Sat.Jul 27, 2024 - Fri.Aug 02, 2024

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Proposed U.S. tariff scheme would be “catastrophic” to Canadian beef industry

Real Agriculture

No matter who wins the next U.S. presidential election, the Canadian beef industry wants Canada to be prepared for what is likely to be a challenging political landscape. Nathan Phinney, president of Canadian Cattle Association, says that one point that was made clear during the latest Federal-provincial-territorial meeting at Whitehorse, Yukon, was that the trade relationship.

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Raw Milk: The Safety Issues Continue

Food Politics

The latest outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella in raw milk means it’s time to talk about that again. To start: Raw Milk Is Booming. A Salmonella Outbreak Highlights Its Risks: At least 171 people have been sickened in an outbreak linked to Raw Farm milk. Experts say that number could be far higher. “Sales of unpasteurized milk, which has not been heated to a temperature that would kill potentially harmful bacteria, are illegal or heavily restricted in nearly two dozen states.

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Ag Transportation Working Group Letter

NASDA

Letter Dear Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary and Madam Ambassador: On behalf of the agricultural supply chain, we wish to call attention to rail service capacity issues in Mexico that are hindering U.S. agricultural trade with this critical partner. Partly due to the success of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), trade between the United States and Mexico is increasing faster than rail capacity in Mexico.

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UC system president Michael Drake announces plans to step down

Berkeley Blog

Drake assumed the role of president at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic The post UC system president Michael Drake announces plans to step down appeared first on Berkeley News.

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Corn School: Think strategically about dandelion control

Real Agriculture

After a mild winter, many growers and agronomists had to tackle some very large dandelions during the 2024 growing season. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farming and Agribusiness weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough shares best practices to control the pesky perennial broadleaf weed. “First of all, it’s always.

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Industry-funded study of the week: meat protein is better than plant protein

Food Politics

This one was sent to me by a reader: Animal vs. Plant Protein: New Research Suggests That These Protein Sources Are Not Nutritionally Equivalent: Scientists found that two-ounce-equivalents (oz-eq) of animal-based protein foods provide greater essential amino acids (EAA) bioavailability than the same quantity of plant-based protein foods. The study challenges the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) which suggest these protein sources are nutritionally equivalent.

Food 209
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1890 Scholar Helps Others Recover from Natural Disasters as Loan Specialist with USDA Rural Development

USDA Blog

Dominique Smith recently graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences with a concentration in agribusiness. She recently accepted a permanent position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and credits her experience in the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program in helping her secure the position.

More Trending

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“Amazing Race” episode flagged for poor portrayal of grain safety

Real Agriculture

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) says it is concerned about the optics surrounding grain safety in the newest episode of CTV’s “Amazing Race Canada.” In the fifth episode of season 10, released July 30th, the reality show’s contestants visit Avena Foods in Regina, Sask. where they are required to dig through grain hopper trailers.

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Ashwagandha: an update

Food Politics

I am indebted to NutraIngredients-Europe for this collection of articles on the trendy herbal supplement, ashwagandha. Ashwaganda is one of those supplements said to do wonders for stress and anxiety (of which we all have lots these days) and sleep (also a common problem). The Ashwagandha plant is native to India, northern Africa, and the Middle East—but is now grown around the world.

Food 194
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On The Ground With Groups Creating Wildlife Corridors

Modern Farmer

We are in the midst of the earth’s sixth extinction crisis , with one in five migratory species at risk of extinction. Much of the erosion and even extinction of species is caused by shrinking ranges, habitat loss and fragmentation caused by human development , urban and suburban sprawl, and irresponsible agricultural activity. If you live anywhere in or near suburban or urban America, chances are you have personally encountered—or at least heard about—sightings of carnivorous mammals such as c

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Your ultimate guide to the 100+ UC athletes set to shine at the Paris Olympics

Berkeley Blog

103 UC athletes, supported by 13 UC-affiliated coaches and staff, will be going for gold in the Summer Games, competing in 27 sports and representing 31 different nations and five UC campuses.

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Alberta’s government announces changes to AFSC’s Next Generation Loan program

Real Agriculture

Over the past 20 years, the number of young and middle-aged producers in agriculture has seen steep declines, while the number of farmers over 55 has increased. Alberta hopes to reverse that trend and it’s starting with changes to Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC)’s Next Generation Loan Program (Next Gen). Alberta is expanding eligibility and.

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Weekend Reading: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Food Studies (yet another gift!)

