Farmland values hold steady: Although commodity prices have softened, the land market is holding onto the sharp increases of the past three years, aided by strong demand for good-quality cropland in the Midwest, said Farmers National Company, a large farm management and real estate company. (Farmers National)
Urban tree-planting grant: The USDA awarded $1 million from its urban forestry program to the Church of God in Christ, the fourth-largest Protestant denomination in the country, to plant trees and expand access to green spaces at its local congregations. (USDA)
Meatpackers critique wastewater plan: A meat industry trade group said an EPA proposal to reduce water pollution from processing plants would put “a very heavy financial burden” on plants and potentially force some of them to close. (Meat and Poultry)
Farmers, ranchers in Congress: There are 31 “farmers, ranchers, or cattle farm owners,” an owner of an almond orchard, a nursery owner, a forester, a fruit orchard worker, and a horse trainer serving in Congress this year, says the Congressional Research Service. (CRS)
Protesting farmers block roads: French farmers carried their protests into a second week, saying they are carrying the burden of the government’s drive for lower retail food prices; farmers are also targeting environmental regulations. (Reuters)