Farmland values plateau with occasional declines
High interest rates and lower commodity prices are front-of-mind factors for farmland buyers, said Farmers National Co., a large farm management and real estate company. “Despite these negative pressures, the land market has remained relatively resilient but shows signs of settling in general, including single-digit decreases in specific areas,” said Paul Schadegg, senior vice president.
Reject SNAP cuts in farm bill
More than 1,400 groups said in a letter to Congress on Tuesday that they “will oppose any farm bill,” including the bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee in May, “which proposes cuts in SNAP, including restricting future Thrifty Food Plan benefit adjustments.” Progress on the legislation has been deadlocked for weeks over disagreements on SNAP cuts, climate funding, and higher crop subsidy spending.
Chesapeake Bay: healthiest since 2002
The Chesapeake Bay received its highest score, a “C-plus,” since 2002 in an annual assessment of its environmental health, “an exciting sign that progress is being made in bay restoration,” said University of Maryland scientists on Tuesday. Despite the progress, the bay will not meet the goals set more than a decade ago in the EPA’s so-called pollution diet, said a conservation group.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
California pesticide use declines: Pesticide use declined by 5 percent from 2021 to 2022, part of a longer-term trend, said a state report that tracks applications on farmland and nonagricultural land, such as parks, but not consumer use. (California Department of Pesticide Regulation)
Plenty of biofuel feedstocks: Thanks to $6 billion in investments, U.S. oilseed processors can produce enough feedstocks to justify a 1.4 billion-gallon increase in the Renewable Fuel Standard for biofuels, said a study commissioned by a trade group. (National Oilseed Processors Association)
Extinction by sea rise: For the first time, rising sea levels have wiped out an entire species in the United States — the Key Largo tree cactus, which grows up to 20 feet tall, said scientists. The cactus is also found in Cuba and the Bahama Islands. (Axios)
Deep-fried ranch dressing: The food lineup at the Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 22-Sept. 2, includes deep-fried ranch dressing, grilled purple sticky rice on a stick, bison meatballs, and strawberry lemonade donuts. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
