [node:read-more:link]

Some like Edge are being forced out of the dairy business. For others, the hard times are focusing new attention on strategies that go beyond just milking cows in big barns, such as making cheeses or switching to goats or sheep. ​And some farmers, pointing to a quota system of production in Canada that keeps milk prices more stable there​, say new policies might be the answer​. [node:read-more:link]

Amid Scott Pruitt's departure as administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency, biofuel interests are ramping up their calls for a course correction at the agency as it looks to set upcoming blending levels. Amid Scott Pruitt's departure as administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency, biofuel interests are ramping up their calls for a course correction at the agency as it looks to set upcoming blending levels. [node:read-more:link]

After widespread outrage in the news and on social media, the USDA has responded to reports that SNAP will not be available to use at many farmers markets. use of SNAP benefits at farmers markets has been increasing more and more each year. But the system used to actually process the payments is supported by a middleman between the USDA and the markets. Until recently, that middleman was the Famers Market Coalition, but the USDA recently awarded the contract to a new middleman. [node:read-more:link]

The House on Wednesday passed by voice vote a motion to proceed to conference on the farm bill, which is numbered HR 2 and titled the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The House also passed a Democratic motion to instruct conferees to insist on 10-year permanent funding for an animal vaccine program. The House bill has permanent funding, but the Senate bill has only an authorization for appropriations.That recorded vote was 392 to 20.House leadership also named House conferees on the farm bill Wednesday afternoon. The Senate must now also proceed to conference and appoint conferees. [node:read-more:link]

Automaker BMW says it will build more of its popular SUVs overseas to offset the higher cost of sending cars to China due to recently enacted tariffs. BMW also said it will raise the price of South Carolina-built vehicles sold in China to help offset that country's new 40 percent import tax on cars from the U.S., retaliation for higher tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by President Donald Trump.The dpa news agency reported that Munich-based BMW said Monday it is "not in a position to completely absorb the tariff increases." [node:read-more:link]

It's a tough time for dairy farmers with dropping milk prices and less consumption. They're scraping the barrel and for some, it's proven to be too much. We first reported on the dropping milk prices in March. Months later, things aren't any better. Dairy farmers are as broke as ever and now they're asking for help."I say we're worthless," said Betsy Musser, owner of Den Be Farm.Over 30 years in dairy farming and that's how she feels about her business. [node:read-more:link]