Grasslands surge to No. 1 in Conservation Reserve enrollment
The skyrocketing popularity of the grasslands option is adding a working lands dimension to the Conservation Reserve, created four decades ago to take fragile cropland out of production. Grasslands now account for 35 percent of the land enrolled in the reserve, up from 28 percent in fiscal 2023, according to USDA data.
Year-end farm bill trash talk in the House
It’s the Republicans’ fault there was no farm bill this year, said the usually decorous Rep. David Scott, senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, as the House recessed for the year-end holidays. Says you, Republican staff workers responded on the internet.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Feds: Starbucks closed stores to bust unions: The chain must reopen 23 stores it closed last year, allegedly to discourage union organizing, according to a National Labor Relations Board complaint. (Reuters)
Ponzi scheme in cattle: The Securities and Exchange Commission said it had obtained a restraining order and other court-approved interventions against a Texas company it accused of “an ongoing $191 million cattle Ponzi scheme” to defraud investors. (SEC)
Wheat with less gluten: Kansas State University researchers said they have developed wheat varieties that contain lower amounts of gluten, a potential boon for people with celiac disease, while maintaining the ability to make high-quality dough. (KSU)
GREET nearing approval: The Biden administration “is expected this week to recognize” the so-called GREET model for estimating the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol, said three unnamed sources. GREET gives ethanol a better score than other assessments. (Reuters)
Colorado wolf ruling: A federal judge is expected to rule on Friday whether to temporarily halt the impending reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado, a step sought by cattle ranchers. (Associated Press)
