Aid ‘natural climate solutions’ with bigger USDA stewardship spending, says report
Congress should substantially increase — as much as double — funding for USDA stewardship programs that encourage climate mitigation and help farmers make money from climate-smart practices, said a Washington think tank on Wednesday.
Rural America needs ‘circular economy,’ says Vilsack
Congress could use the 2023 farm bill to promote a “circular economy” that creates jobs and income in rural America rather than relying on rural areas for raw materials that are processed elsewhere, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. “That’s an important component of any farm bill discussion of the future,” he told reporters.
Today’s Quick Hits
Senator has stroke: Democrat Ben Ray Luján, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is expected to be back at work in Washington in four to six weeks following a stroke he suffered at home in New Mexico. (CBS News)
JBS antitrust settlement: In the first settlement of a lawsuit alleging price-fixing in the beef industry, meatpacker JBS SA agreed to pay $52.5 million to so-called direct purchasers of beef. (Reuters)
Vaccination rates rise: Some 49 percent of rural Americans are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, an increase of 1.25 percentage points in two weeks. In four states — Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire — rural vaccination rates are higher than urban rates. (Daily Yonder)
Iowa E15 bill: The state House of Representatives passed, 82-10, a bill that would require all service stations in Iowa to sell E15, though waivers will be granted to small operators that cannot afford the equipment needed to handle higher blends of ethanol and gasoline. (Radio Iowa)
Chicken stalks Pentagon: Animal welfare officials were called to the Pentagon to apprehend a stray chicken that “flew the coop and almost pecked her way into one of the most secure buildings on earth.” (Military Times)
