As federal TIGER debate swirls, infrastructure could be on hold
President Donald Trump’s $1 trillion pledge to reconstruct the nation’s infrastructure has been relegated back in the legislative line as the White House and Congress deal with health care, immigration and reported shake-ups within the administration itself.
Survey shows: Producers more optimistic about farm economy
Producers across the country are feeling much more optimistic than they were a year ago about the ag economy, in particular about the direction of commodity prices, according to the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.
Indiana Grown Marketplace running strong at state fair
For the second year in a row, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s (ISDA) Indiana Grown program has made an appearance at the Indiana State Fair – and is successfully selling products even in the absence of former partner Marsh Supermarkets.
As Court mulls RVO plans, biofuel backers seek more
When the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated the EPA’s methodology used in determining 2014-16 total Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on July 28, it represented a huge victory for renewable fuels proponents and farmers.
FDA approves heart-healthy claim for soybean oil usage
A recent announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowing soybean oil to be promoted as a heart-healthy alternative has won praise from the soybean industry.
Top USDA state and federal chairs still need candidates
As Congress heads into its August recess and President Trump heads off on vacation, more than 1,000 top positions needing Senate confirmation throughout the government remain vacant, including more than a dozen senior USDA posts.
State officials have imposed an interior quarantine on the movement of hemlock trees because of increasing cases of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an insect found on the trees. HWA is a tiny insect that forms small white masses on the stems and twigs of hemlock trees and, if left untreated, will kill them. Michigan has 170 million hemlocks.
