• USDA Loan Program Can Help Finance New Meat Plants

    Updated: 2011-07-29 22:55:23
    by Kate Fitzgerald NSAC welcomes back Kate Fitzgerald, a farm and food policy consultant, to our pages as a guest blogger.  Thanks Kate! USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food blog published the first of two articles on Rural Development’s grant and loan programs that can be used to develop or improve small meat and Read the Rest...

  • Livestock Marketing Fairness Act Introduced in House

    Updated: 2011-07-29 22:35:04
    This week Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Livestock Marketing Fairness Act (H.R. 2631) with Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) as a co-sponsor.  The Act is a companion bill to Senate Bill 1026 introduced earlier this year.  That bill also had the bipartisan of Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (D-IA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), and Jon Read the Rest...

  • Standing up for the Local Food Economy

    Updated: 2011-07-29 22:31:19
    This summer hundreds of NSAC supporters and members, farmers, and allies took action in support of a proposed rule that could bring millions of dollars in new investment to the local and regional food producers all across this country.  The Farm Credit Administration’s (FCA) proposal would require Farm Credit System (FCS) lending institutions to be Read the Rest...

  • NSAC Opposes National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement

    Updated: 2011-07-29 22:22:09
    On Thursday, July 28, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition filed its comments on the proposed National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (NLGMA) with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).  NSAC urged USDA to withdraw the proposal. The NLGMA attempts to create a new federal marketing agreement to establish food safety rules that would be agreed to by Read the Rest...

  • Senators and Representatives with Farms Blog About Farm Bill

    Updated: 2011-07-29 21:22:20
    The Congress Blog page of The Hill, a paper and website widely read in federal policy circles, published four blog posts on July 28 by four Republican Senators and Members of Congress who are farmers and maintain interests in farms that are in their families. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) penned “Food and farm bill benefits Read the Rest...

  • House Holds Hearing on USDA Research Programs

    Updated: 2011-07-29 20:05:28
    On Thursday, July 28, the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held an audit hearing on federal research programs administered by USDA.  This was the ninth hearing on farm bill programs the Committee has held this year. The Committee heard testimony from top administrators of four agencies that make Read the Rest...

  • Conservation Stewardship Program Update – Part One

    Updated: 2011-07-29 19:52:40
    Note:  This is the first of several blog posts that will summarize some initial data we are receiving from USDA on the Conservation Stewardship Program. In January of 2011, the third sign-up period for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) closed and in June National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White reported to the House Read the Rest...

  • Farm Bill; Budget Issues; and the Agricultural Economy

    Updated: 2011-07-29 10:48:20
    Farm Bill: Hearings Yesterday, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing titled, “Opportunities for Specialty Crops and Organics in the Farm Bill.” A news release from the Senate Ag Committee yesterday indicated that, “Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said that specialty crops and organics [...]

  • Open Culture - Free

    Updated: 2011-07-29 03:13:32
    Open Culture - The FREE cultural & educational media on the web.  You can find thousands of free online courses, audio books, textbooks, eBooks, language lessons, movies and more on the web. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fobelix.lib.hku.hk%2Fcdblog%2F%3Fp%3D9052'; addthis_title = 'Open+Culture+-+Free'; addthis_pub = '';

  • Senate Holds Specialty Crop and Organic Hearing

    Updated: 2011-07-29 00:03:50
    On Thursday, July 28, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to discuss farm bill specialty crop and organic programs.  The Committee, led by Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), heard testimony from USDA officials Ann Wright, Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Dr. Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary for Research, Read the Rest...

  • House Hearing on Commodity and Disaster Programs

    Updated: 2011-07-28 23:45:40
    On Wednesday, July 27, the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held an audit hearing to examine commodity and farm safety net programs, including crop insurance and disaster assistance.  This was the eighth hearing on farm bill programs that the Committee has convened this year. Bruce Nelson, Administrator of the Read the Rest...

  • Development blog: Making Sense of African Development: Updated and More Optimistic!

    Updated: 2011-07-28 23:27:05
    By Todd Moss - I’m thrilled that the 2nd edition of African Development: Making Sense of the Issues and Actors is out this week. Thanks to Chris Blattman at Yale, Callisto Madavo at Georgetown, and others who have used it in their courses, demand for the first 2007 edition was high enough that the terrific Lynne Rienner asked me [...]

  • New Biomass Crop Assistance Program Projects Announced

    Updated: 2011-07-28 20:56:57
    On Tuesday, July 26, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the selection of four new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) projects.  BCAP provides funding to farmers and other landowners who enter contracts to establish crops and trees suitable for use as biomass feedstock on land included in biomass project areas.  Payments are made for the establishment Read the Rest...

