America’s food and agriculture sectors feed the economy and fuel the nation. Together, they account for roughly one-fifth of the country’s economic activity, supporting over 22 million jobs or nearly 15% of US employment. [node:read-more:link]

Minnesota livestock producers have until Dec. 15 to apply for grant money to help prevent wolf attacks. The deadline was extended three weeks due to a late harvest that kept farmers in the fields longer than average, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said.The Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants are a new program funded by the 2017 Minnesota Legislature with $240,000 available over the next two years. [node:read-more:link]

The risk of serious injury or death has always been a part of farming. But the nation’s growing embrace of small-scale production of local and organic crops is drawing more amateurs into the field, and inexperienced growers are increasingly getting maimed and even killed, often by old, unsafe machinery. [node:read-more:link]

 The head of the National Council of Farmer Cooperative is concerned about how tax law will treat a 17.4% tax deduction that could pass from cooperatives through to farmers but leave farmer cooperatives without the same financial benefit they now receive from the Section 199 Domestic Production Activities Deduction. Senate Republicans worked Tuesday to ensure passage of a $1.41 trillion tax-cut bill by seeking changes that would shore up the benefits to small businesses. [node:read-more:link]

As renewable energy prices drop, schools are saving millions, while teaching students about technology. Their solar capacity has nearly doubled in three years. The number of schools powered by solar is growing quickly. About 5 percent of all K-12 U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Despite a unanimous vote by a citizen’s air pollution board earlier this month, Virginia faces several hurdles, including possible court and legislative challenges, before it could join a regional carbon emissions trading network. [node:read-more:link]

In 2014, Stanley Sturgill traveled 1,300 miles from his home in Harlan County, Kentucky, to Denver, where the Environmental Protection Agency held one of four public hearings and 11 listening sessions on new rules to limit pollution from power plants. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today provided local food service professionals the flexibility they need to serve wholesome, nutritious, and tasty meals in schools across the nation. The new School Meal Flexibility Rule, published today, makes targeted changes to standards for meals provided under USDA’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, and asks customers to share their thoughts on those changes with the Department.The interim final rule published today gives schools the option to serve low-fat (1 percent) flavored milk. [node:read-more:link]

 new technique developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia can identify unwanted animal products in ground beef within minutes, the school announced in a news release. Using a laser-equipped spectrometer and statistical analysis, food science students led by professor Xiaonan Lu determined with 99 percent accuracy if ground beef samples contained other animal parts, and could say with 80 percent accuracy which animal parts were used and in what concentration.The new method can do so in less than 5 minutes. [node:read-more:link]

A dairy industry group announced reforms Monday after undercover videos at two Florida dairy farms showed cows being kicked, punched and beaten with metal bars. Southeast Milk Inc., which ships and markets milk for dairies in Florida and three other states, will work with members to introduce or enhance 24-hour video surveillance of dairy farm operations, the organization announced at a news conference at Zolfo Springs, in Hardee County.It will hold mandatory remedial training sessions for dairy owners and operators next month. [node:read-more:link]