Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will be investing $3 million in Iowa’s wetlands. The funds will be used to purchase and restore wetlands and associated tall grass prairie uplands, nearly doubling the protected wetlands in the state. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement at the Des Moines Botanical Garden as part of an event focusing on USDA conservation work … Read More
Court Ruling Suspends WOTUS
A new ruling issued today by a federal appeals court places a nationwide stay on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Rule, better known as Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). The court agreed with petitioners that the treatment in the rule of tributaries, “adjacent waters,” and waters having a “significant nexus” to navigable waters is at odds with a previous … Read More
Corn Growers Call for Uniform Labeling
Representatives of the National Corn Growers Association were on Capitol Hill this week to support a uniform national labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms. The fly-in, organized by the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, included 125 representatives from the entirety of the nation’s food supply chain, from farmers to food companies. Farmers and state staffers from the … Read More
New EPA Farm Worker Standards and Industry React
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Monday released updated farm worker standards to provide health protections under the law similar to those already afforded to workers in other industries. “We depend on farmworkers every day to help put the food we eat on America’s dinner tables—and they deserve fair, equitable working standards with strong health and safety protections,” said EPA Administrator … Read More
NCGA Bids Speaker Boehner Farewell
Following the announcements of the House Speaker John Boehner’s retirement, the National Corn Growers Association President, Chip Bowling, has released a statement thanking him for his working in agriculture. “We are grateful for Speaker Boehner’s leadership in so many areas, including service on the House Agriculture Committee, and his work for a more transparent and productive Congress,” Bowling writes. The … Read More
Senators Urge Obama to Push Biotech in China
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), both members of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee, along with 42 other senators, have sent a letter to President Obama. This letter asks Obama to address the concerns of Chinese delay in accepting U.S. biotech while President Xi is in Washington D.C. “To reinvigorate last year’s progress, we ask that … Read More
Rep. @RodneyDavis Visits #FarmProgressShow
Farm Progress Show is in the Congressional district of Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) and he stopped by the media tent to chat when he visited the show last week. “I’m blessed enough to represent Decatur and host this event every two years,” said Davis. “You got billions of dollars of equipment sitting out here. It really shows what agribusiness and … Read More
1,800 Farmers Commit $3.5 Million to Water Quality
Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Ag, has announced that $3.5 million in cost share funds have been obligated to 1,800 farmers in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. The funds come from the Iowa Water Quality Initiative, which was established in 2013 to address the problem of reducing nitrogen and phosphorous in the water. Practices that were eligible for this program are; cover … Read More
Senate Yet to Deal with WOTUS & GMO Labeling
Two hot button issues Senate has yet to tackle include GMO labeling bill and the final ruling on Water of the United States (WOTUS). At the Missouri State Fair’s legislator day policy makers spoke on these issues that have a huge impact on agriculture across the country. Missouri Senator Roy Blunt says we really need to look at science enhancement … Read More
Lawmakers Ask FDA to Help Farmers with FSMA
Senator Chris Murphy and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, both Democrats from Connecticut, this week joined with 12 other members of Congress in calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement programs to help family farmers and ranchers comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In letters to FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff, the lawmakers stressed the importance … Read More