Former Vilsack adviser at USDA becomes Kaine’s chief of staff
Matt Paul, communications director for Tom Vilsack when he was governor of Iowa and later agriculture secretary, will work as the chief of staff for Democrat Tim Kaine as he campaigns for vice president, said the Des Moines Register.
New illnesses prompt General Mills to expand flour recall for fourth time
For the fourth time since May 31, General Mills expanded its recall of flour because of illnesses linked to handling or eating uncooked flour dough and batter. The company said E. coli bacteria, which can cause food-borne illness, "has been detected in a small number of ... flour samples and some have been linked to new patient illnesses that fall outside of the previously recalled dates."
Prevent post-election vote on TPP, Sanders asks Democrats
During a speech endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called for Democrats to prevent a congressional vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the November election, the period when farm groups believe the trade pact has its best chance of passage. "We have to be sure that TPP does not get to the floor of Congress during the lame-duck session," said Sanders at the Democratic National Convention.
Southwestern farmers learn to water tomatoes and tilapia from same spigot
Farmers in the arid Southwest are turning to aquaponics, an indoor system that combines hydroponics with fish farming to conserve water and use fish excrement to nourish plants, according to The Guardian.
‘A large carnivore back on the landscape’
As the gray wolf population rises in the West, "states are trying to walk the line between the ranchers, who view the animals as an economic and physical menace, and environmentalists, who see their reintroduction as a success story," says a Stateline story reprinted by Route Fifty. The issue is drawn most starkly in Washington State, which allotted $3.3 million and invested thousands of hours of staff time in wolf management.
As aquifer level drops, Idaho proposes water management
Water levels in the aquifer underlying eastern Idaho are plummeting, so state officials have proposed creation of the East Snake Plain Aquifer groundwater management area, says The Associated Press. The result would be a plan that parcels out water to farmers and other users in predictable amounts rather than abrupt cutbacks when the holders of senior rights to the water claim their share.
Democratic platform boosts family farms, stewardship, clean energy
At its presidential convention opening today, the Democratic Party will adopt a platform that vows to support family farms, "provide a focused safety net" and encourage development of clean fuels. "We believe that in order to be effective in keeping our air and water clean and combatting climate change, we must enlist farmers as partners in promoting conservation and stewardship," says the 55-page draft.
Farmers lean heavily on operating loans to offset weak cash flow
Persistently weak cash flow has prompted U.S. farmers and ranchers to borrow far more money in short-term operating loans than usual, said the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Loan volume of around $55 billion was 50 percent above the 10-year average, said the bank, while the soft farm economy was pulling down farmland prices throughout the western Corn Belt and Plains.
This milk won’t go bad for nine weeks
Researchers have discovered a way to push the shelf life of milk from two or three weeks to nine, says Gizmodo. By putting tiny drops of already-pasteurized milk into a high-pressure chamber and quickly raising the temperature of the milk by 10 degrees, scientists at Purdue University and the University of Tennessee killed 99 percent of the bacteria that normally remain after pasteurization.
EU approves import of keenly watched U.S. GE soy variety
In a decision that removed a roadblock to adoption of a new genetically engineered soybean variety, the European Commission approved import of the Monsanto soybean that is resistant to two types of weedkillers, said Reuters. The soybean went on sale in the United States and Canada this year surrounded by questions about whether there was a market for it.
Catfish farming loses its lure
U.S. fish farms are producing only one-quarter as many catfish this year as they did when the industry peaked in 2002, according to USDA data. The decline has been blamed on higher feed costs, a change in consumer tastes, and imports from Asia.
White House plans no hoopla for GMO bill signing
When Congress passed the GMOs-in-food disclosure bill a week ago, the White House said President Obama would sign it. The bill, which reverses a longstanding federal policy that labels are not needed, is likely to be treated matter of factly, to be marked by a written notice rather than the pubic signing ceremony given to major legislation.
Trump, seeking big margin in rural areas, will attack U.S. regulations
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump aims for a large voter turnout in rural areas as a key to winning the Nov. 8 election and will attack federal regulation, a popular target in farm country, says Agri-Pulse. Trump scored well in rural America, a traditionally conservative and Republican-leaning area, during primary elections, according to the Daily Yonder.
Seed startup closes $100 million funding to tackle water scarcity
Seed startup Indigo said that it closed a $100 million Series C investment, the largest private equity financing in the agriculture technology sector. Indigo first came onto the map in February when it unveiled cotton seeds laced in probiotics that conserve water and help replenish the soil. With more funding, the company plans to expand research and launch its first line of probiotic wheat seeds.
Healthier food across the board in schools, says U.S.
The Obama administration buttoned down the 2010 reforms in school food — more fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains, but less salt, fat and sugar — with a set of new USDA regulations. They include the final version of a rule, originally issued in 2013, calling for healthier snacks and an update to school "wellness" policies that "ensures that any food or beverage marketed on school campuses during the school day meets the Smart Snacks standards."
GOP: It’s ‘a mistake’ for USDA to run food-stamp program
The Agriculture Department has run the $74-billion-a-year food stamp program since it was created half a century ago — "a mistake," according to the platform approved by delegates at the Republican National Convention. The campaign document says Republicans "will ... separate the administration of [food stamps] from the Department of Agriculture."
Orange juice consumption on the decline worldwide
Global consumption of orange juice will drop by 2 percent this year, part of an overall 15 percent decline in four years, says USDA. The semiannual "Citrus: World Markets and Trade" report says U.S. consumption will drop by 7 percent, reflecting the impact of citrus greening disease on orange groves in Florida, the largest citrus state.
Traces of medicine, caffeine, insect repellent found in Hudson River
Water tests found minute levels of drug residues, industrial chemicals, caffeine and the insect repellent DEET in a 128-mile stretch of the Hudson river, with the strongest concentrations near wastewater treatment plants, according to two Cornell University scientists quoted by WAMC radio in Albany, N.Y.
Wal-Mart to sell ‘ugly’ apples to cut food waste
America’s biggest grocer is joining the “ugly” fruit and veg trend with sales of imperfect apples in 300 Florida stores, says NPR. Wal-Mart will sell the apples, which may be misshapen or have dents and scars under the brand name “I’m Perfect.”
Wheat stockpile grows as wheat plantings shrink
Record-high yields for the winter wheat crop, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. wheat production, will more than offset the smallest wheat plantings in years, says the USDA. With the larger-than-expected harvest, the U.S. wheat stockpile will top 1.1 billion bushels— twice as large as it was three years ago.