Among the many issues on the ballot this November, Missourians will vote on whether to renew the state’s tenth-of-a-cent parks, soils and water sales tax.  The sales tax was first approved in 1984 and reapproved by voters in 1988, 1996 and 2006. It is currently set up to have a renewal vote every 10 years. The tax splits its revenues 50-50, with half going to fund the state’s parks and half going to fund the Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Program, which provides cost-share money for conservation practices implemented by landowners. [node:read-more:link]

The FAA said Monday there will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them. The rules governing the operation of small commercial drones were designed to protect safety without stifling innovation, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said at a Washington D.C. [node:read-more:link]

Three years ago,Joshua Morgenthau found himself facing a situation that is every farmer’s nightmare.  It was time to prepare his 100-acre fruit and vegetable farm’s cherries and strawberries for harvest, but the workers he’d hired for the job weren’t there to help. His employees were many miles away in Jamaica, waiting for the green light to enter the U.S. and get to work. Without enough hands to weed and prune the delicate crop, Morgenthau’s berries were at risk of rotting on the vine. [node:read-more:link]

Accounts receivable at farm supply cooperatives and other agricultural retailers are growing, and so are their challenges, according to a new report from CoBank. After an extended run of impressive financial performances, retailers are adjusting to a tougher economic environment accompanying the downward phase of the current agricultural commodity cycle.   Current headwinds are directly related to a sharp decline in commodity prices that has reduced farm income and tightened farm cash flows. [node:read-more:link]

A planned $90 million sorghum processing facility will provide farmers in the region a new rotation crop that fetches a stable price every year.  The facility, Treasure Valley Renewables, will also use waste from dairies and other agricultural sources.  “This is an absolutely great project for this area,” said Neill Goodfellow, director of Agrienergy Producers Association, a 25-farmer cooperative that will grow the sorghum used by the facility. [node:read-more:link]

Washington wildlife managers have killed four more wolves in the Profanity Peak pack, bringing the total to six as the Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks to eliminate the entire pack from Ferry County. [node:read-more:link]

Washington state has suspended selling fishing and hunting licenses because hackers have gained access to personal information stored by the company that sells licenses online, according to officials.  The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, which also contracts with ACTIVE Network, has suspended online sales. [node:read-more:link]

California lawmakers voted to extend the state’s landmark climate change law — the most aggressive in the nation — by another 10 years, resisting fierce opposition from oil companies and other business interests to keep the program alive at least through 2030.  Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, a strong advocate of the state’s climate initiatives, has said he’ll sign the bill when it comes to his desk. [node:read-more:link]

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton issued Executive Order 16-07, requiring the state to take specific actions to reverse the decline of bees and other pollinator populations that play a crucial role in agriculture and food production. [node:read-more:link]