The Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with USDA to advance agricultural sustainability with the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges. The competition includes two challenges that seek proposals for new and existing fertilizer technologies to maintain or improve crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced …
New Alltech ONE Virtual Session Focuses on Asia
The Asian Agri-Business session of the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience began very early this morning for those of us in the western world, but a normal hour for our friends in Asia. As the energetic pace and market diversity in Asia have helped the region remain a global economic powerhouse, Alltech examines what the future may hold for the dynamic …
NCBA and PLC Celebrate Environmental Policy Updates
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) recently celebrated landmark improvements to environmental policy through finalization of the Trump Administration’s rulemaking on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The updates make the process more efficient, while also laying the groundwork for healthy and resilient open spaces and pastureland. Public Lands Council Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover …
USDA Undersecretary Updates NCBA on Grasslands Management
James Hubbard, USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, attended the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) summer meeting this week to provide an update on Forest Service management of grasslands. The Forest Service manages 3.8 million acres of National Grasslands across 12 Western States. They are managed sustainably with the help of some 6200 permitted ranching families, who pride themselves …
House Committee Releases Climate Crisis Plan
The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis today released a comprehensive plan titled “Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.” The Climate Crisis Action Plan, released as a majority staff report, recognizes the role agriculture plays in providing valuable climate and ecosystems benefits. Investing in American …
Farm Groups Support Climate Solutions Act
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing Wednesday on the Growing Climate Solutions Act, legislation designed to break down barriers for farmers and foresters interested in participating in carbon markets so they can be rewarded for climate-smart practices. The bill has the support of numerous agribusinesses and farm organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and …
Mitloehner on Myth Busting Mission at #ONEBigIdea
Dr. Frank Mitloehner has been on a mission to debunk myths about agriculture with clear communication and data, successfully illustrating the relationships among human activities, animal digestion, food production and atmospheric chemistry. The UC Davis Animal Science professor known as @GHGGuru on Twitter will be the final Alltech ONE Virtual Experience keynote presentation this week, offering his insights on what …
NCGA and EDF Launch Success in Stewardship Network
The National Corn Growers Association and Environmental Defense Fund have joined forces to launch the Success in Stewardship Network to celebrate and accelerate the use of agricultural conservation practices on U.S. corn farms. The network will showcase success stories from the many farmers and state-level programs putting stewardship into practice, starting with the Minnesota Corn Innovation Grant Program and the …
Ag Groups Form Farmers for a Sustainable Future Coalition
More than 20 farm and ranch groups representing millions of U.S. farmers and ranchers are launching Farmers for a Sustainable Future (FSF), a coalition committed to environmental and economic sustainability to serve as a primary resource for lawmakers and policymakers as they consider climate policies. The coalition will share with elected officials, media and the public U.S. agriculture’s commitment to …
Florida Ranch Wins Environmental Stewardship Award
Blackbeard’s Ranch in Myakka, FL was named the national winner of the 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award Program this week at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, in San Antonio, TX. “My family has been in Florida for six generations,” said Blackbeard’s managing partner Jim Strickland. “We’ve always been in the cattle business, and we’ve always taken pride …