agriculture News

US Climate Report Shows Rising Temps, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Headed Down

A new national climate report that shows temperatures rapidly rising, but it also has some good news for the U.S. The Fifth National Climate Assessment, which analyzes the impacts of climate and global change in the U.S., shows that global …

Louisiana Citrus Farmers Seeing a Mass Influx of Salt Water

Commercial citrus growers have dwindled over the past few decades in south Louisiana, where farmers have had to battle hurricanes, flooding, invasive insects, freezes and drought to keep their groves alive. The latest hurdle comes from a slow-moving threat, a …

Lingering Drought and Wildfires Plague Texas, Threatening Water Supplies and Agriculture

A lingering drought affecting more than 80% of Texas is causing wildfires, hurting agriculture and drying up water supplies throughout the state. This year’s drought comes less than a year after Texas experienced one of its worst droughts on record …

Delayed Passage of Farm Bill Stirs Concern for Texas Agriculture

WASHINGTON — Key federal legislation to support farmers and consumers could get delayed due to the looming government shutdown, causing uncertainty for agriculture and nutrition programs in Texas. The must-pass package of legislation known as the farm bill, which is …

Washington Declares Drought Emergencies in a Dozen Counties

A drought emergency was declared in a dozen counties of Washington state because of early snowmelt, a lack of spring rain and low-flowing streams. Some wells in Whatcom County in the northwestern part of the state are dry, and one …

Washington’s Legal Cannabis Farms Reopen After Pesticide Concerns Halted Operations

A big mound of fresh dirt sits at Terry Taylor`s marijuana farm in the high desert of north-central Washington state. Each hole for a new plant gets filled with the clean soil. Large swaths of recently installed landscape fabric cover …

Midwest States Consider Relaxing Child Labor Laws to Address Worker Shortages

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Lawmakers in several states are embracing legislation to let children work in more hazardous occupations, longer hours on school nights and in expanded roles including serving alcohol in bars and restaurants as young as 14. The …

Bill Would Offer Crop Insurance Discount to Farmers Who Plant Cover Crops

A bipartisan bill proposed by federal lawmakers would provide farmers a discount on crop insurance premiums by planting cover crops. The Conversation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience (COVER) Act, proposed last week by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Reps. Sean …

Fruit Harvest Faces Ruin After Floods Hit Italy’s Emilia-Romagna

Deadly floods in northern Italy will ravage fruit production in what is normally one of the country’s most bountiful agricultural regions, farm lobby Coldiretti said on Monday. Floods killed 14 people last week in Emilia-Romagna as torrential rain caused more …

California to Meet 100% of Water Requests Thanks to Storms

California will provide 100% of the water requested by cities and farms for the first time in years thanks to winter storms that filled reservoirs and runoff from a record snowpack, regulators announced. The State Water Project will provide full …