Climate Smart Ag Grant Applications

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation is announcing that it is now accepting applications for Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance grants.  This effort supports climate-smart agriculture incentive grant programs which include: the Alternative Manure Management Program, Healthy Soils Program, and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program. The application…MORE

Biden Offers Alternative Student Debt Relief Plan That Would Remove Immediate Threat of Default

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden vowed Friday to push ahead with a new plan to provide student loan relief for millions of borrowers while blaming Republican “hypocrisy” for triggering the day’s Supreme Court decision that wiped out his original plan. Biden said payment requirements for student loans would resume in coming weeks, but that he would work…MORE

Milk Labeling Concerns

The National Milk Producers Federation sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration regarding a lab-produced product that the federation calls fake “milk.” A company called Bored Cow based in New York, calls its product milk, which the U.S. dairy industry says is completely false. “They take water and add what we believe to…MORE

Lawmakers Want To Improve Freight Rail Service

Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate have reintroduced the Reliable Rail Service Act. The legislation seeks to help address the unreliable service and high costs of rail shipping for American businesses. Supported by members of the agriculture industry, labor organizations, energy producers, and manufacturers, the bill ensures the largest freight railroads provide American businesses reliable services…MORE

Summer Barbecue Down Slightly From 10-Year High

Celebrating the 4th of July with a barbecue will cost significantly more than two years ago, although prices have fallen slightly from record highs in 2022. Families will pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with ten family members or friends, based on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey. The $67.73 grocery…MORE

USDA Approves Lab-Grown Chicken

The USDA gave two startup California companies the go-ahead to sell lab-grown chicken. GOOD Meat, a subsidiary of food tech company Eat Just, Inc., and UPSIDE Foods will be allowed to sell their products that have been cultivated from real animal cells. Investopedia says chicken from GOOD Meat and UPSIDE has been declared safe to…MORE

‘Operation Gold Star’ Nets 34 Arrests in Tulare Co.

Over the weekend, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office organized “Operation Gold Star”, a multi-agency gang detail. The focus of the operation was to conduct probation and parole compliance checks, and arrest warrant services throughout the county to prevent gang violence in and around Tulare County as summer begins. Detectives conducted 47 probation checks, 57 parole…MORE

Five Benefits of Modern Dairy Practices

Dairy is an important part of the diets of millions of Americans. The average person consumes about 276 pounds of dairy in a year. However, despite its positive impact, a significant portion of the population often misunderstands dairy. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Dairy Leadership Group put together the top five benefits of modern dairy.…MORE