Food Politics

Welcome to the online Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Food Studies, edited by Darra Goldstein. The articles submitted to this project so far are here. I wrote one for it: Nestle M. Food Politics and Policy. I looks to me as though these articles are Open Access, meaning you can read them for free. Enjoy! The post Weekend Reading: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Food Studies (yet another gift!

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How the Next Generation of Farmers is Getting Creative with Land Access

Modern Farmer

Check out our companion piece: How to Start a Backyard or Urban Farm—Whether You Own Land or Not As a renter millennial, I wanted to start farming. But as Charlotte says in Pride and Prejudice , “I’ve no money and no prospects.” This is a common sentiment among many student-loan-saddled millennials and Gen Z-ers who want to work with the land but don’t have land that they own to start gardening or farming.

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Size of tropical glaciers at lowest point in at least 11,000 years

Berkeley Blog

The high Andes mountains host many glaciers. Study shows four of them have shrunk to a size not seen since the rise of human civilization. The post Size of tropical glaciers at lowest point in at least 11,000 years appeared first on Berkeley News.

Science 130
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List of layoffs in ag machinery market growing, as Kinze sheds nearly a quarter of its workforce

Real Agriculture

The number of agricultural equipment manufacturers that are reducing the size of their workforces is growing, with planter-maker Kinze Manufacturing joining the list of companies that are publicly acknowledging layoffs. Kinze has issued layoff notices to 193 of its 815 employees in Williamsburg, Iowa, as of August 1. “We deeply regret the necessity of this.

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Op-Ed | Nonsense in the US-Mexico Corn Fight

Food Tank

The United States and Mexico are in a fight over corn. In 2023 Mexico prohibited genetically modified (GMO) corn for human consumption, out of concern for human health and biodiversity in corn plants. The U.S. challenges this in a trade panel , arguing this violates the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement. It’s tense and has been so for years. Anxieties will peak soon.

Livestock 119
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Stopping Ocean Plastics, One Mushroom Buoy at a Time

Modern Farmer

Today’s oceans are littered with plastics. Tiny microplastics, often invisible to the naked eye, swirl in our tidepools. Large pieces of plastic debris stretch across stretches of open sea. The majority of the ocean’s plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, but nearly 20 percent originates in the fishing industry. Gear is lost overboard, lines snap and drop waste into the sea, pots and buoys are abandoned, and bits and pieces of fishing and aquaculture float away.

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Almost 80% of UC Berkeley’s first-year admits are from California

Berkeley Blog

The fall 2024 admitted class includes 19,213 students The post Almost 80% of UC Berkeley’s first-year admits are from California appeared first on Berkeley News.

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Former Saskatchewan ag minister Lyle Stewart passes

Real Agriculture

Former Saskatchewan agriculture minister Lyle Stewart has passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 73. Stewart served as member of the provincial legislature from 1999 until 2023. He served as the province’s ag minister under premiers Brad Wall and Scott Moe from 2012 to 2018, when he stepped down from the cabinet.

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Texas A&M Board of Regents approves controlled environment agriculture greenhouse construction project in Dallas

AgriLife Today

Modern technology in new facility to help lead ‘CEA’ research across southern U.S. The post Texas A&M Board of Regents approves controlled environment agriculture greenhouse construction project in Dallas appeared first on AgriLife Today.

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Ground Breaking Podcast Episode #6: Don’t Treat Soil Like Dirt: Biodiversity’s Importance to Soil Health

Global Agtech Initiative

Learn how soil health tech is maximizing ROI, detecting disease risks early, and significantly boosting crop yields. The post Ground Breaking Podcast Episode #6: Don’t Treat Soil Like Dirt: Biodiversity’s Importance to Soil Health appeared first on Global Ag Tech Initiative.

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How urban raccoons adapt to new foraging challenges

Berkeley Blog

A new study led by postdoctoral researcher Lauren Stanton documents how raccoons use innovative problem-solving skills when foraging for food. The post How urban raccoons adapt to new foraging challenges appeared first on Berkeley News.

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Beef Market Update: The summer doldrums and record carcass weights

Real Agriculture

The summer doldrums seem to be hitting the U.S. cattle markets this week, with trades coming in at around $2 less than last week, whereas the choice cutout held steady. While it may feel as though cutout is struggling a bit, Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock Exchange, reminds us in this week’s Beef Market Update. Read More The summer doldrums seem to be hitting the U.S. cattle markets this week, with trades coming in at around $2 less than last week, whereas the choice cutout held steady.

