American Agriculture’s Environmental Success

Cindy Zimmerman

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has just released its latest National Resources Inventory, which shows the amazing environment success that is American agriculture. American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman did a nice little editorial about why the nation’s farmers and ranchers should be proud to show this environmental report card to Mother Nature. The latest National Resources Inventory …

AFBF, Environment

Remember Agriculture on Earth Day

Cindy Zimmerman

Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States. I still remember the very first Earth Day when I was in middle school and it was a very “hippy-ish” sort of deal. Today, everyone is in on the environmental act. That includes farmers and ranchers – the original environmentalists. As National Corn Growers Association president Darrin Ihnen, …

Beef, Corn, Environment, Livestock, NCGA

Student Reporters Sought for Green Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Are you a journalism student who has a passion for the environment? Then don’t miss out on your opportunity to become a roving reporter during the inaugural rEnergize Communications Summit, a gathering of 300 + green public relations experts from around the country. This premiere event is being held May 23-25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Three current journalism students will be …

Education, Environment

NCGA Says Cap and Trade Will Hurt Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

After a detailed analysis, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has come out in opposition to the House version of the American Clean Energy and Security Act HR 2454, better known “cap and trade” legislation. “Since the passage of this bill by the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2009, the National Corn Growers Association has maintained a neutral position …

Corn, Environment, NCGA

Congress Requests USDA Climate Change Analysis Update

Amanda Nolz

Leaders in Congress are questioning the Secretary Vilsack’s assertion that the USDA analysis of the climate change report if flawed, and they have written the department to tell them just that. In their letters, U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) discussed Vilsack’s past remarks on the big issue of climate change. In a recent press …

Environment

Obama Administration Partners with Ranchers to Combat Climate Change

Amanda Nolz

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today spoke at the key note event, Clean Energy Investments: Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies, at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to a recent release by USDA. In an effort to improve the environment, Vilsack hopes to provide opportunities for food producers to do just that. “Rural economies will benefit from …

Environment

Bill Gates Defends Biotech Crops

Cindy Zimmerman

At the World Food Prize Forum in Des Moines on Thursday, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke out in support of biotechnology to help feed the world. “We have to develop crops, including new inputs to go with them that can grow in a drought,” Gates said. “We have to have crops that can survive a flood, that can …

Biotech, Environment, Sustainability, World Food Prize

CLEANmp Provides Help With Nutrient Management Plans

Cindy Zimmerman

Helping livestock and poultry producers develop and implement plans to limit their environmental impact is the goal of a program called Comprehensive Livestock Environmental Assessments and Nutrient management plans, or CLEANmp. The program, which is managed by the Missouri-based Environmental Resources Coalition, is designed to provide services to all types and sizes of livestock and poultry production operations west of …

Environment, Livestock, Poultry

Blog Action Day ’09

Chuck Zimmerman

I just signed up for Blog Action Day ’09 which is October 15. Sign up here. Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be …

Energy, Environment

NCGA Talking Land Use

Chuck Zimmerman

The NCGA Land Use and Carbon Impacts of Corn-Based Ethanol Conference is underway here at the Renaissance hotel by the St. Louis airport. This is our first panel discussion on “Emission Factors and Land Use Change Modeling” which is being moderated by Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association. We’re talking some very involved talks on things like Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Analysis, …

Ag Groups, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Corn, Environment, NCGA