Sat.Dec 02, 2023 - Fri.Dec 08, 2023

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Flipped votes, new additions, and no shows — how the Senate rejected, then approved the fateful amendment that crashed Bill C-234

Real Agriculture

If getting a bill through Parliament can be compared to a car race, you could say Bill C-234 was on the final lap in the Senate and within sight of the checkered flag, before getting sideswiped by an amendment that leaves it missing parts, nowhere close to the finish line, and without a clear path.

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No, Virginia, correlation does not necessarily signify causation

Food Politics

On Thursdays I like posting things I want everyone to enjoy. This one, I stole from Tamar Haspel, who writes about food for the Washington Post. I follow her on X (the site formerly known as Twitter), where she recently posted: This could be my all-time favorite BMI correlation! In China and post-Soviet states, BMI correlates with corruption. The fatter, the crookeder.

Food 277
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Thriller at the Seed Vault

Agricultural Biodiversity

From the description of the just-released German-Norwegian TV series “Die Saat – Tödliche Macht” (English title: The Seed) on ARD (as translated by Google). Heino Ferch embarks on a dramatic search for missing persons as a police officer on a private foreign mission: in order to find his nephew, an environmental activist played by Jonathan Berlin, on the polar island of Spitsbergen, he pays no attention to his own life.

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Diving—and Dying—for Red Gold: The Human Cost of Honduran Lobster

Civil Eats

Próspero Bendles Marcelino was 15 when he began diving for spiny lobster in the Caribbean waters between Honduras and Nicaragua. That was in 1965, and if he caught an average of 10 pounds of lobster, he earned the equivalent of $30 in today’s terms. A member of the Indigenous Miskito community, he was born in rural Ahuás, Honduras, 29 miles from Puerto Lempira, the capital of the Gracias a Dios region, in the most remote and biodiverse part of the country.

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Bill C-234 on life support after Senate approves amendment in 40-39 vote

Real Agriculture

Bill C-234 is likely headed down a drawn-out path to its demise in the House of Commons after the Senate voted 40-39 in favour of an amendment to the bill that would have removed the federal carbon tax from natural gas and propane used on farms. Senators still have to vote on the revised version.

Farming 300
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Why I care about conflicts of interest

Food Politics

For years now I have been posting on Mondays something about conflicts of interest in nutrition research and practice on this site. My goal in doing so is to raise awareness of practices that give the nutrition profession the appearance of undue food industry influence at the expense of public health. Occasionally someone involved with something I post requests a correction or clarification.

Science 258
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Reasons to be cheerful

Agricultural Biodiversity

Just noticed I haven’t posted in over three weeks. Sorry about that. But there is a good reason: work. First there was the Global Crop Diversity Summit in Berlin. Then there was the 10th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Rome. The Summit communique was presented to delegates, who welcomed its call for more support to genebanks.

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More Trending

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How farm size and farmer age impact the likelihood of off-farm income

Real Agriculture

Off-farm income has been a contributor to farm households for decades, but in many ways the extent and role it plays in the farm business isn’t fully understood. In the October Canadian Farmer sentiment index conducted by RealAgristudies, we asked questions related to off-farm income in order to better understand the role it plays on.

Farming 296
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The COP-28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai—items

Food Politics

COP-28, the UN’s climate change conference is happening in Dubai, right now. I’m trying to make sense of it. For starters, the irony : A climate-change conference in an oil-rich state The head of the conference publicly states “ there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels.” Lots of people fly there in carbon-emitting private jets But food—the effects of agriculture on climate change (and vice versa) is on its agenda this year—a major big deal.

Food 235
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Eat this maize podcast

Agricultural Biodiversity

Jeremy’s latest podcast is out, and it’s a doozie. Plus it saves me adding it to the next Brainfood, which is coming soon, don’t worry people. Modern maize has long been a puzzle. Unlike other domesticated grasses, there didn’t seem to be any wild species that looked like the modern cereal and from which farmers could have selected better versions.

