- Eleven cotton producers from the Southeast will observe cotton and other agricultural operations in California’s San Joaquin Valley the week of August 13 as part of the National Cotton Council’s 2018 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Program. Sponsored by Crop Science, a division of Bayer, through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the P.I.E. is now in its 30th year and has exposed more than 1,100 U.S. cotton producers to innovative production practices in Cotton Belt regions different than their own.
- The 32nd annual Georgia Peanut Tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. Tour stops will be made in several peanut producing counties including Bulloch, Burke, Candler and Screven County.
- New soy-biobased product, Roof Maxx, reverses aging in asphalt shingles and is certified as 86 percent biobased content under the USDA BioPreferred Program.
- The Renewable Fuels Association and several organizations are hosting ethanol safety seminars in four locations in Arkansas beginning next week. The ethanol safety seminars, in partnership with TRANSCAER, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), International Association of Fire Chiefs, and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, will be held Aug. 13-16, Aug. 23-25, and Aug. 28-30. To register, visit: www.rfa.traincaster.com.
- A new dairy insurance service from American Farm Bureau Insurance Services will bring an extra level of support to a dairy sector that has been battered by losses over the past four years. AFBIS’ Dairy Revenue Protection insurance policy, available by early October, covers potential revenue loss over five quarterly insurance periods. Coverage options start at 70 percent and are available up to 95 percent, in 5 percent increments.
- Legal Expense Solutions is now advocating for farmers across the country to reduce fees paid to attorneys in the corn seed settlement. Law firms will be receiving hundreds of millions in fees on the Corn Seed Settlement that was reached with Syngenta. Legal Expense Solutions argues some of the fees may be excessive, unnecessary and unethical.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the Trump administration’s decision to return water-permitting authority to more states. Under terms of an agreement signed by the U.S. Army, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department and the White House, states can assume authority to issue permits for earth moving in and around regulated waterways, wetlands and land that sometimes channels water.
- How broadband services can enhance the quality of life in rural America, including its economic health, will be the focus of an E-Connectivity Listening Session presented by the Farm Foundation on Thursday, Aug. 16 in Birmingham, Ala. For those unable to attend in person, a free live webcast will be available.
- Farmers for Free Trade, the bipartisan campaign chaired by Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Max Baucus (D-MT) that is leading the fight against tariffs that are harming rural communities, announced a major new ad buy with ag publications in states across the country. The ad buy is part of a new campaign called “Tariffs Hurt the Heartland” that is investing in local ads, town hall events on tariff impact in states across the country, and raising awareness about financial and job losses tied to the ongoing trade war.
- Thirteen years ago, on August 8, the Renewable Fuel Standard was signed into law, sparking a new era of U.S. biofuel leadership that continues to support rural jobs, increase energy security, and deliver clean, affordable options at the fuel pump. The nation’s leading farm and biofuel advocates marked the occasion by calling on Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler at the Environmental Protection Agency to quickly deliver on the president’s pledge to uphold the RFS and expand the market for ethanol blends, including E15.
- The National Corn Growers Association, through the assistance of funds provided by sponsor FMC Corporation, awarded four seed grants to encourage innovative programs in state organizations this week. The state corn grower organizations of Missouri, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Texas have been awarded Reaching for Excellence seed grants to fund innovative programs in 2019.
- Maggie-Joe Hickson of Oakwood has been named the Ontario provincial winner of the 2018 GROWMARK essay contest for 4-H members attending high school. The theme of this year’s contest was “How can co-operatives demonstrate their value to the next generation of agriculturists?”
- The new AyrMesh IndoorHub is a simple indoor meshing WiFi access point. The new IndoorHub is an upgrade to Ayrstone’s successful IndoorAP with several important improvements. The AyrMesh IndoorHub is available now at the Ayrstone store.
