The IDEAg Minnesota Farmfest and IDEAg Dakotafest are both coming up in the month of August and both offer new and improved media facilities. Farmfest is scheduled for Aug. 5-7, at the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, and Dakotafest is Aug. 19-21, at Schlaffman Farm in Mitchell, South Dakota. They are two of the IDEAg branded farm shows that …
Farm Groups Dissatisfied with WOTUS Explanations
Despite increased efforts by Environmental Protection Agency officials to explain and defend the proposed Waters of the United States rule, farm groups continue to have concerns. The American Farm Bureau Federation this week sent Congress a comprehensive document that responds to inaccurate and misleading comments made about the rule by EPA acting assistant administrator for water Nancy Stoner in a …
Ag Groups Take Issue with Interpretive Rule
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy’s promise that under the proposed rules defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) “all normal farming practices are exempt – period” may be falling on deaf ears in the agriculture community. McCarthy is visiting Missouri this week to explain the proposed rules but she faces an uphill battle from the …
EPA Wants to “Ditch the Myths” About WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy held a conference call with media this morning in advance of her trip to Missouri this week to talk about the proposed Waters of the United States rule, or WOTUS. “I’m hoping that this trip helps us ‘ditch the myths’ and misinformation,” said McCarthy in an obvious reference to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s …
Field to Market Announces New Supply Chain Program
Field to Market®, the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, has just launched a new agricultural supply chain program for commodity crops. The Field to Market metrics and benchmarks developed through a multi-stakeholder process over the past several years will now become an important platform for measuring, promoting and reporting on continuous improvement in corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, potatoes and other …
EPA Chief on Tour to Defend WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will travel to the nation’s heartland this week to defend and explain the Administration’s proposed rules defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This Thursday, July 10, McCarthy will give a speech before the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City to share the Administration’s views on why the …
Celebrate Food Independence Day
While you are celebrating our nation’s birthday this weekend, take a minute to be thankful that your 4th of July feast is safe, abundant and affordable. Where else in the world can you gobble up hot dogs and hamburgers, ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and more for less than $6 a person? The American Farm Bureau Federation tallied up the …
AFBF Not Happy With Clean Power Plan
Last week the Environmental Protection Agency made history when it released its Clean Power Plan proposal – an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from utility plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The EPA already has other pollution regulations (greenhouse gas emissions) on the utility sector. According to the EPA, utility plants are the single largest source …
Time to #DitchTheRule and Let it Go
After the flooding here in Pensacola, FL a couple weeks ago I was afraid the EPA would declare my concrete driveway a “Waters of the U.S.” and not allow me to drive on it. Sounds stupid doesn’t it? But if you’re a farmer there is nothing stupid about what the EPA is doing with the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” …
Farm Bureau Provides Farm Bill Help
If you have questions about how the new farm bill works, American Farm Bureau has answers. The American Farm Bureau Federation has produced a new series of videos and launched a website to help farmers, landowners and other stakeholders better understand the provisions of the 2014 farm bill. “We have distilled down a massive and complex piece of legislation – …