Thursday, March 23, 2023

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A proposed flavored tobacco ban is back on the table in Minnesota, Trump attorney Evan Corcoran must testify in the documents probe, and a "clean slate" bill in Missouri would make "expungement" automatic.

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The Fed raises interest rates and reassures the banking system is sound, Norfolk Southern reaffirms a commitment to the people of East Palestine, and TikTok creators gather at the Capitol to support free expression.

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Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

Sustainable Agriculture

The most recent Farm Bill covered areas such as agricultural conservation, trade and foreign food assistance, farm credit and research. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Ag Research Community Urges Congress to Avoid Farm Bill Delays

The U.S. Farm Bill is up for reauthorization, and Congress faces calls to avoid any delays so certain programs can keep helping farmers and consumers …

Beyond improving soil and farm animal health, agriculture researchers say managed grazing also provides good habitat for pollinators and wildlife. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

WI Farmers Hope Grazing Funds Aren't Put Out to Pasture

Congress has been holding hearings on the next Farm Bill, which has major implications for the nation's food system. It also shapes conservation …


Black farmers ran 14% of all U.S. farms in 1920 and 1.6% in 2017. The Inflation Reduction Act includes more than $2 billion for farmers and ranchers who can show they have been discriminated against in USDA lending programs. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Conservation Funding for Smaller Farms Needed in Farm Bill

The U.S. Department of Agriculture touts its conservation programs for farmers, but a new study from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy …

Beekeepers are positioning hives adjacent to fields planted in clover and grasses, which grow better in the shadow of solar panels than traditional row crops. (Photo courtesy Joel Fassbinder)
Dual-Use Solar Means Healthier IA Honeybees

Farmers, ranchers and livestock producers are working with solar companies in Iowa to find multiple uses for land once used only to plant corn and …


Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time, including during the growing season, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock)
Interior Invests $120 Million in Midwest 'Prairie Potholes'

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Interior Department has announced it is investing $120 million to restore and rebuild key segments of …

Mexico and Canada are the largest importers of meat into the United States, but other countries such as Brazil, Australia and Japan sell significant amounts of beef, pork and lamb here as well. (Simone van den Berg/Adobe Stock)
Proposed USDA Rule Change Would Limit Use of 'Product of USA' Labels

A proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would change the rules on what foods can be labeled "Product of USA." Current regulations allow …


Country Natural Beef ranchers are in nine western states covering more than 6.5 million acres of land.  (Patrick Jennings/Adobe Stock)
Collaboration Grows 'Regenerative Ranching' Program in Northwest

By Caroline Tracey for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Deborah Van Fleet for Missouri News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

Mexico and Canada are the largest importers of meat into the United States, but other countries such as Brazil, Australia and Japan sell significant amounts of beef, pork and lamb here, as well. (Grecaud Paul/Adobe Stock)
USDA Proposes New Rules on Who Can Use 'Product of USA' Labels

A proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would change the rules on what foods can be labeled "Product of USA." Current regulations allow …


Colorado's SNAP Outreach program helped bring $47 million in federal funding to Colorado's grocery stores, generating more than $71 million in overall economic activity.<br />(InputUX Adobe Stock)
SNAP Benefits Drop as Food Prices Soar

As the cost of groceries continues to soar, SNAP benefits boosted to help families during the pandemic are back to pre-COVID levels. Even with …

Jeff Duling walks in one of his corn fields in the summer of 2022. Duling, who lives in Putnam County southwest of Toledo, enrolled 134 newly acquired acres in Cargill's RegenConnect carbon sequestration program. (NewsLab photo by Baylee Sweitzer)
Ohio Farmers Try Out Early Carbon Sequestration Programs

By Baylee Sweitzer for Kent State News Lab.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration…


Hogs and other livestock are used in what's known as
Solar-Powered Mobile Barn Transforms Traditional Agriculture

By Twilight Greenaway for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News …

Kris Swartz, a farmer in Wood County, Ohio, says he's seeing more rain and hotter temperatures than he did 30 years ago when he started farming. (NewsLab photo by Baylee Sweitzer)
Climate Change Challenges Ohio Farmers

By Baylee Sweitzer for Kent State News Lab.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration…


 

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