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Investigation 97L expected to become named storm and affect the Southeast in the next week

Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast

As expected, the disorganized mass of thunderstorms that recently developed in the Atlantic is becoming more organized and has been designated as Investigation 97L (likely to be called Debby once it forms). It has a 40% chance of becoming a named storm in the next two days and a 70% chance in the next week.

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Backyard and Urban Farming: How to Start—Whether You Own Land or Not

Modern Farmer

The backyard and urban farming movement is becoming increasingly common in the Front Range area of Colorado and near many other urban centers. Since the lockdowns in 2020, more people are tending the land to which they have access, growing food and flowers or raising chickens in an effort to become either self-sufficient or supply fresh goods to their communities.

Farming 115
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Four new faculty hires are a quantum leap for experimental physics

Berkeley Blog

New assistant professors cement UC Berkeley's leadership in quantum science and technology The post Four new faculty hires are a quantum leap for experimental physics appeared first on Berkeley News.

Science 119
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North Dakota crush plant receives first loads of soybeans

Real Agriculture

A new soybean crush plant in North Dakota — about 150 miles from the Canada-U.S. border — has started receiving soybeans as it ramps up operations. The North Dakota Soybean Processors (NDSP) facility at Casselton, ND — just west of Fargo — has been designed to process 125 thousand bushels per day and 42.5 million.

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Examining Corporate Influence Over Food and Farm Bill

Food Tank

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently released a report analyzing the influence of lobbying on food and agriculture systems. The report finds that agribusinesses, industry associations, and other interest groups have spent more than US$500 million to influence legislation, including the Farm Bill, from 2019-2023. The Farm Bill is an omnibus bill that covers issues across food and agriculture systems including financial credit for farmers, resource conservation and the Supplemental Nut

Food 105
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Path to a New Farm Bill: Securing Resources for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Farmer Taw Meh in the New Roots program at the Juniper Gardens Training Farm in Kansas City, KS. Photo by Cultivate KC Editor’s Note: This post is part of a multi-part series exploring some of the key sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges that the farm bill can address. Through a series of posts comparing the House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposals, we provide an assessment of how each chamber’s bill would address a given challenge, and our recommended path forward.

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Student aims to improve AI for underserved languages and communities

Berkeley Blog

She's all about preserving languages and cultures that have less data online The post Student aims to improve AI for underserved languages and communities appeared first on Berkeley News.

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The Agronomists, Ep 163: The swathing vs straight cutting question with Harold Brown and Ian Epp

Real Agriculture

Straight-cutting canola without losing significant yield thanks to pod-shatter resistance traits means that farmers have a full range of options when managing canola harvest. The decision on swathing or not isn’t always an easy one, but many farmers use swathing as a harvest timing management tool. But when is the right time? What happens if. Read More Straight-cutting canola without losing significant yield thanks to pod-shatter resistance traits means that farmers have a full range of op

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How to treat Ruminant Animal Diseases

Agric4profits

The best way to go about handling those animal diseases that are treatable is to first of all be sure of the diseases itself by doing confirmatory diagnoses.

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Championing Organic Research

Organic Farming Research

The Salinas ARS station is a hub of organic research, but that has not always been the case. OFRF has worked with organic champions in Congress to develop this thriving example of the potential and necessity of on-the ground organic research, and now it needs protection! The post Championing Organic Research appeared first on Organic Farming Research Foundation.

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Streamlining Nutrient Recipes with Automation: A Game-Changer for Growers

Grow Link

Just like the human body requires different nutrients at various stages of life, plants too need specific nutrients at different phases of their growth. For flowering plants, including cannabis, this need is particularly precise due to their cyclical biological processes. Unlike humans, whose nutritional needs remain relatively constant, plants require carefully timed nutrient schedules to thrive.

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Farmers Edge opens soil lab services to the general public

Real Agriculture

Knowing what is happening both above and below ground in an agricultural field is of utmost importance as farmers look to maximize their yield potential while simultaneously managing the land sustainably. One way to do this is to have soil and plant tissue formally tested in a laboratory. While Farmers Edge has been primarily using. Read More Knowing what is happening both above and below ground in an agricultural field is of utmost importance as farmers look to maximize their yield potential wh

Yield 290
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CABI and FAO collaborate to launch plant clinics in Namibia

CABI

CABI and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are teaming up to take 10 plant clinics to Namibia as part of a project to help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers as well as local and national food security. This initiative aims to support the introduction of community-based plant clinics to… The post CABI and FAO collaborate to launch plant clinics in Namibia appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog.

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