Ag losses in North Carolina top $1.1 billion, says state
Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina at harvest time and caused agricultural losses of $1.1 billion, almost all of it in row crops, said the state Agriculture Department on Wednesday.
The “big four” look to next steps for expiring farm bill
Farm bill negotiators are expected to acknowledge today that they will miss the only deadline they have set for themselves: Enactment of the 2018 farm bill by the end of September, now four days away. The "big four" leaders of the talks, who have been loath to discuss a Plan B in hopes of a last-minute miracle of consensus, will meet face to face to discuss the path to farm bill passage.
Farm leader sees “billions of dollars” in Hurricane Florence damage
Poultry growers lost 4 million chickens and turkeys due to Hurricane Florence and crop losses will run in the billions of dollars, said Larry Wooten, president of the North Carolina Farm Bureau, on Tuesday. Wooten's poultry figure was higher than the only estimate by state officials, made a week ago, of 3.4 million birds killed by the storm, along with 5,500 hogs.
Reorganization is an internal matter, Perdue tells inquiring senators
The USDA will need only a couple of months to pick the new homes for two research agencies that are being moved out of the Washington area, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a letter. He also told the leader of the Senate Agriculture Committee that "this is an internal operational decision" so there was no requirement to seek public comment before deciding to relocate the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Three House Ag members in toss-up races: Republicans Denham, Faso and Bost
By a tiny margin, Rep. Jeff Denham, a fourth-term Republican from the Central Valley of California, may be the most endangered member of the House Agriculture Committee, although two other Republican panelists are also in toss-up races. Analysts say Democrats increasingly are likely to win control of the House in the elections six weeks away.
Marginally higher beef prices at the grocery store this year
Cattle prices are stronger than expected this year but they they are likely to run below 2017 levels, with the result that retail beef prices rise modestly, at most, said the monthly Food Price Outlook. The United States is headed for the third year in a row of lower than average food inflation - 0.5 percent compared to the 20-year average of 2.1 percent annually.
EPA asks for a rehearing of ban on pesticide chlorpyrifos
Facing an October deadline to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, the EPA asked a federal appeals court on Monday for a rehearing of the case that resulted in the ban. The environmental law firm Earthjustice said the EPA request will postpone the court order of early August to ban the pesticide in 60 days.
Report finds companies faring well, governments less so, in meeting food waste targets
Private companies are stepping up to tackle food waste, a new report finds, but governments lag behind in the race to meet a United Nations goal of cutting wasted food in half by 2030. The report was compiled by a coalition of executives and leaders of private companies, non-profits, and government agencies, called Champions 12.3, that work to reduce food waste internationally.
Ruth Reichl sees ‘pivotal moment’ ahead for women
Ruth Reichl has been an influential chef, writer, and editor for four decades, including ten years as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine. She edited the 2018 edition of The Best American Food Writing, which includes several essays about harassment and sexism in the restaurant industry. We chatted with Ruth in advance of her appearance at FERN Talks & Eats in Brooklyn on October 1. She will be appearing on our panel to discuss #MeToo, inclusion, and equity in the restaurant industry.
Sight, smell of hurricane damage ‘very impactful,’ says Perdue
A year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s farmers still struggle
A year after Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths in Puerto Rico, the island's farmers are still struggling to come back, according to FERN's latest report, in partnership with On the Table, a farm-bill-focused podcast produced by NET, Nebraska public media. <strong>(No paywall)</strong>
If Congress misses farm-bill deadline, how long will it take to finish the job?
Barring a dramatic breakthrough, farm-state lawmakers will miss their target of enacting the 2018 farm bill in the next six days, according to two of the Senate and House negotiators charged with finding a compromise. SNAP, specifically House Republicans' demands for stricter work requirements for food-stamp recipients, is the major obstacle for the conferees, but there are differences across all sections of the $87-billion-a-year legislation.
North Carolina ‘no place for CAFOs,’ says green group
Hurricane Florence is the latest illustration that "flood-prone coastal states like North Carolina are no place for CAFOs," said the Union of Concerned Scientists, calling for tighter regulation of industrial livestock farms. Gov. Roy Cooper and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue are scheduled to view agricultural damage today and may see some of the four dozen manure lagoons statewide that are flooded or overflowing because of storm water.
As checks flow, USDA adds almonds and cherries to Trump tariff bailout
Stricter SNAP work requirement paramount in farm bill, say free-market proponents
There is little point in writing a compromise version of the House and Senate farm bills if it does not include stronger work requirements for food stamp recipients, said analysts from think tanks favoring free enterprise and members of a group of state officials that promotes self-reliance.
FERN event preview: For Ashtin Berry, activism is key to hospitality
Ashtin Berry wears many hats: food and beverage activist, consultant, writer, speaker, teacher. From her home base of New Orleans, she encourages conversations about inclusion, equity, and how the restaurant and beverage industry can improve its treatment of marginalized customers and workers. We caught up with her in preparation for her appearance at the FERN Talks & Eats event in Brooklyn on Oct. 1. <strong>No paywall</strong>
EPA site reveals info on RFS exemptions
On Thursday, after months of complaints about undue secrecy, the EPA unveiled a modified website on the Renewable Fuel Standard that shows its decisions to exempt small-volume refineries from the mandate to mix biofuels into gasoline and diesel fuel.
More manure lagoons in North Carolina damaged, flooded, or overflowing
Some 57 manure lagoons in North Carolina were flooded, overflowing, or structurally damaged by the heavy rains and floods caused by Hurricane Florence — an increase of 14 in a day, said the state Department of Environmental Quality on Thursday.
Florence swamps Matthew as North Carolina agriculture scourge
Twice as many livestock have died in North Carolina due to Hurricane Florence as perished in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, and more manure lagoons have been damaged or flooded, state agencies said on Wednesday.
Cities protest farm bill ban on local pesticide restrictions
In a letter to House and Senate ag leaders, officials from 60 U.S. cities have protested a House farm bill provision that would prohibit them from setting local pesticide restrictions that are tougher than the federal government’s.