Sat.Mar 01, 2025 - Fri.Mar 07, 2025

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Bird flu, egg prices, and what urgently needs doing

Food Politics

I was intrigued by this item from WattPoultry: Blame for high US egg prices is now a political pinata The lack of understanding of basic economics is frustrating, but the misguided blame game over the cause of high egg prices presents an opportunity for change. Read more Everyone in the poultry industry knows that HPAI [Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza] caused laying hen losses and reduced the supply of eggs, and this is why retail egg prices , which have always been demand inelastic , have rea

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How many acres of wheat does it take to pay for that tractor?

Real Agriculture

The good news is there are deals to be had on both new and used farm equipment out there, says Matt Clark, senior rural economic analyst with Terrain. The bad news is why there may be deals to be found. (Hello, tough times!) There are, however, ratios between gross margin, costs per acre, and more, Read More The good news is there are deals to be had on both new and used farm equipment out there, says Matt Clark, senior rural economic analyst with Terrain.

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Save our coffee!!!

Agricultural Biodiversity

The American Geographic Society had very informative post about coffee prices on Facebook a few days back. I don’t really want to link to it, but I’m sure you can find it if you want. Anyway, here’s the text. Coffee prices have hit a 50-year high due to a combination of rising costs of production, supply chain disruptions, and climate changerelated declines in crop yields.

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Coalition letter supporting CODEX

NASDA

Letter Dear Secretary Rollins: The undersigned participants in the Food Industry Codex Coalition (FICC)1 congratulate you on your recent confirmation as Secretary of Agriculture. We write to express our strong support for continued U.S. leadership of and engagement with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). We urge that Codex remain a core strategic focus and resource priority for the Department as it champions prosperity and fairness for American agriculture.

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Weekend reading: Veggie Smarts

Food Politics

Michael T Compton, MD, MPH. Veggie Smarts: A Doctor and Farmer Grows and Savors Eight Families of Vegetables. Regalo Press, 2025. This one was sent to me for a blurb. Heres what I said: This endearingly quirky book describes Comptons love affair with eight families of vegetables for their growing habits, diversity, nutritional value, flavor, texture, and deliciousness, and he offers science, experience, charm, and recipes to prove it.

Science 130
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Massey baler doubles small square capacity

Real Agriculture

Massey Ferguson says its new Hesston double small square baler is a perfect fit for farmers facing labour shortages and tight harvest windows. With the MF SB.1436DB small square baler, farmers can now produce two rows of bales per field pass. In this report from Commodity Classic at Denver, Colorado, Jessica Williamson, Masseys hay and Read More Massey Ferguson says its new Hesston double small square baler is a perfect fit for farmers facing labour shortages and tight harvest windows.

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Digging up the pig

Agricultural Biodiversity

I’m sure you enjoyed Jeremy’s fascinating conversation with Jordan Rosenblum on how the pig and the eagle diverged as the history of Jewish dietary law and custom played out. Which means you’d probably welcome another helping of Prof. Rosenblum. Well, you’d get that, and much more, in the excellent brief summary of the deep history of the animal — the pig that is, not the eagle — in the Levant coincidentally just out in Archaeology Magazine.

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More Trending

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A new perspective on healthy eating

Sustainable Food Trust

Its easy to feel overwhelmed by the various, confusing and often contradictory diet guidelines that exist to help us make better food choices. Here, food journalist, Joanna Blythman, reviews The Nourishment Table, a new dietary framework from Brussels which has been designed to help us make healthier food choices based on two key considerations: nutrient density and degrees of processing.

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The Agronomists, Ep 187: Success with edible beans featuring Wade Bickell and Dennis Lange

Real Agriculture

Edible or dry beans come in several shapes, colours, and sizes, but they all have incredible earning potential if done right. To dig in to the how, when, and why of edible bean production, this episode of The Agronomists features Wade Bickell of Hensall Co-op and Dennis Lange with Manitoba Agriculture to talk about field Read More Edible or dry beans come in several shapes, colours, and sizes, but they all have incredible earning potential if done right.

