NASDA

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. State agriculture officials expressed the need for farm technical assistance resources to support farmers in business management and farm transitions during the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 2025 Winter Policy Conference. Members passed a policy amendment that specifically supports the creation of state block grant programs that provide technical assistance to farmers.

Agriculture 204

Agriculture Agriculture Ranching Farming 204

Real Agriculture

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Farmers are sounding the alarm on snow loads and structure integrity this winter, as areas of Ontario have been hard hit by lake-effect snow and large snow events. From southern Ontario, up into the Bruce Peninsula, and even in Eastern Ontario, barns and shelters have collapsed under the incredible weight of snow. Stewart Skinner, hog Read More Farmers are sounding the alarm on snow loads and structure integrity this winter, as areas of Ontario have been hard hit by lake-effect snow and large sn

Farming 294

Farming Farming 294

Food Politics

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

After two years of work, the Government Accountability Office has just published: WIC Infant Formula:Single-Supplier Competitive Contracts Reduce Program Costs and Modestly Increase Retail Prices. Heres its quick summary: Over half the countrys infant formula is bought through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Manufacturing 189

Manufacturing Marketing Food Production 189

Agricultural Biodiversity

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

The Mystery of Black Rice: Food, Medicinal, and Spiritual Uses of Oryza glaberrima by Maroon Communities in Suriname and French Guiana. There’s a rich oral history of African rice in Maroon communities, but that doesn’t mean either the traditional knowledge or diversity of the crop is safe. The Invisible Tropical Tuber Crop: Edible Aroids (Araceae) Sold as Tajer in the Netherlands.

Agriculture 183

Agriculture Agriculture Plantation Maize 183

Civil Eats

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

As Hurricane Helene made its way up the East Coast last October, Rob Kinneen tracked the storm from his home in Durham, North Carolina. When lashing winds and heavy rains began battering the state and reports started coming in of disastrous flooding throughout Appalachia, Kinneen knew he needed to act. I drove up to this small town, Swannanoa, with my apron and my knife, he says, and within minutes of arriving at the commissary kitchen that had been set up, I was cutting up vegetables.

Food 135

Food Technology Processing Ecology 135

Agri-tech

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Following an international search, Professor Cristbal Uauy has been appointed as the next Director of the John Innes Centre. Professor Uauy is internationally recognised for his significant contribution to the development of resources and tools available to the wheat research community which allow for the rapid identification of genes for key traits.

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NASDA

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today at the 2025 Winter Policy Conference , members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture called on the Congress to develop strategies to address agricultural labor stability challenges along with border security. The new policy item states comprehensive agricultural labor reform is needed to allow access to the H-2A program for year-round agriculture industries, create a pathway to legal status for agriculture and agri-business workers who are employe

Agriculture 250

Agriculture Agriculture Supply Chain Production 250

Food Politics

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Happy Valentines Day! Since Im talking about potatoes, try these! I learned about this from a Tweet (X) from Dan Barber. I went right toThe Lever and signed on so I could read: The Rise Of Big Potato: Allegations of price collusions among the potato cartel reveal the new, sophisticated methods food corporations are using to keep prices high. The four companies now stand accused of operating as a cartel and conspiring to hike prices, jacking up the cost of french fries and Tater Tots around the

Food 173

Food Marketing 173

Agricultural Biodiversity

FEBRUARY 16, 2025

Quality management in a genebank environment: Principles and experiences at the Centre for Genetic Resources, The Netherlands (CGN). Do we need a certification system for genebanks? We do have the means to put one together. A pragmatic protocol for seed viability monitoring in ex situ plant genebanks. But will genebank certification allow much-needed flexibility?

Seeding 197

Seeding Yield Technology Farming 197

The Lunatic Farmer

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Here are two personal stories about foreign aid. Some 20 years ago when Slow Food asked me to be part of the U.S. delegation attending the International Slow Food Convivium in Turin, Italy hosted by Carlo Petrini, I went with Michael Pollan. Every time I wasn't speaking, I attended presentations by a delegation from an African country. Every single one started with something like this: "We have plenty of resources.

Food 143

Food Seeding Construction Farming 143

Civil Eats

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Over the last several days, Elon Musk has taken steps to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The agencys headquarters have been shuttered, the website disappeared , and employees were locked out of systems. At a press conference and protest outside the headquarters on Monday, February 3, Congressional Democrats said the actions would put children around the world at risk of starvation, since USAID is a primary supplier of global humanitarian food aid.USAID purchases

Food 145

Food Ruralism 145

NASDA

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture members passed an action item today at NASDAs Winter Policy Conference supporting the United Nations resolution declaring 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. As state agricultural leaders, we recognize the essential contributions of women in farming and agribusiness, said NASDA Vice President, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal.

Forestry 189

Forestry Agriculture Agriculture Technology 189

Real Agriculture

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Whats the difference between a soil test and tissue testing? Its pretty simple soil tests measure available nutrients while tissue tests assess nutrient uptake and utilization. Growers use both practices to manage crop nutrients and understanding the nuances of each method plays a key role in ensuring crops have timely access to nutrients, say Read More Whats the difference between a soil test and tissue testing?

