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News archives

Friday, November 30, 2007

Farm areas to stay as Polk City grows
A new ordinance for agricultural zoning districts has been adopted by the Polk City City Council in anticipation of voluntary annexation of land currently outside the city limits. The Polk City City Council approved the third and final reading of the ordinance at its meeting Monday. No comments f... Continued...

Study Details How U.S. Could Cut 28% of Greenhouse Gases
The United States could shave as much as 28 percent off the amount of greenhouse gases it emits at fairly modest cost and with only small technology innovations, according to a new report. A large share of the reductions could come from steps that would more than pay for themselves in lower energ... Continued...

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Limited Biofuel Feedstock Supply?
The United States has embarked on an ambitious program to develop technology and infrastructure to economically and sustainably produce ethanol from biomass. Corn stover, the above-ground material left in fields after corn grain harvest, has been identified as a primary feedstock. Stover and other c... Continued...

Federal judge turns back North Dakota farmers' effort to grow hemp
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two North Dakota farmers seeking to end the federal government's ban on commercial hemp farming, saying that the issue needs to be addressed by Congress. The ruling came down Wednesday in a 22-page decision from Judge Daniel Hovland, who sits on the U.S. ... Continued...

S.D.-based VeraSun acquires Minnesota-based US BioEnergy as ethanol industry consolidates
VeraSun Energy Corp.'s deal Thursday to acquire US BioEnergy Corp. is likely to be the first step toward consolidation in an industry that has seen its profits squeezed by high corn costs and low ethanol prices. VeraSun's all-stock acquisition of its smaller competitor will boost its annual prod... Continued...

New energy bill pushes biofuel use
Washington, D.C. - Congressional Democrats are negotiating a new energy bill that would require higher use of ethanol and biodiesel, ensuring a growing market for the two crop-derived fuels. Details of the legislation were still being worked out Wednesday, but a proposal under discussion would re... Continued...

State asked to pay to fight manure odors
A state task force Wednesday recommended that the Iowa General Assembly enact a $22.8 million plan to pay livestock operators willing to fight manure odors voluntarily. The proposal came from an unusual alliance of Iowa's top agricultural and environmental officials, including Iowa State Universi... Continued...

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

U.N. Warns of Climate-Related Setbacks
A new United Nations report warns that progress toward prosperity in the world’s poorest regions will be reversed unless rich countries promptly begin curbing emissions linked to global warming while also helping poorer ones leapfrog to energy sources that pollute less than coal and oil. The wor... Continued...

Pennsylvania dairy label rule shelved
A controversial decision by the state Department of Agriculture concerning dairy labeling is under review after facing strong public backlash. Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff announced last month that the department would crack down on what it viewed as misleading labels on dairy products, inc... Continued...

USDA PROPOSES NATURALLY RAISED MARKETING CLAIM STANDARD
AMS NEWS RELEASE AMS No. 241-07 Billy Cox (202) 720-8998 billy.cox@usda.gov Jimmie Turner (202) 720-6179 jimmie.turner@usda.gov USDA PROPOSES NATURALLY RAISED MARKETING CLAIM STANDARD WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2007 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on a proposed volunt... Continued...

Cattlemen’s association challenges packer ban opponents on Farm Bill
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association called on opponents of a provision in the U.S. Senate’s version of the 2007 Farm Bill that would limit packer ownership of livestock to halt misrepresentation of the facts and engage in debate that will result in meaningful reform. Allan Sents, U.S. Cattlemen’s A... Continued...

Sodsaver bill falling short in Congress
When I was growing up, the oldest of three boys and one girl, I often felt my dad set higher standards for me than for my siblings. In fact, he did, and told me why. "You're the oldest, and I expect you to set a good example for them," he said. That philosophy easily transcends into almost any... Continued...

S.C. farmers face growing list of problems, ag forum is told
All sorts of problems have sprouted up for South Carolina farmers. Growers are selling their food in a globalizing economy, forcing them to compete with cheaper products, such shrimp raised in Asia. Also, transportation costs have cut into their profits, to say nothing of climate change that mig... Continued...

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Richardson: Bush Should Sign Farm Bill
Rather than threaten a veto, President Bush should support and sign the U.S. Senate version of the farm bill, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, said Tuesday. Speaking to about 70 people Tuesday afternoon in a machine shed, Richardson offered up his blueprint f... Continued...

Senate Closer to Limiting Amendments to Farm Bill
According to Senate aids, an agreement has almost been reached by Senate leaders to limit the number of amendments allowed on the 2007 Farm Bill. The proposed deal would give Democrats five amendments and Republicans 10, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has agreed to allow a few non-ge... Continued...

Conrad asks farm groups to pressure recalcitrant senators
Senate Agriculture Committee leaders are urging farmers to contact their organizations and ask them to pressure senators to stop delaying consideration of the committee-passed version of the 2007 farm bill. The Senate officially began debate on the committee farm bill on Nov. 5 but so far has hel... Continued...

Round 2 for Biotech Beets
Each growing season, like many other sugar beet farmers bedeviled by weeds, Robert Green repeatedly and painstakingly applies herbicides in a process he compares to treating cancer with chemotherapy. ''You give small doses of products that might harm the crop, but it harms the weeds a little mor... Continued...

Monday, November 26, 2007

Virtual school, literal learning
When sixth-grader Jaden Weisenberger finishes his homework, he puts it in his teacher's tray for completed assignments, just like many other students. The only difference is that Jaden's teacher is his mother, and her tray is in her bedroom. Jaden is a student of the Wyoming Virtual School, a ... Continued...

Senate Leaders Near Deal to Limit Farm Bill Amendments
Senate leaders are zeroing in on a deal to limit amendments to the 2007 farm bill, meaning the measure could be back on the floor as early as next week, aides said Monday. Democrats would be able to offer at least five amendments to the legislation, and Republicans would be given time for 10 amen... Continued...

Politics gnaw at catchall farm bill
A round of political gamesmanship before the Thanksgiving recess derailed the Senate's proposed $288 billion farm bill, leading to predictions that the five-year legislation could be delayed or fears that it might even have died. Worried about the bill's cost and apparently seeking election-year... Continued...