Farm bill makes distant relatives eligible for subsidies
Congress is expected to send President Trump a farm bill this week that makes nieces, nephews and first cousins of farmers eligible for crop subsidies, a setback in the decades-old drive to control farm spending.
Family farming on a precipice, Wisconsin farmers warn
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Corporate consolidation and low commodity prices are posing an existential threat to small, family farms, farmers warned at an event hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union in Madison last week.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
On Twitter, a farmer support community (Wyoming Public Media): Amid a mental health crisis in rural communities, some farmers are turning to hashtags on Twitter and other social media sites for support.
Are small towns the best place for a beer? (Brewers Association): New data show that areas with smaller populations have a higher number of breweries per capita than dense urban areas. The number of breweries in rural places has increased 129 percent since 2013.
China may buy and stockpile U.S. soybeans (Bloomberg): China is considering the purchase at least 5 million tonnes (184 million bushels) of U.S. soybeans with most or all of it to be mothballed in state-owned reserves, said government officials under condition of anonymity.
USDA agency halts pollination report (USDA): As a money-saving move, the National Agricultural Statistics Service suspended its annual Cost of Pollination Services report, a compilation of fees paid by farmers for use of honeybees to pollinate their crops, but said it will continue its reports on honey production and the number of bee colonies in the nation.
Feeder calves from Mexico (Ohio State University): Imports of feed calves from Mexico, which traditionally supply 5 percent of cattle being fattened for slaughter in U.S. feedlots, are up 5 percent this year, totaling 898,000 head through October.
Minnesota sets cut-off date for dicamba (Farm Journal): The Minnesota Agriculture Department set a June 20 cut-off for use of the weedkiller dicamba on row crops, a new restriction intended to reduce the chance of damage to neighboring fields.
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