Crop 287

Crop Fertilizer Production 287

Food Politics

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

A reader, William Haaf, alerted me to this one: California companies required to disclose heavy metal content in baby food As of January 2025, baby food manufacturers selling in California must disclose test results for four heavy metals arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury via an on-pack QR code. The law, Assembly Bill 899 (AB 899), was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2023 and requires monthly testing of baby food for the specified contaminants.

Food 133

Food Manufacturing Processing Grain 133

Agricultural Biodiversity

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

South Africa ratifies the Plant Treaty. Hope its genebank goes from strength to strength. Ethiopia ratified a long time ago, and its genebank is going strong. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Cherokee Nation could ratify the Plant Treaty? Want to build a community genebank like the Cherokee Nation’s? Here’s a resource. China hasn’t ratified, but that hasn’t stopped it building genebanks.

Forage 179

Forage Livestock Marketing 179

Modern Farmer

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Despite having nearly a billion acres of prime farmland and a population of only 330 million people, the U.S. agriculture system, often claimed to be able to feed the world, can no longer feed its own population. The number of U.S. farms producing food for consumption has been steadily declining for years, making us more reliant on other countries as we resort to importing necessary foods.

Food 134

Food Production Farming Farming 134

Civil Eats

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Cynthia Flores was a farmer for twenty years, and despite doing intense physical labor every day, she never thought of herself as an athlete. It wasn’t until I got into strength training that there was a shift in my mindset, she said. With a new perspective on farming, Flores began to prioritize self-care and be more mindful of her body. As her interest in fitness grew, she began to compete in Strongman events, where athletes face off in Herculean challenges.

Farming 120

Farming Farming Tractor Ruralism 120

NASDA

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. At the 2025 Winter Policy Conference today National Association of State Departments of Agriculture members passed several policy amendments promoting increased programs for local and regional foods through federal policies and programs for states. Members adopted policy supporting the permanent establishment and funding of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Programs, or any successor programs, administered by the USDA.

Food 147

Food Supply Chain Agriculture Agriculture 147

Real Agriculture

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Eleven canola research projects will receive a total of $3.4 million in funding as part of the 2025 intake of the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP). The three Prairie provincial canola grower associations Alberta Canola, SaskOilseeds, and Manitoba Canola Growers Association are contributing over $2.3 million. Another $764,000 is coming from the Western Read More Eleven canola research projects will receive a total of $3.4 million in funding as part of the 2025 intake of the Canola Agron

Production 269

Production Crop 269

Food Politics

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

At a glance across the country: Meatpacking plants closed at an unprecedented rate this year, accelerated by a number of factors such as rising livestock costs, workforce shortages, food safety violations and foodborne illnesses, and ongoing industry consolidation. Here are some examples: of these and others: Tyson closes 3 meat plants, lays off 1K workers The food giant plans to shutter its 328,000-square-foot facility in Emporia, Kansas,as well as two cheesesteak factories in Philadelphia.

Food 130

Food Production Tractor Livestock 130

Trimble Agriculture

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Farm income is expected to take a turn in 2025, after two years of consecutive decline. Its no secret that the U.S. agricultural economy faced financial headwinds in 2024, but new USDA farm income projections indicate that net farm income will increase in 2025, largely due to the substantial rise in government payments. While encouraging, farmers should remain focused on strategic risk management rather than counting on these subsidiesespecially with so much still in the air.

Net Farm Income 102

Net Farm Income Farming Farming Cattle 102

Agric4profits

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

In this article, the objectives of farm management are discussed. The central issue in any economic analysis is the problem of limited resources, or resource scarcity. The ability of any society or producer to produce depends on the availability of resources.

Farming 116

Farming Farming Agriculture Agriculture 116

Civil Eats

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Last fall, Ava Taesali opened Kava Queen , Oahus only brick-and-mortar kava bar, after three years of building a loyal following for this traditional beverage at farmers markets in Honolulu. Located in the repurposed Waialua Sugar Mill , former home of a sugar industry giant, the establishment is surrounded by a mix of local businesses that includes a yoga studio, a surf shop, and a sewing collective.

Food 127

Food Plantation Acre Production 127

NASDA

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

News Article National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney and NASDA staff recently visited the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to learn how satellite technology supports agricultural monitoring and strengthens the need for agricultural data collection. NASAs Earth-observing satellites, including Landsat, MODIS and SMAP provide critical insights throughout the growing season.

Technology 147

Technology Agriculture Agriculture Crop Yield 147

Real Agriculture

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Keeping fields clean is job one, especially with less competitive crops, such as pulses or even corn. But flushing weeds and herbicide-resistant weeds create headaches for growers every spring. Is there a better option than in-crop control? Ladies and gentleman, herbicide layering has entered the chat. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith Read More Keeping fields clean is job one, especially with less competitive crops, such as pulses or even corn.

