Solar, other energy production emerging as pillar for farmland values
Farmers are beginning to regard energy production on their land, such as solar, wind, and carbon capture usage, as a factor in driving land values upward, said a Purdue University survey on Tuesday. The survey also found more farmers are exploring leases for solar production, and that lease rates are going higher and higher.
‘Drastically reorient’ agrifood system to blunt climate change
The global agrifood system emits nearly one third of the world’s greenhouse gases, far more than previously thought, when hopes of limiting global warming will require net-zero emissions from the sector by 2050, said the World Bank. “Now is the time to drastically reorient the agrifood system, as its current form is pushing the planet beyond its operating limits.”
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Neighbors needn’t test: The USDA said “surrounding farms are not required to be tested” if bird flu is found in a dairy herd, under its order that lactating dairy cows be tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus before shipment across state lines. (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
Rural voters, urban districts: Some 72 percent of rural voters live in congressional districts where the majority of voters are urban or suburban residents, and only 28 percent are in districts where the majority of voters are rural Americans, according to an analysis of Census data. (Daily Yonder)
Rural impact of dollar stores: Independent grocers saw a 9.2 percent drop in sales if a dollar store opened nearby and were three times more likely to leave the market than an independent grocer in the city, said USDA analysts. (Economic Research Service)
Wildfire losses of $123 million: Wildfires in the Texas Panhandle burned 1.2 million acres and killed 12,000 cattle with total agricultural losses of $123 million from Feb. 26 through mid-March — the costliest wildfire in state history, said Texas A&M extension. (Agrilife Today)
Election test for Braun: Sen. Mike Braun, who has the endorsement of former president Donald Trump, faces a crowded field in the Republican gubernatorial primary in Indiana on Tuesday; Braun is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. (NBC News)
