State commissioners of agriculture have added their voices to the critics of the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule. At their annual meeting last week, members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) unanimously called on EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the proposed rule. The action item, submitted by North Dakota Commissioner … Read More
Farm Foundation Forum on WOTUS Set for Sept. 17
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes public comment on their proposed “Waters of the United States” or WOTUS regulations, Farm Foundation is offering a forum on the issue. Next Wednesday, Sept. 17th from 9 am-11 am at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Farm Foundation hosts a free forum on how … Read More
House Votes to Stop WOTUS
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 262 to 152 Tuesday to override a proposed rule that would greatly expand regulation of waters in the United States. A parade of Congressional representatives from both parties spoke up for the bill that would stop the controversial rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clarify … Read More
EPA Official Talks WOTUS at FPS
Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks held an informal press availability at the Farm Progress Show on Wednesday to mainly talk about the proposed Waters of the United States rule. He stressed the point that has been made by other officials that the rule exempts all normal farming practices that are currently exempt. “If you did not need … Read More
New L Series Square Balers From John Deere
John Deere has just introduced new large square balers for the commercial hay equipment user. The models include the L330 and the L340 Square Balers. These large balers are designed to maximize performance, increase uptime, and lower the overall cost of operation for commercial hay equipment owners and operators. “We’ve been working for years to develop a large square baler … Read More
Updates On Corn, Water Quality from Bill Northey
During the Farm Progress Show this week, I caught up with Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey. I asked him what the corn crop was looking like in Iowa in particular, as Boone, Iowa is the host of this year’s Farm Progress. Northey said that for the most part, Iowa is going to have a great corn crop as well as … Read More
USDA Invests New Conservation Funds for Lake Erie
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating $2 million in conservation funds for Ohio to help implement conservation techniques designed to improve water quality. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made that announcement this week and said USDA is also partnering with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to expand “boots-on-the-ground” capacity in the area and will be contributing an additional … Read More
Delta Plastics Launches ‘H20 Initiative’ For Water Conservation
Delta Plastics of Arkansas, the world’s leading manufacturer of irrigation polytube, launched a regional initiative for water conservation that includes one very ambitious goal. The “Delta Plastics H20 Initiative” is a commitment to reduce irrigation water use within the Mississippi Delta by 20% by the year 2020. Standing with state, regional and national leaders in agriculture and conservation, Delta Plastics … Read More
Precision Part of Michigan Ag Water Quality Strategy
Michigan agricultural leaders held a conference call Thursday morning to discuss algae bloom issues and proactive water quality efforts being undertaken by producers in the state. “Michigan agriculture is proactive and part of the solution when it comes to water quality issues in the Western Basin of Lake Erie and surrounding areas,” said Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business … Read More
Forum for Sustainable Water Management
On Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., The Center for Food Integrity, in cooperation with the Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska, will host the Forum for Sustainable Water Management in Lincoln, Nebraska. Agriculture today consumes more than 70 percent of the world’s freshwater resources, the vast majority of which is used for irrigating crops. As … Read More