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Foodshed Cooperative Is Growing San Diego’s Small-Farm Economy

Civil Eats

After half their farm’s crops were wiped out by a devastating heat wave in 2018, Ellee Igoe and Hernan Cavazos, co-founders of Solidarity Farm, changed their practices with the explicit goal of adding more carbon to the soil, or “carbon farming.” The farm grows seasonal fruits and vegetables on 10 acres in the semi-arid, unincorporated area of Pauma Valley in central San Diego County, on land it rents from the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians; they partnered with the Luiseño to create a “carbon sin

Farming 144
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Sharing combine settings for better harvest results

Real Agriculture

What can farmers learn about combine settings from machines running in neighbouring fields or those harvesting wheat in fields over 8,000 miles away in Australia? Agriculture technology company Combine Settings is set to launch an app that will allow farmers to share combine settings on a peer-to-peer platform and give them access to settings they. Read More What can farmers learn about combine settings from machines running in neighbouring fields or those harvesting wheat in fields over 8,000 m

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Weekend reading: The Upstairs Delicatessen

Food Politics

Dwight Garner. The Upstairs Delicatessen: On Eating, Reading, Reading about Eating, & Eating While Reading. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2023. 244 pages. This book was given to me by my editor at Farrar Straus & Giroux (which is publishing the new edition of What to Eat in 2025). And what a fun read it is. For one thing, the title describes exactly how this book is constructed.

Food 173
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Nibbles: USDA germplasm plan, Millet CoP, Seed system resources, Kenyan sorghum Scottish crab apples, Heirloom maize, Yak cheese, Indian mangoes

Agricultural Biodiversity

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a new National Strategic Germplasm and Cultivar Collection Assessment and Utilization Plan. Quite the tour de force. Now to get it funded. Yes, there’s now a community of practice on millets. Joined! The Seed System Lab at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences has lots of interesting resources on its new website.

Maize 187
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Can I Grow Here? Helping Urban and Innovative Growers Navigate Local Policies

USDA Blog

When farming in urban environments, whether in-ground or using innovative production, one of the biggest challenges can be navigating local statutes, zoning, permitting and land use regulations. For growers, understanding legal access to land and water, as well as local policies is critical.

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CN signs agreement to acquire Iowa Northern Railway

Real Agriculture

CN has signed and closed an agreement to acquire Iowa Northern Railway, as of December 6. Iowa Northern operates approximately 275 track miles in Iowa connecting to CN’s U.S. rail network, serving the upper Midwest agricultural and industrial markets, including biofuels and grain. “This transaction represents a meaningful opportunity to support the growth of local.

Biofuel 287
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New livestock drug rules collide with rural vet shortages

Western FarmPress

As all medically important antibiotics transition to prescription only and rural veterinarian numbers dwindle, livestock producers are caught in the crossfire.

Ruralism 144
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Op-Ed | Climate and Nutrition Can No Longer Be Ships That Pass In the Night

Food Tank

In his poem, The Theologian’s Tale, the 19 th century American poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow popularized the second part of the title of this op-ed: “ships that pass in the night speak to each other in passing…only a look and a voice, then darkness again and silence.” With neither climate nor nutrition action scaling up fast enough, we cannot afford any more darkness and silence.

Food 141
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American Gothic: Farm Couple Nailed in Massive $9M Crop Insurance Fraud

AgWeb Farm Journal

American Gothic: Farm Couple Nailed in Massive $9M Crop Insurance Fraud apiuser Tue, 12/05/2023 - 07:44

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Ontario grain farming economic output valued at $27 billion

Real Agriculture

Grain farming in Ontario has a significant and growing economic impact in the province and across the country. That’s the conclusion of a recent study from business accounting firm MNP prepared for the Grain Farmers of Ontario. The study, titled: Economic Impact Analysis of Grain Farming in Ontario, found that the industry created $27 billion.

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From Infamy to Ingenuity – Bacterial Hijack Mechanisms as Advanced Genetic Tools

Agri-tech

Researchers have uncovered the intricate molecular mechanism used by parasitic phytoplasma bacteria, known for inducing ‘zombie-like’ effects in plants. This detailed revelation opens new horizons for groundbreaking applications in biotechnology and even in biomedicine. The team led by Professor Saskia Hogenhout at the John Innes Centre, in partnership with The Sainsbury Laboratory.

