Farm bill’s default reference price hikes could add billions to subsidy costs
Almost every farm in the country will benefit from a more generous trigger for crop subsidy payments in the years ahead if Congress does nothing more than extend the current farm law, said associate professor Jonathan Coppess of the University of Illinois on Thursday.
Two MacArthur grants spotlight interplay of trees and climate
The MacArthur Foundation awarded “genius” grants this year to A. Park Williams, a hydroclimatologist who is developing a wildfire forecasting model after studying climate change and tree mortality, and Lucy Hutyra, an environmental ecologist whose studies show that conserving urban forest fragments helps mitigate local impacts of climate change.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Poultry farms crowd homes: Poultry farmers in Oklahoma are utilizing a state “poultry feeding operation” permit that allows chicken barns as close as 500 feet to an existing residence if the poultry litter is hauled off-site. (Investigate Midwest)
Dip in food sales: Walmart, the largest U.S. food retailer, is seeing “a slight pullback” in food sales to people taking Ozempic and other appetite-suppressing drugs, said CEO John Furner. (Bloomberg)
Corn up, soy down: By the mid-2030s, based on climate projections, U.S. corn yields per acre will increase by 3.1 percent and soybean yields will decline by 3 percent. (USDA)
Summit to try again: Summit Carbon Solutions, denied a permit to build a carbon pipeline in South Dakota, will reapply after finding a route that complies with county ordinances, said a spokesperson. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
USDA road trip: As part of the Biden administration’s “investing in America” tour, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Iowa to discuss the expansion of independent meatpacking capacity and Virginia to talk about healthy school food. (White House)
