Grants Available for Specialty Crops – March 26 Deadline
In early February 2015, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (MDARD) announced the availability of a series of grants for Michigan specialty crop growers....
View ArticleNASDA Supports National Uniform Labeling Policy for Genetically Modified Foods
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) passed a resolution to support a national uniform labeling policy for genetically modified foods (GMO). The purpose of this...
View ArticleCongress Holds Hearing on Proposed “Waters of the United States”...
On February 4, 2015, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee questioned EPA officials about a proposed rule to redefine...
View ArticleNew Rule Ahead for Farm Animal Antibiotics
A new rule concerning the use of antibiotics on farm animals is nearly finalized. The rule will require producers and distributors of antibiotic products to work more closely with veterinarians to...
View ArticleDistrict Court Dismisses Country of Origin Labeling Lawsuit
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has dismissed the lawsuit filed by meatpackers and trade groups against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This lawsuit challenged the...
View ArticleProtective Order Issued in Suit to Stop EPA from Releasing Farmers’...
A federal district court in Minnesota recently issued a protective order prohibiting the EPA from releasing information about animal feeding operations—including farmers' names, home addresses,...
View ArticleManure Rulings Stink for Farmers
Originally published in Michigan Farm News, February 2015 Historically, the agricultural industry has not been the focus of stringent enforcement by environmental agencies. Presumably, regulators did...
View ArticleNew USDA Study Says COOL not Beneficial to American Consumers
Country-of-origin labeling (COOL) is not economically beneficial to American consumers, according to a new report authored by a team of agricultural economists from Kansas State University and the...
View ArticleUSDA Proposed Rule Limits Payments to Non-Farmers
A newly proposed rule issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under authority of the 2014 Farm Bill limits farm payments to non-farmers. Under the current rule, individuals designated as...
View ArticleMDARD Workgroup Recommends Legislation to Support Urban Livestock Operations
Property owners who want to start or expand commercial livestock operations are required to go through a site verification process designed to ensure compliance with Michigan’s Generally Accepted...
View ArticleDEQ Announces CAFO Permit Change to Protect Michigan Surface Waters
On May 4, 2015, Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced a change to its Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) discharge permits in an effort to better protect the...
View ArticleRelease of Personal Information Called ‘Unlawful’ and a...
After a federal district court dismissed a case filed against the EPA, thereby upholding the validity of the EPA's public release of personal information about farmers and their families, the American...
View ArticleGet Ready…Widespread Commercial Drone Use is on the Horizon
Originally published in Michigan Farm News, July 2015. The agricultural community seems poised and ready to start using unmanned aerial vehicles ("UAVs") as part of its regular agricultural...
View ArticleDitches Are Under EPA Control
This article was originally published in Michigan Farm News in July 2015. Most farms have ditches to help move excess storm water off their fields. And most farmers periodically clean out those...
View ArticleFederal Judge Blocks WOTUS Rule, Michigan Files Separate Suit
The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers’ “Waters of the United States” Rule (WOTUS) that was supposed to go into effect on August 28, 2015, was blocked when North Dakota U.S....
View ArticleMandatory GMO Labeling Quashed Under House Bill
In late July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act. The controversial legislation, as passed by the House, creates a national voluntary standard for the...
View ArticleMichigan Legislation Update: Horses, Taxes, Soil Erosion Permits
Two new laws and a bill introduced in the House have gained support from Michigan Farm Bureau. Michigan Farm News reports that the Equine Liability Act (Public Act 87 of 2015) has been amended to...
View ArticlePesticide Bill Would Eliminate Duplicative Permitting
In 2009, a federal court ruling required pesticide users to now apply for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, under the Clean Water Act (CWA), if chemicals were sprayed...
View ArticleDid You Grow Corn in the Past Two Years? You’re Part of a Lawsuit
Corn farmers across the county have collectively filed more than 20,000 lawsuits against Syngenta. In 2010, Syngenta released GMO seed before it was approved by some export markets, most notably...
View ArticleState Court of Appeals Upholds DNR Order Prohibiting Russian Boar
Originally published in Michigan Farm News, September 2015 In a recent decision, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a ruling by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources that added Russian boars...
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