From Sustainable Agriculture to Farm Bill: Top Stories

This week in our national news roundup, several sustainability articles took the spotlight as the world shifts towards more sustainable agricultural practices. However, we also saw a wide variety of other topics from fully autonomous flying agriculture products to new USDA announcements.

Plus, Kyle gave us a new "A Sharp Perspective" on the farm bill and the office offered up a list of?favorite products we use regularly. Let's dive in to see what the week had to offer.?

Arbor Day

Friday, April 28th is Arbor Day. This year, business leaders, politicians, YouTubers, and celebrities are calling for the planting of millions, billions, or even trillions of trees to slow climate change. They want to put the focus more on growing trees, not just planting them.?

Read more about it in our?Arbor Day: Why Planting Trees Isn’t Enough?article.?

First eVTOL In The U.S.

FAA approval makes Guardian Agriculture the first commercially authorized eVTOL in the United States. Their eVTOL delivers the same comprehensive coverage as traditional aerial crop dusting and ground spraying equipment, at the same or lower costs, all with digital precision.

Read more about it in our?Guardian Agriculture's Aircraft Becomes First eVTOL Authorized to Operate in the U.S. article.?

Sustainable Agriculture

In a G7 Ministers of Agriculture Meeting this week, Qu pointed to five key actions in need of implementation regarding the roles of markets, assistance, agrifood systems, the private sector, science, and innovation to drive progress to sustainable agrifood systems. Read more about it in our?Five Actions for G7 to Drive Progress to Sustainable Agrifood Systems?article.?

Also, Québecian researchers in sustainable food systems have offered considerations for future changes. They believe that the objective should not be simply to achieve food autonomy but to undertake the process of a just transition towards a socially just and agroecological food system. Read more about it?here.?

In the U.S., the USDA has initiated the beginnings of projects funded through the $3.1 billion Partnerships for?Climate-Smart Commodities effort.?

The Crop World

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service released the National Hemp Report stating that the value of industrial hemp is down 71% from 2021. Read more about the value of hemp production?here.?

In the garlic world, research has begun to dive into the correlation between garlic quality and growing location. Researchers cultivated 12 Argentine garlic cultivars and harvested the garlic to analyze total organosulfur, phenolics, and solids content, as indicators of their flavor intensity, health-related properties, and postharvest quality. Read more about it in our?Does Growing Location Influence Garlic Flavor and Health Benefits?article.?

In the corn world, the?National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)?is proud to announce the expansion of the National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC) to include a new pilot class focused on nitrogen management. The pilot allows corn growers to continue experimenting with practices that reduce inputs to optimize economics and environmental stewardship while creating opportunities for current participants to pilot new practices and for new participants to join the contest. Read more about it?here.?

More In The Crop World

Forage inventories remain strained going into 2023, and although for some areas drought conditions have eased this spring, a large portion of the US is still facing a precipitation deficit. To help farmers with this, Katie Raver, Rock River Laboratory animal nutrition and field support specialist, has provided?Three Keys to Optimizing Silage in Ongoing Drought.?

Also, speaking on behalf of the American Soybean Association and his fellow soy growers, ASA President Daryl Cates, Columbia, Illinois, addressed the need for mitigating farmers’ risks both in the field and beyond. Cates was invited to testify before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit, where he offered soy producers’ perspectives on the 2023 Farm Bill. Read more about it in our?Soy to HAC: Protect Crop Insurance, Improve Title I Farm Safety Net?article.?

Farming Policy/ Economy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding $2.29 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) Farm Bill program to advance APHIS’ animal health preparedness. Read more about it in our?USDA Announces $2.29M in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health?article.?

In other news, a new bill called?The Young Farmer Success Act?would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include full-time employees or managers of qualified farms or ranches to be eligible for student loan forgiveness.?

Also,?Colorado Becomes First to Pass ‘Right to Repair’ for Farmers. Lawmakers in at least 10 other states have introduced similar legislation, including in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, and Vermont.?

Other Top Stories

The Morrow Plots?have become the oldest continuous agricultural experiment in the Western Hemisphere and their data is now online! With over 130+ years of data, it just makes sense to digitalize it.?

While the U.S. has been digitalizing data,?G-7 farm ministers condemned Russia for the war's impact on food security.?They agreed to help Kyiv revive its agriculture industry by sharing knowledge on demining farmland and rebuilding infrastructure.

Also, the USDA has opened the signup period for its?Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers?enrollment (CLEAR30) now through July 31, 2023.?

Come Back Next Week

Be sure to check in next week for our weekly national news roundup and don't forget to follow us on all of our socials! We can't wait to see what the next week holds for agricultural news!?