Tucked into the Senate budget bill are a host of provisions that help a broad array of industries and sectors, including energy, health care and education, through increased spending and tax credits. The Senate deal would raise strict spending caps on domestic and military spending in this fiscal year and the next by about $300 billion. [node:read-more:link]
The uproar following yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm’s recent Facebook video ad featuring elementary school-aged girls perpetuating GMO myths was widespread. Within hours, hundreds of consumers, farmers and scientists condemned the brand for spreading misinformation and fearmongering. Here’s what a company SHOULD do:Lead with science & facts.Don’t exploit consumer knowledge gaps. [node:read-more:link]
The Agriculture Division of DowDuPont announced the grand opening of the Bay Area Innovation Center (BAIC) in California, a newly expanded, state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) facility focused on agricultural biotechnology discovery, enabling technology development and leading-edge informatics. Consisting of 60,000 sq. ft. of laboratories, 13,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses and 25,000 sq. ft. of office space, the BAIC will be home to more than 100 highly skilled scientists dedicated to furthering innovation in agriculture. [node:read-more:link]
For some consumers, the mere act of shopping at the supermarket can be full of overwhelming decisions. After extended debate in the grocery aisle, after attempts to parse through the misleading packaging, you might end up choosing the organic tomatoes over the conventional ones. They’re twice the price, so they’ve got to be better, right? But it’s not so simple. Celebrities, anti-GMO groups, and food trends have spread misleading information and myths about the food we chose to eat every day. Do foods labeled “organic” actually make us healthier? Are they free of pesticides? [node:read-more:link]
A sign outside a Centreville, Va. farm has gone viral, after the family-owned business posted a photo of the message board, which reads "Resist White Supremacy." Cox Farms on Braddock Road normally uses their sign to featured produce advertisements, as well as witty words and aphorisms to visitors and passersby.In the continuing conversation on KKK and white supremacy, the farm owners say that the message is not political, but one as "concerned citizens of this country." [node:read-more:link]
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently took to the Senate floor to object to a unanimous consent agreement that would have allowed a confirmation vote on President Donald Trump’s choice to be USDA’s undersecretary for farm production and conservation, a critical post as Congress begins deliberations on the farm bill’s reauthorization. [node:read-more:link]
Almost two thirds of commercial farmers say the cost of health insurance poses the biggest threat to their livelihoods — bigger even than land costs or market pressures, according to a new study. Most farmers viewed insurance as a must-have in a dangerous occupation where a single accident could be catastrophic. [node:read-more:link]
The budget deal unveiled by congressional leaders late Wednesday would authorize more than $1 billion in spending on farm bill programs for dairy farmers and $3 billion for cotton growers over the next decade. The cost of making seed cotton eligible for commodity supports, including Price Loss Coverage, would mostly be offset by eliminating other programs in the farm bill that specifically benefit cotton. The dairy provisions, which would make changes to the Margin Protection Program — such as lowering premiums for small- and medium-sized producers — would not be offset, however. [node:read-more:link]
U.S. farmers are gearing up for another tough year. Farm incomes are expected to hit their lowest since 2006 and borrowing costs are rising, federal data show, as a deepening slump in the agricultural economy enters its fifth year.A string of bumper corn and soybean harvests has added to a glut of grain worldwide, eroding prices for U.S. farmers. Foreign rivals like Russia and Brazil are also chipping away at U.S. [node:read-more:link]
When Julie Alexander said “I do” 31 years ago to a dairy farmer, she had no idea the experiences they would have and the memories they would make on their Michigan operation, Na-Lar Farm. Forty years after the dairy farm started, she had no idea the response her thoughts on the family’s exit from the industry would garner on social media. Alexander posted, to her husband, Jeff’s, initial chagrin, her thoughts as the cattle trucks left their yard one last time and their days as a dairy family ended. [node:read-more:link]
