The USDA is expanding insurance coverage options for specialty crops and other actual production history crop programs. Through the Risk Management Agency, it will expand the availability of enterprise units to crops where they were previously not available, giving agriculture producers greater options to manage risk. An enterprise unit allows a producer to insure all…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Farm Bill Doubtful to Override California’s Prop 12
Farmers and ranchers are slightly more optimistic that Congress will get a new farm bill passed this year. However, Successful Farming says they don’t think the farm bill will get used to overturn California’s Prop 12 animal welfare law. The pork industry is looking for a legislative way to override the requirement after losing a…… MORE
Farmer Outlook Rebounds on Future Optimism
Purdue University/CME Group’s Ag Economy Barometer Index rose 17 points in June to a reading of 121. The upswing in farmer sentiment was driven by producers’ more optimistic view of the future. However, their perception of current conditions remained unchanged from May. The Index of Future Expectations rose 25 points to 123, while the Index…… MORE
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
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
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
Concerns Remain at West Coast Ports
Agricultural exporters are paying close attention to contract negotiations at the nation’s West Coast ports. The Pacific Maritime Association is accusing workers of deliberately slowing down operations. The union says that’s not happening. The association says terminal operations at the Port of Seattle halted over the weekend. Capital Press reports International Longshore and Warehouse Union…… MORE
