Nebraska farmers and fertilizer dealers are working together with members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation to fix a misguided regulatory proposal by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) related to the storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. “The regulatory proposal was initiated under a false premise, is unnecessary, and will cost Nebraska cooperatives and Nebraska farmers millions of dollars collectively,” said Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson. [node:read-more:link]

It’s no secret that some animal rights activists are so passionate about their beliefs that people shouldn’t eat meat that they will try just about any avenue to try to convince others to adopt their way of thinking. [node:read-more:link]

Farm sector credit conditions continued to deteriorate according to respondents of the Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions. Bankers noted that poor cash flow prevented many borrowers from paying off loans from the previous year, causing them to carry outstanding debt into the first quarter (Chart 1). The share of farm borrowers in the Tenth District with more carry-over debt than a year earlier increased from 18 percent in 2015 to 29 percent in the last quarter. [node:read-more:link]

For the first time since 2003, U.S. lamb and lamb products have regained access to Taiwan, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. U.S. lamb lost access to several key markets, including Taiwan, following the first U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in December 2003. The market closures were due to concerns related to scrapie, a disease similar to BSE. Asian markets that remain closed to U.S. lamb include Japan and South Korea. [node:read-more:link]

A poultry processing firm that also happens to be the only USDA-inspected poultry operation in Maine hopes to expand the operation to handle 6,000 birds per week using grant funds. Wilson hopes to boost production to 6,000 birds per week during the busy summer season, but said he is hampered by a lack of enough trained workers, according to the report. Common Wealth Poultry is seeking $100,000 from the state program for employee training. [node:read-more:link]

Farmers who run pumpkin patches, corn mazes and petting zoos say they can’t always stop an aggressive goat from chomping down on a visitor’s hand or prevent someone from stumbling in a field.

That’s why Ohio lawmakers have signed off on legislation shielding farmers with agritourism businesses from being sued when accidents happen.

Supporters of the measure expected to become law once it’s signed by the governor say it’s an acknowledgement that running a business that brings people onto a working farm poses risks not found in most places. [node:read-more:link]

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple has proclaimed this week Animal Agriculture Awareness Week in the state.  Officials say animal agriculture in North Dakota generates about $2.6 billion in revenues, with an economic impact of more than $12 billion. [node:read-more:link]

Approximately $879 million was spent on the 2014-2015 HPAI outbreak and Fall planning activities according to data from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This is equivalent to 1.82% of the total poultry production value, including egg values (USDA-NASS, 2014). [node:read-more:link]

If you thought the $740 million of money this year was going to be used to strictly buy conservation lands, you will be surprised.  State Representative Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, says they went to the Florida Supreme Court to clarify.   "Now if somebody misinterprets what was in Amendment 1, I would encourage them to read the amendment or read what was in the Supreme Court opinion. I think it will become very clear to them." [node:read-more:link]

The Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Thursday announced farm debt in the Midwest is increasing. In the first quarter of 2016, the bank says loan demand continued to rise, repayment rates continued to weaken, and almost all district bankers under the KC Fed Bank reported that farm income declined. The Bank released its Ag Credit Survey, which says that, although cash rents declined modestly, production costs have remained high and many producers reduced both capital and household spending to cut costs. [node:read-more:link]