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Industry-funded advice of the week: interpreting nutrition science

Food Politics

A dietitian member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who wishes to remain anonymous, emailed me about PepsiCos guide to research interpretation. PepsiCo sent dietitians this webinar and handout for communicating nutrition science and evaluating studies. I took a look at the handout, which gives a high quality research distinction to any studies in which authors have clearly disclosed conflict of interest.

Science 130
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Enumerator Spotlight: Meet Bette Hertneky

NASDA

Q&A For over 40 years, Colorado field supervisor Bette Hertneky has brought dedication, local knowledge, and passion to her work with NASDA and NASS. Starting her career as an enumerator in 1984, Bettes commitment and expertise have made a lasting impact on our program. Read more to learn more about her incredible journey! What first interested you in working as an enumerator?

Grain 130
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Brainfood: Climate change & health, Cassava disease treble, Solanaceae disease, Parasitoid variation, Cucurbita diseases, Orange disease, Chestnut disease

Agricultural Biodiversity

Climate change and nutrition-associated diseases. Climate change is going to be bad for human health. To help us cope with the heavier burden of disease, crops will need to be able to cope better with pests and diseases themselves… Genome-wide association study of cassava brown streak disease resistance in cassava germplasm conserved in South America. …and studying genebank collections will help us help them do just that… Candidate genes for field resistance to cassava brown st

Seeding 126
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Beef-on-dairy popularity has tightened heifer replacement numbers

Real Agriculture

The dairy industry has always provided a relatively small but consistent portion of the beef industry in the integrated North American market. As breeding technology has advanced, dairy producers have been steadily increasing the pounds of beef produced from the relatively same number of cows. Lance Zimmerman, senior animal protein analyst with Rabobank, says that Read More The dairy industry has always provided a relatively small but consistent portion of the beef industry in the integrated Nor

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The Super Bowl food phenomenon: a few items

Food Politics

The Super Bowl may be about football but it is also very much about food, as this image shows. And here are a few items about all that food: Super Bowl snacking: Facts, figures and fan favourites: The Super Bowl isnt just about touchdowns and halftime shows; its also one of the biggest food consumption events of the year. What are the latest trends, spending habits, and favourite snacks that define this massive snacking event?

Food 130
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Policy Perspectives: Patrick Wade Discusses NASDA’s Rural Development Policies and NASS Data

NASDA

Q&A In a recent interview, NASDA Director of Public Policy Patrick Wade talks about NASDAs work on agricultural labor, pesticide rules, and rural development. He explains how NASS data helps with these efforts and supports farmers and ranchers. Before joining NASDA, Patrick served as Policy Director for the Texas Grain Sorghum Producers, where he often relied on NASS data to demonstrate the importance of grain sorghum to key state legislators districts.

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The Ripple Effects of Federal Grant Freezes: Small Business Owners Share Their Stories

Food Tank

The Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives, Congressionally-allocated funds that support dairy businesses under the 2018 Farm Bill, are frozen under new government rules. Two Ohio grant recipients affected by the freeze share their concerns with Food Tank about job loss, interrupted growth, debt, and weakened local economies. DBI grants are housed by four regional hubs , which distribute funds to over 400 dairy businesses nationwide.

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Saskatchewan updates grazing lease formula for 2025

Real Agriculture

The Saskatchewan government has updated its formula for calculating lease rates for grazing Crown land in 2025. The provincial agriculture ministry has introduced an amended formula that uses average price of cattle marketed between October 1 to November 30 of the five preceding years, as opposed to the previous formula, which was based on fall Read More The Saskatchewan government has updated its formula for calculating lease rates for grazing Crown land in 2025.

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Biochar Reduces Campylobacter in Free-range Chickens in Danish Study

ATTRA

A field study by researchers at the Technical University of Denmark showed that utilizing biochar as a feed additive for free-range chickens achieved an 80% reduction in campylobacter. Campylobacter is naturally present bacterium in the chicken gut microbiome, but it can contaminate the meat and make humans sick from poor kitchen hygiene or under-cooked meat. “Reducing bacterial levels in chickens can make a significant difference in public health.

