Heritage Action for America and other fiscally conservative groups are calling on House members to demand major changes to commodity programs and crop insurance in the House Republican farm bill.  “The bill not only fails to make reforms to farm subsidies, but actually makes the subsidies even worse,” says the letter released Wednesday by 14 organizations. The letter could complicate the House GOP leadership’s attempt to win passage of the farm bill this month because of reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that the legislation includes. [node:read-more:link]

A worldwide catastrophe is underway among an extraordinary group of birds — the marathon migrants we know as shorebirds. Numbers of some species are falling so quickly that many biologists fear an imminent planet-wide wave of extinctions.These declines represent the No. 1 conservation crisis facing birds in the world today. Climate change, coastal development, the destruction of wetlands and hunting are all culprits. [node:read-more:link]

Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee dished up treats for the insurance and chemical industries, while handing empty bowls to millions of struggling Americans. [node:read-more:link]

Kansas farmland prices continue to march steadily downward, and there's little in the economic forecast to reverse the trend. "All of the numbers are pointing down, but it’s not falling off a cliff," Kansas State University farm management specialist Mykel Taylor said about near-term price movements in a press release. [node:read-more:link]

At Indiana-based Rose Acre's North Carolina farm, 3 million chickens produce about 2.3 million eggs every day, apparently under the watchful eye of a U.S. Department of Agriculture grader.That grader is supposed to be at the farm every day. Which raises a question: Why did it take an outbreak of salmonella, one that sickened 23 people in nine states, to alert officials to problems at the farm? A USDA spokeswoman acknowledged to IndyStar that a typical day for a grader involves checking a facility's equipment prior to that day's operation. [node:read-more:link]

The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act would allow meat and poultry products inspected by Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) approved state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines.Currently, there are 27 states with inspection programs "at least equal to" federal meat and/or poultry inspection programs. [node:read-more:link]

Minnesota's biodiesel industry will get a boost Tuesday when a new state fuel mandate takes effect. Starting May 1, the fuel most used by truckers, No. 2 diesel, must contain at least 20 percent biodiesel — double the current requirement.Biodiesel is mostly made from soybeans, but can also be made from waste products such as used cooking oil.Many petroleum companies and truckers oppose the new mandate, saying it will increase their business costs.Minnesota Trucking Association President John Hausladen said his group opposes the mandate, in part because the fuel can gel in cold weather. [node:read-more:link]

U.S. Food & Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said his agency is taking a “fresh look” at how to address the mislabeling of imitation dairy products, with misbranded plant products using terms such as “milk,” “yogurt,” “cheese” and “ice cream.” Gottlieb recently said FDA announced a request seeking additional information on the agency’s overall approach. In response to questions from Sen. [node:read-more:link]

This report shows a growing emphasis on animal welfare regulations. The priorities, state of the science, challenges, and approaches to addressing the topic have also evolved considerably. Increased collaboration has occurred between scientists and philosophers to address agricultural bioethics in an effort to facilitate conflict resolution. [node:read-more:link]

Dairy farmers use antibiotics to keep their herds healthy and production high. At the same time, these treatments threaten to harm public health through the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. While the quantitative impact of such antibiotics on humans is not completely understood, a new Cornell study has pinpointed the financial toll that eliminating antibiotic use would have on dairy farms, a finding that could help guide regulatory policy. [node:read-more:link]