Geographically isolated wetlands, such as the prairie potholes of the upper Midwest and the playas of the Southwest, "play an outsized role in providing clean water and other environmental benefits," says Indiana University in describing...

Deputy of Agriculture Undersecretary Al Almanza told lawmakers the White House is likely to release in April a long-delayed regulation to put the USDA in charge of catfish inspection, says Agri-Pulse.

Portions of the Renewable Fuels Standard that effectively mandate the use of corn-based ethanol would be repealed under a bill introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

The chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture said he opposes the administration proposal for a 17 percent cut in crop insurance funding.

Companion bills in the House and Senate would triple the funding, to $15 million a year, for the farm-to-school grant program, which buys locally grown fresh food to help feed schoolchildren.

Two of the world's leading grain exporters "are racing to become mass producers" of gluten-free quinoa, native to South America and the world's newest super food, says Reuters.

A bill in the Republican-controlled Kansas state Senate would change the state's method for assessing farmland value and could sharply increase property taxes for farmers and ranchers, says the Scott County Record, which says there could be "a huge shift in the property tax burden."

Over the past 15 years, California 'has upended nearly every aspect of its fisheries management" to create 124 marine protected areas covering 850 square miles, more than 16 percent of its ocean holdings, where fishing is banned or severely curtailed, writes avid angler and author Paul Greenberg in California Sunday magazine.

U.S. farmers grew $192.8 billion worth of the major field and specialty crops, from corn to chickpeas, last year, down 9 percent from 2013 due to lower commodity prices, according to the annual Crop Values report.

The Missouri Supreme Court is to hear arguments today on whether to strike from the state constitution a "right to farm" amendment that was approved by voters in August by a narrow margin, says Missourinet.

With farm income on the wane, U.S. farmers "are increasingly leasing equipment instead of buying it," says Reuters. It quotes an analyst who says some producers probably are selling equipment and using leases for replacements.

The Agriculture Department expects to name in March the winners of $200 million in grants to help food-stamp participants find jobs or move up the pay scale. The USDA has received proposals from more than 30 states for the 10 pilot projects.

Wheat, known for centuries as the staff of life, provides one-fifth of all food eaten worldwide and is the top source of protein in developing countries.

The North American Meat Institute filed a request with the government for a 120-day comment period on the report that the Agriculture and Health departments will use as the basis for the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Wetlands in the upper Mississippi and Ohio River watersheds can remove up to 1,800 pounds of nitrogen per acre from field runoff, says a USDA study of the economic benefits of wetland conservation.

While the average age of U.S. farmers and farm size is rising, the tale of young people returning to farm on a small scale "is more common than we think," economist Kent Olson tells the nonprofit Minnesota Post in a story that looks at two young farm couples.

U.S. farm income is on the express elevator going down, according to a quick review of USDA forecasts. It expects a 32-percent decline in net farm income this year, to the lowest level since 2009.