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NASDA announces new member of public policy team

NASDA

Press Release ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture is excited to announce the hiring of Logan Moss as Associate Director Public Policy. As Associate Director, Moss will lead NASDAs Animal Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment Policy Committees. I am honored to join the NASDA team and help advance its critical mission of enhancing American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships and public engagement, Moss said.

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Economic Principles and Farm Management

Agric4profits

This article introduces common concepts and tools in Farm Management, specifically focusing on some economic principles and their impact on farm management. The Law of Diminishing Returns The law of diminishing returns, also known as the law of variable proportions, is a well-observed phenomenon in production, especially for most inputs at normal production levels.

Farming 100
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3 questions to get farm succession moving

Real Agriculture

Weeks can turn into months, and months into years when it comes to getting the ball rolling, and keeping it rolling, on a farm succession plan. To simplify what can feel like an overwhelming project, the chair of the Winnipeg chapter of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) recommends coming up with answers to Read More Weeks can turn into months, and months into years when it comes to getting the ball rolling, and keeping it rolling, on a farm succession plan.

Farming 244
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With 80+ Speakers, Join Us in Bringing Food to the Forefront of Big Conversations at SXSW

Food Tank

A version of this piece was featured in Food Tanks newsletter, released weekly on Thursdays. To make sure it lands straight in your inbox and to be among the first to receive it, subscribe now by clicking here. For decadescertainly for most of my careerdiscussions about food and agriculture systems have been pushed to the sidelines. Many of us have had to fight, over and over and over again, to get folks in power to take food and agriculture seriously.

Food 98
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In Hawai‘i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better

Modern Farmer

On the rainy side of Hawaii Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips a bright orange pod and slices it neatly at the stem before bending a knee to cut the fruit open. Daeus Bencomo. Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton. The pods dense and waxy exterior gives way to seeds coated in white pulp sweet, bitter and nutty to the taste.

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Experts and Lawmakers Sound Alarms Over Impacts of NOAA Cuts on Fisheries

Civil Eats

After several hundred employees were fired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week as part of DOGEs workforce cuts, reporting has focused on how those cuts might threaten critical weather modeling and systems that help predict and warn the public about severe weather events such as hurricanes and tsunamis. In response to a question asking for more details on the staff cuts, a NOAA spokesperson told Civil Eats that per long-standing practice, we are not discussin

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Bayer soybean trait technology offers five herbicide tolerances built-in

Real Agriculture

New trait technology from Bayer Crop Science will allow growers to use five herbicide actives in soybean crops. The company says its Vyconic soybeans represents a leap forward in weed control, bringing greater management options and flexibility to farmers fields, the company says. The new trait technology will be the first in the industry to Read More New trait technology from Bayer Crop Science will allow growers to use five herbicide actives in soybean crops.

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FOOD FREEDOM RESOLUTION

The Lunatic Farmer

Whereas courts have ruled that citizens have no right to choose the source of their food, meaning no legal standing to sue for redress when denied options, and Whereas many food buyers desire to purchase alternative foods not sanctioned by food regulations, and Whereas licensing and regulatory oversight is prejudicial against small and innovative processors and marketers, and Whereas this interventive scale prejudicial culture inhibits market choice, and Whereas personally choosing your microbio

Food 83
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Biofortification: Future Challenges for a Newly Emerging Technology to Improve Nutrition Security Sustainably

Farming First

Although substantial progress has been made, biofortification is not yet tightly woven into food systems for improving nutrition and health. The post Biofortification: Future Challenges for a Newly Emerging Technology to Improve Nutrition Security Sustainably appeared first on Farming First.

