USDA Launches Webpage Highlighting Resources To Help Rural Communities Address The Opioid Crisis

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today unveiled a new webpage featuring resources to help rural communities respond to the opioid crisis. "While no corner of the country has gone untouched by the opioid crisis, small towns and rural places have been particularly hard hit," Hazlett said.

Weber County vegetable farmers dependent on Mexican workers

While the unseasonal weather is allowing local farmers to start plowing fields in February, the American Farm Bureau is lobbying for better access to foreign labor this summer for agriculture. The future of farming depends upon a program that allows Mexican seasonal workers to come here and return when the job is done, local farmers say.

Perdue to food box critics: Give the idea a chance

Perdue is defending a proposal that would cut food stamp benefits in half and replace them with a pre-ass... WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday defended a proposal that would replace a portion of food stamp benefits with pre-assembled boxes of shelf-stable goods delivered to recipients' doorsteps - an idea one lawmaker called "a cruel joke." The idea was first floated last week in the Trump administration's 2019 budget proposal, tucked inside a larger plan to slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by roughly $213 billion - or 30 percent- over the next 10 years.

Half of Senate Republicans urge Trump to reconsider TPP

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue attends a Farmer's Roundtable where President Donald Trump signed the Executive Order Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America on April 25, 2017, at the White House in Washington, D.C. Twenty-five Republican senators wrote to President Donald Trump on Feb. 21, encouraging him to "work aggressively" to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership . "We write in support of your recent comments expressing interest in reengaging with the Trans-Pacific Partnership to bring about a stronger agreement for the United States," they wrote.

Congress Calls For Investigation Into Obama Holdover Who Colluded With Unions

The chairman of a House investigative subcommittee asked the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General to investigate reports an Obama administration appointee may have violated anti-lobbying laws. Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold wants EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins to investigate Chemical Safety Board member Rick Engler's working with union activists to pressure Congress for funding.

Three sectors being transformed by artificial intelligence

But exactly how that technology will influence the enterprise sector remains to be seen. Fiery public debates have swirled in the tech community around whether new advancements involve tactical adoptions for enterprise, like a personalized, improved retail experience, or whether these developments signal the coming of the robot apocalypse.

China to expand production and use of ethanol; 2020 E10 mandate would …

Xinhua reports that China's State Administration of Grain said that China will expand production and consumption of bioethanol fuel this year as the country seeks more channels to use corn and grain stockpiles. Years of government support for corn farmers - paying Chinese corn producers more than twice the international price level until 2016 - have left China with a substantial stockpile.

Will ‘King Corn’ lose its crown?

With snow still blanketing significant portions of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest, planting season may seem ages away - but in reality, it is just several weeks around the corner. Another sign of the upcoming 2018 crop season came today from Arlington, Va., where USDA released its first planting estimates of the year at its annual Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Critics blast EPA for lowering Syngenta pesticide fine

In this Saturday, May 20, 2017, file photo, protesters carry banners during their march against the multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology companies Monsanto and Syngenta in Basel, Switzerland. After a February 2018 announcement, critics are blasting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for dramatically lowering a fine on agribusiness company Syngenta for violations of pesticide regulations.

Critics blast EPA for lowering Syngenta pesticide fine Source: AP

Critics are blasting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for dramatically lowering a fine on agribusiness company Syngenta for violations of pesticide regulations. Syngenta, under a settlement announced this week, will pay $150,000 for improperly using the pesticide chlorpyrifos at a seed corn field in Hawaii in 2016 and 2017.

Cornell receives $35M to support cassava development for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

Cassava is vital to the food security of millions of Africans who eat some form of the root crop daily. Although cassava breeders are making progress, they still face significant challenges in developing disease-resistant varieties that also increase overall yield and respond to the needs of smallholder farmers and processors.

Top StoryUSDA sanctions $1.3M PACA violator, three others

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four produce firms for failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, including one for more than $1.3 million. Taylor Produce LLC, Rigby, Idaho, is restricted from the produce industry for failing to pay a $1,327,478 award in favor of an Idaho seller, with Alan Taylor Produce and Alan Taylor listed as members of the business.

USDA proposes replacing food stamps with delivery service, increase work requirements

The Trump administration is proposing a drastic change to how millions of people in the U.S. receive food stamps by replacing cards with an equivalent cash value with a "Blue Apron-type" delivery box of food purchased by the government. Unlike Blue Apron, which includes meat and produce, the food delivery box would include only shelf-stable foods like canned goods, rice and pasta, and other processed foods.

It’s up to us to protect Earth

President Donald Trump's first year in office seemed to be dedicated to undoing key legislation ensuring clean air and water, and his proposed budget aligns with his anti-environment agenda. It includes a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, which is largely responsible for protecting human health and the environment.

Whole Eggs Better for Muscle Building and Repair than Egg Whites, Researchers Find

People who consume 18 grams of protein from whole eggs or from egg whites after engaging in resistance exercise differ dramatically in how their muscles build protein, a process called protein synthesis, during the post-workout period, researchers report in a new study. Specifically, the post-workout muscle-building response in those eating whole eggs is 40 percent greater than in those consuming an equivalent amount of protein from egg whites, the team found.

Blue Apron? ‘Um, No.’ Anti-Hunger Advocates Decry…

A girl pays for her mother's groceries using Electronic Benefits Transfer tokens, more commonly known as food stamps, at a farmers' market in New York City. benefits-about 80 percent of eligible families-would receive half of their benefits in the monthly food boxes, which would contain shelf-stable milk, juice, grains, cereals, pasta, peanut butter, beans and canned meat, fruits and vegetables.

Interior to replace Obama-era rule on methane emissions

In this June 12, 2014 file photo, oil pumps and natural gas burn off in Watford City, N.D. The Interior Department says it is replacing an Obama-era regulation aimed at restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands. A rule being published in the Federal Register this week will replace the 2016 rule with requirements similar to those that were in force before the Obama administration changed the regulation.