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CropX Acquires Australian digital irrigation management solutions provider

Food and Farming Technology

With offices in the US, the Netherlands, Israel, and New Zealand, CropX Technologies has announced its acquisition of Green Brain, a prominent digital irrigation management solutions provider based in

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Coalition Letter on President’s Export Council’s Agricultural Trade Proposal

NASDA

Letter Dear Members of The President’s Export Council, We are writing on behalf of the U.S. food and agriculture community to ask you to support this important President Export Council (PEC) proposal to bolster American agriculture’s global competitive standing around the world. Together, the proposal’s recommendations provide guidance for the Administration to expand export markets opportunities for U.S. food and agriculture, eliminate unwarranted non-tariff barriers, and reinforce global food

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First executive director named for new Indo-Pacific agriculture office

Real Agriculture

Diedrah Kelly has been named as executive director of Canada’s new Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO) in Manila, Philippines. The federal government is planning to open the physical office in the new year. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay told RealAgriculture last month that the office will open in or around February. The IPAAO is a $31.8.

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Another bill takes aim at California Prop 12

Western FarmPress

Hawley says farmers and consumers need law to prevent rising costs.

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Sabanto’s adds Trimble as key autonomous technology provider

Food and Farming Technology

Trimble and Sabanto have announced the integration of Trimble BX992 Dual Antenna GNSS receivers with Trimble CenterPoint® RTX into Sabanto's autonomous agricultural machinery solutions.

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Letter requesting an update to the Standard of Identity for yogurt

NASDA

Letter Dear Dr. Briczinski & Mr. McCue, The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) writes to you requesting and encouraging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) to work with yogurt manufacturers and others to update the language in the Standard of Identify for Yogurt (21 CFR Parts 130 and 131) and the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO).

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Beef Market Update: Price lags, sliding off the highs, and the disappearing cow herd

Real Agriculture

Fat cattle markets in the U.S. headed down this week, at $3-$4 lower in the south, reflecting a larger downward trend since price peaks hit in September, says Anne Wasko in this week’s edition of the Beef Market Update. Western Canadian action was pretty quiet this week, with not a pile of volume in terms. Read More Fat cattle markets in the U.S. headed down this week, at $3-$4 lower in the south, reflecting a larger downward trend since price peaks hit in September, says Anne Wasko in thi

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Western govs: Don’t change grazing policies

Western FarmPress

States say administration’s lack of collaboration erodes public’s trust.

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Guardian Agriculture becomes first eVTOL manufacturer to begin commercial operations in US

Food and Farming Technology

Guardian Agriculture, a leading developer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) systems for commercial-scale sustainable farming, today announced that it has become the first eVTOL manufac

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Op-Ed | Diving into the Deep End of Regenerative Agriculture

Food Tank

Embarking on the journey of regenerative agriculture is akin to slipping into a swimming pool. Initially, farmers and corporations alike wade into the shallow end, implementing relatively simple and inexpensive techniques such as cover cropping and minimal tillage to optimize for soil health and carbon sequestration. As we venture further into the pool, farmers may achieve increased biodiversity and water quality by incorporating more complicated strategies and Indigenous approaches like diversi

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Updated fruit and vegetable production guide available for download or order

Real Agriculture

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs has published its new Guide to Vegetable Production in Ontario – Publication 839. A replacement for Publication 363, the new guide includes updated crop production and fertility guidelines, pest activity calendars, crop development stages, and images and information of pests, diseases, and disorders.

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Are you ready for a run-up in cattle prices?

Western FarmPress

Beef Outlook: USDA’s January cow inventory numbers are likely to decline, creating opportunity for cattle producers with prices trending higher.

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2024 Land Value Influencers in Your Region

AgWeb Farm Journal

Peoples Company has released its fourth annual land values report with data broken into geographical regions across the U.S.

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Enjoy Stress-Free Holidays with Nutrition.gov’s New Healthy Resources

USDA Blog

December is a festive time of year with twinkling lights, fresh baked goods and meaningful get-togethers with our loved ones. However, planning menus that meet guests’ dietary restrictions, sticking within your holiday budget, and ensuring safe food practices, can be overwhelming. That’s why Nutrition.gov launched a Healthy Holidays webpage with resources so you can enjoy a stress-free holiday season.

Food 123
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Profitable Practices: Planting cover crops with PEI potato grower Andrew Lawless

Real Agriculture

Potato farmers on Prince Edward Island have increased their use of cover crops dramatically over the last five years. PEI farmers have been measuring the growth and impact of cover crops through participation in Living Lab — Atlantic, a four-year innovation project on the island that involves researchers and industry stakeholders. Living Lab data shows.

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Quail Forever brings value to underperforming acres

Western FarmPress

Conservation initiative increases biodiversity, enhances cotton’s sustainability reputation.

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