Category: Ag News

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:11:44 CDT

House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott released the below statement following today’s announcement of investments by USDA in American-made fertilizer production.

“The importance of A…

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 12:02:27 CDT

Safeguarding America’s Most Productive Farmland and Ranchland from Development While Expanding Equitable Access to Renewable Energy

American Farmland Trust, Edelen Renewables and Arcadia today announced a partnership, Farmers Powering Communities, to combat climate change through solar energy development while protecting America’s farmland and ranchland for growing food, fuel and fiber. The partnership provides more farmers with the opportunity for a new revenue stream and brings renewable energy to communities where it has not yet been available.

Farmers Powering Communities will advance community solar projects of 25 to 50 acres to provide green energy to those who do not have access to rooftop solar – connecting them with local solar farms and bringing resiliency to more Americans. Increasing numbers of U.S. residents have installed rooftop solar on their property, but two-thirds of Americans cannot do so, either because they live in multi-family dwellings or because they rent their homes or because they cannot afford it. Community solar projects bridge the gap, connecting people to shared solar facilities. The partnership will identify the best land for new solar farms, establish installations and link them to local energy providers who will provide the power to residents at costs lower than the market average. Together, the partners will work to create 500 megawatts of community solar capacity in five years.

AFT’s Smart SolarSM principles will guide the location of development to ensure that it prioritizes solar siting within the built environment (rooftops, carports, irrigation ditches), on disturbed and contaminated lands (brownfields, landfills, reclaimed mining lands), and lastly, on marginal agricultural land instead of prime farmland. Where solar development occurs on good farmland, the installation should be agrivoltaic—or dual-use – allowing farming or ranching to continue in concert with solar energy production. As we build new solar, it’s critical not to harm agricultural systems which themselves help combat climate change by sequestering carbon.

“Farmers are on the frontlines of climate change, experiencing extreme weather events that impact their crops, livestock and livelihoods,” said John Piotti, AFT president and CEO. “We also know that farms can be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Farmland can draw carbon from the air to rebuild soil when farmed using climate-smart practices like cover crops and reduced tillage. We need to dramatically ramp up solar energy production while retaining our farms and ranches. That’s what this partnership is all about. Doing solar the right way and putting it in the right place is what we call Smart Solar.”

“For too long, agricultural land preservationists and green energy advocates have been at cross purposes,” said Adam Edelen, founder and CEO of Kentucky-based Edelen Renewables. “Bringing together those working to feed the planet with those working to power America offers an inspiring and workable path forward. This historic partnership will keep family farmers on their land, open a new front in battling climate change and benefit the checkbooks of lower-income ratepayers. This is a partnership in which everybody wins and is proof positive that Americans can bridge divides to make our communities, country and the world more sustainable, prosperous and resilient.”

“Arcadia was founded on the simple idea that everyone deserves access to clean energy, and our technology platform already manages over one gigawatt of cheaper, cleaner community solar for communities across the U.S.,” said Kiran Bhatraju, founder and CEO of Arcadia. “The nation’s farmland communities have long been on the front lines of climate change, and this partnership will give them a powerful new weapon in that fight, all while providing steady new revenues.”

“The partnership between Edelen Renewables, American Farmland Trust and Arcadia is representative of solar energy’s new frontier, said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO for the Solar Energy Industries Association. “Community solar projects are key to making clean and reliable solar power more accessible to families that have been left out of the renewable revolution. Together, these organizations will work to ensure that all parties involved, including landowners, rural communities, and developers, benefit from these sustainable energy developments.”

Development will begin in 2023 across a number of states that have active community solar programs, including ME, MA, RI, NY, NJ, DE, MD, DC, VA, IL, MN, CO, NM, and OR. The partnership will also accelerate community solar access across the country through state and federal policy advocacy.

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 11:15:10 CDT

Leaders representing the U.S. red meat industry recently traveled to Tokyo to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the inaugural U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) office, which opened in Tokyo in 1977. Japa…

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:36:31 CDT

The Soil Health Institute (SHI) congratulates all recently announced USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant recipients. As an implementing partner across five selected projects, SHI will work …

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:31:18 CDT

The Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics and OSU Extension will host the annual Rural Economic Outlook Conference Oct. 12 in the OSU ConocoPhillips Alumni Center.

Hundreds of p…

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:26:20 CDT

New Grant Program Will Spur Competition and Help U.S. Farmers Address Rising Costs

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is m…

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:05:14 CDT

Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the "Cow Calf Corner" published electronically by …

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:01:08 CDT

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was presented the Oklahoma Farm Bureau “Friend of Farm Bureau” award for his leadership in supporting Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers. He was nominated by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and was selected by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Lankford participated in an informal ceremony last week and hosted a question and answer session with a few members from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

“Our Oklahoma farmers and ranchers face way too many obstacles that they can’t control like the weather and big government regulations,” said Lankford. “This year our producers are faced with issues on trade, ongoing drought, high fertilizer prices, and more. It is the noble work of our Oklahoma farmers and ranchers that ensure that Oklahoma and the world are fed and clothed. My family is grateful for our Ag producers every day and the commitment they have to the land and our environment. I am grateful for the ways we get to partner with Oklahoma Farm Bureau to make sure we are fighting the right way on their behalf.”

“The prestigious Friend of Farm Bureau award has long been given to members of Congress who understand and protect the important role agriculture plays in our nation,” said Rodd Moesel, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. “Throughout his time in Washington, DC, Senator Lankford has been a staunch partner to agriculture and rural Oklahoma. His door is always open for discussion of important issues, and he often reaches out personally to hear the thoughts of Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers. Oklahoma Farm Bureau could not be more proud to present Senator Lankford with the 2022 Friend of Farm Bureau award.”

Earlier this year, Lankford joined his colleagues in an effort to eliminate duties on fertilizer imports to quickly remedy high costs before the 2022 planting season. He also pushed back on a proposed rule from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would have placed unworkable climate disclosure regulations on farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers, and as inflation soars, Lankford urged federal financial regulators to provide community banks, credit unions, and Farm Credit institutions with the regulatory flexibility they need to responsibly work with their agriculture clients as the profit margins of farmers and ranchers dramatically shrink because of higher input costs.

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 03:25:33 CDT

Joplin Regional Stockyards Feeder Cattle
Mon Sep 26, 2022

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