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Nature and Scope of Farm Management

Agric4profits

Agriculture is regarded as the art and science of cultivating crops, raising livestock, provision of raw materials for agro-allied industries, and marketing of agricultural produce for mans use. There are many branches of agriculture which, among others, include: Agricultural Economics, Crop Science, Soil Science, Animal Science, Fishery, Forestry, and Agricultural Engineering.

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Five ways to elevate your fertilizer budget and nutrient management plan

Real Agriculture

The long-term success of your farm is not only critical to your own profitability and prosperity, but it is critical to the success of the next generation on your farm. Setting up the next generation for success means creating a strong plan now and intensely managing your input costs and return on investment (ROI). During Read More The long-term success of your farm is not only critical to your own profitability and prosperity, but it is critical to the success of the next generation on your far

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Release: NSAC Holds Briefing as USDA Funding Freeze and Layoffs Threaten Farmers and Communities Nationwide

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: NSAC Holds Briefing as USDA Funding Freeze and Layoffs Threaten Farmers and Communities Nationwide Washington, DC, March 6, 2025 Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a coalition of more than 150 farm, food, conservation, and rural organizations, held a virtual briefing on how the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding freeze and employee la

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Continuing USDA Funding Freeze Hangs Over Farm Policy Events

Civil Eats

During a busy week of farm policy events in Washington D.C. (and beyond) last week, USDA officials and staff pressed forward with business as usual, while some farmers tried to call attention to the billions of dollars in contracted funding theyre still waiting for. At the NASDA Winter Policy Conference , the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum , and the Commodity Classic , Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins talked about her priorities, including fixing a challenging farm economy, supporting a new

Farming 68
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How to Manage Agriculture Like a Business

Agric4profits

In the last article, it was learned that agribusiness encompasses a whole lot of business activities related to agriculture, which spans three sectors and offers numerous business opportunities. For any business to be successful, there is a need for efficient management.

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Inductor Flex aims to speed up spraying and enhance safety

Real Agriculture

Spraying is a time-consuming job that also exposes growers to potentially harmful chemicals. These are two things that Pattison Liquid Systems aims to remedy with their latest chemical induction product, the Inductor Flex. The Inductor Flex has a 60-gallon mix tank and a 440 GPM water pump. By drawing product directly from the tote into Read More Spraying is a time-consuming job that also exposes growers to potentially harmful chemicals.

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How to Write a Business Plan For Your Farm

Farmbrite

Whether you're a seasoned farmer or rancher , an aspiring farmer looking to venture intofarming or ranching, or a farm business owner who wants to have a strong plan as they transition into another farm business, its helpful to know how to write and use a business plan. This will allow you to maximize your time, understand where you need to focus,engage with the right people, and nail yourmarketing strategy.

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Coordinated Landscape-level Conservation on Agricultural Lands Fosters Improved Wildlife Habitat

ATTRA

Scientists from the University of Gttingen in Germany identified several key factors that facilitate successful agricultural-environmental collaboration at landscape level. Participating scientists noted that agri-environmental measures that are planned across farms at the landscape level offer greater potential for creating suitable habitats for different species as a mosaic in the landscape.

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How to Manage Agribusiness Operations Effectively?

Agric4profits

In the last article, it was learned that the various definitions provided by individual authors do not address all the possible types of agribusinesses, and a more encompassing definition was noted. Agribusiness is a large and diverse sector that encompasses economic activities including culturing, processing, extracting, and distribution. Read Also:7 Medicinal Health Benefits of Daffodils… Read More » How to Manage Agribusiness Operations Effectively?

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RealAg Radio: Global markets, dryer economics, and monitoring what’s in the bin, Mar 3, 2025

Real Agriculture

Thanks for tuning in to this Agronomic Monday of RealAg Radio brought to you by AGI! Host Shaun Haney is joined by: David Postill, senior vice-president of AGI Digital on marketing; Jeff Cruzen, dryer business development rep on the drying economics; Scott Cerveny, product specialist and Ryan Thompson, strategic account manager on managing whats in Read More Thanks for tuning in to this Agronomic Monday of RealAg Radio brought to you by AGI!

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