Crop 283

Crop Production 283

Food Politics

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

My next forthcoming book is now available for preorder. I say next, because this one is a bit of a surprise, even to me. Its a spinoff from my forthcoming (in September, I think) new and thoroughly revised edition of What to Eat, retitled What to Eat Now the book Ive been working on for the last three years. Heres what the publisher says about The Fish Counter : A standalone extract from the newly revised edition of her groundbreaking What to Eat (which is being reissued as What to Eat Now ).

Food 147

Food Marketing 147

Agricultural Biodiversity

FEBRUARY 9, 2025

Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modelling analysis. Maybe 5 billion people don’t get enough micronutrients from their diets, absent fortification and supplementation. Global analysis reveals persistent shortfalls and regional differences in availability of foods needed for health. There’s enough food in the world, but not enough healthy food.

Food 138

Food Seeding Marketing Ruralism 138

ATTRA

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

By Mike Lewis, NCAT Agriculture Specialist In the past century, the number of farmers in the U.S. has declined dramatically. Small farms, once the heart and soul of rural America, have been squeezed out by a system that prioritizes economies of scale over community well-being. Consolidation of land and resources has made it nearly impossible for smaller operations to compete.

Farming 98

Farming Farming Ruralism Cultivation 98

The Equation

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Wetlands exist in almost every corner of the United States, representing a total area larger than the state of California. While some have federal or state protection, many do not. And despite the proximity of wetlands to many communities in this country, few people truly understand either the value wetlands hold for our way of life or the threat they face from our industrialized system of agriculture.

Pesticide 90

Pesticide Industrial Agriculture Agriculture Agriculture 90

NASDA

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

News Article Starting in February, NASDA field enumerators headed to farms nationwide to conduct the TOTAL/ARMS3 survey part of USDAs Agricultural Resource Management Survey. This survey gathers important data on farm finances, including income, expenses, debt and family finances. In addition, the survey includes the Tenure, Ownership and Transition of Agricultural Land survey, which gathers detailed data on land tenure and records all land rented out for agricultural use.

Farming 147

Farming Farming Finance Ruralism 147

Real Agriculture

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

In 10 years of answering your questions, observing farm changes, and navigating agronomy, what has changed for Peter Wheat Pete Johnson? Well, hes got a few more grey hairs and perhaps an extra wrinkle or two, but the fundamentals of growing high-yielding crops havent changed much from episode 1 to 500 of The Word, says Read More In 10 years of answering your questions, observing farm changes, and navigating agronomy, what has changed for Peter Wheat Pete Johnson?

Yield 313

Yield Crop Farming Farming 313

Food Politics

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

FeedSpot, a group with which I am unfamiliar, has just named FoodPolitics.com as one of the top 60 blogs and websites in food science. I am honored to be named as #7, and especially because I am in very good company. FeedSpot says that these are the best Food Science blogs from thousands of blogs on the web and ranked by relevancy, authority, social media followers & freshness.

Science 130

Science Food 130

Agricultural Biodiversity

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

The USDA genebank is in the news. But will that save it? The CIAT genebank in on a podcast. Can’t hurt, I guess. The Egyptian genebank is in the news. And on a new website, apparently. Good to see botanic gardens in the news too. I wonder which genebank or botanic gardens this apparently re-discovered endemic Chilean wild tomato will end up in.

Marketing 122

Marketing 122

ATTRA

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The Honey Bee Health Coalition reports that beekeepers nationwide have discovered sudden and significant colony losses over the winter. Information gathered from 234 beekeepers found average recent losses well over 50%. When these losses are combined with colony losses over the past 12 months, many beekeepers at a loss rate of 70% to 100%, according to the coalition.

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Agric4profits

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Entrepreneur or Enterprise or Organization describes the function of taking decisions about what to produce and combining the other factors of production to produce what has been decided on. The entrepreneur combines and organizes land, labour, and capital in such a way as to obtain maximum production of goods and services at minimum costs.

Agriculture 105

Agriculture Agriculture Production 105

NASDA

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. Today at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Winter Policy Conference, NASDA members voted to amend the organizations biofuels policies to increase support for domestic and global demand for American produced biofuels. NASDA recognizes the importance biofuels play in the future of agricultural production, energy independence and our economy, NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said.

Biofuel 189

Biofuel Production Agriculture Agriculture 189

Real Agriculture

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Agricultural machinery giant AGCO has entered into a supply agreement to have Massey Ferguson tractors built by SDF, the Italian tractor company that makes SAME and Deutz-Fahr machines. The partnership will see SDF produce low to mid-horsepower Massey Ferguson tractors up to 85 horsepower for most global markets beginning in mid-2025. AGCO says Read More Agricultural machinery giant AGCO has entered into a supply agreement to have Massey Ferguson tractors built by SDF, the Italian tractor comp

Tractor 268

Tractor Marketing Agriculture Agriculture 268