While two Minnesotans’ names — those of Rep. Collin Peterson and, perhaps more of a longshot, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie — have been bandied about as potential agriculture secretary candidates in the Obama administration,…
The global impact of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cereal Disease Laboratory on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus may not be instantly recognizable, but in the midst of a global food crisis its mission is…
Minnesota’s sugar industry got a sweet treat from Congress. The new farm bill passed last week guarantees minimum pricing through 2011 and mandates that the government must purchase surplus…
As a growing chorus of voices from all corners begin to question the benefit of agriculturally derived biofuels, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed into law a new biofuel mandate. The
Ethanol critics have widely bashed the corn-based fuel for its role in inflating food prices worldwide. But a fascinating article in Der Spiegel, a German news magazine, says classic supply and demand can’t…
Above, a photo from a food riot in West Bengal. Below, excerpts of two news accounts whose pairing requires no comment.
“Surging commodity prices have pushed up global food prices 83 percent in the past three years,…
The agriculture boom is turning a once-successful voluntary conservation effort into a struggle between farmers, conservationists and the government. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was authorized in 1985 and…
Interesting report by Mark Steil of MPR on Minnesota farmers’ soaring incomes — which rose by 70 percent last year, according to a University of Minnesota survey.
It’s the ethanol, stupid: Steil writes that…
What do you do if you’re an oil company, an auto maker or an agricultural giant taking criticism for your environmental practices? You buy ads touting your environmental practices in glossy, well-respected, national-circulation magazines.
A…
by Dien Judge of The Iowa Independent
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee leadership released a new draft farm bill spending outline this week, but reactions were mixed.
The proposal was…
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