  • ACM unveils new version of Digital Library

    Updated: 2011-07-28 02:40:07
     ”ACM has released a new version of the ACM Digital Library http://portal.acm.org, making it the most comprehensive database of computing literature in the world. Building on the breadth and depth of this renowned repository of digital knowledge, the new site simplifies usability, extends connections, and expands content with a wide range of new tools and [...]

  • Development blog: How to Cut U.S. Funding for Multilaterals? The UK Way.

    Updated: 2011-07-27 22:24:37
    By Todd Moss - This is a joint post with Stephanie Majerowicz. As Congress looks for cost savings, a logical first step would be to compare the various investments the USG makes to figure out what gets taxpayers the highest returns. One debate is bilateral versus multilateral, and the administration has signaled a preference toward the latter wherever possible [...]

  • Ag Economy Provisions of the Fed’s Beige Book Report

    Updated: 2011-07-27 20:15:39
    Today the Federal Reserve Board released its latest Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions.  Commonly referred to as the “Beige Book,” today’s report included the following information about the U.S. Agricultural Economy. Sixth District- Atlanta: “While most of the District continued to experience drought conditions, recent rains have provided relief to some of the [...]

  • Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg

    Updated: 2011-07-27 04:22:22
    Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks.  They offer over 36,000 free ebooks to download. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fobelix.lib.hku.hk%2Fcdblog%2F%3Fp%3D8973'; addthis_title = 'Free+eBooks+by+Project+Gutenberg'; addthis_pub = '';

  • Science.gov Sports a New Image Search

    Updated: 2011-07-27 02:11:52
    Science.gov (www.science.gov) made its first foray into non-textual search.  Currently there are 45 authoritative databases and over 2000 scientific websites searched on Science.gov, providing access to 200 million pages of science information  including research and development results. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fobelix.lib.hku.hk%2Fcdblog%2F%3Fp%3D8966'; addthis_title = 'Science.gov+Sports+a+New+Image+Search'; addthis_pub = [...]

  • Severe drought in Texas could result in record losses in nation’s No. 2 agriculture state

    Updated: 2011-07-26 18:15:45
    . Skip to content Hawaii Agriculture Hawaii Agriculture Blog Faces of Agriculture HI-AG Classifieds Contact Us Hawaii farm owners face human trafficking trial Young Brothers Seeking Rate Increase Severe drought in Texas could result in record losses in nation’s No . 2 agriculture state Published on July 26, 2011 in General Ag News and Notes and Water LUBBOCK , Texas Randy McGee spent 28,000 in one month pumping water onto about 500 acres in West Texas before he decided to give up irrigating 75 acres of corn and focus on other crops that stood a better chance in the . drought He thought rain might come and save those 75 acres , but it didn’t and days of triple-digit heat sucked the remaining moisture from the soil . McGee walked recently through rows of sunbaked and stunted stalks , one of

  • Development blog: Famine is a Crime – Blame the Criminal First

    Updated: 2011-07-26 08:52:35
    By Charles Kenny - My Foreign Policy column this week suggests that in the Twenty-First Century, famines can only occur with the active engagement of local leadership – taking away food from producers and/or denying access to agencies delivering emergency relief. In Somalia, the leadership that is denying access is al-Shabab – the group in control of the areas [...]

  • Latest articles published in Foreign Policy

    Updated: 2011-07-26 05:02:14
    In Defense of Hacks The Prince of Persia Worst. Congress. Ever. Parliamentary Funk Hunger in the Horn of Africa Europe’s Economic Meltdown: How Did We Get Here?   [Source: Foreign Policy] addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fobelix.lib.hku.hk%2Fcdblog%2F%3Fp%3D8946'; addthis_title = 'Latest+articles+published+in+Foreign+Policy'; addthis_pub = '';

  • Free Resources about Social Services

    Updated: 2011-07-26 04:06:49
    An Introduction to Social Policy: Social Policy, Social Welfare, the Welfare State, and Social Services Social Policy is the study of social welfare, and its relationship to politics and society. It focuses on the social services and the welfare state. This web pages offers a brief outline of key topics and issues in Social Policy. As [...]

  • Free Resources about Public Administration

    Updated: 2011-07-26 03:56:09
    Fed in Print This database provides access to research published by the Board of Governors and all 12 Federal Reserve Banks. Coverage includes the core economic reviews, as well as specialized regional and international publications, working papers, and annual report essays… Australian Parliamentary Library This site has different kinds of publications, mainly parliamentary documents. It also covers various topics [...]

  • Free Resource about Psychology

    Updated: 2011-07-26 03:22:29
    PSYCLINE : Your Guide to Psychology and Social Science Journals on the Web PSYCLINE started in 1995 under its former name Links to Psychological Journals and has won a high reputation as one of the (if not as the) most comprehensive and up-to-date index of psychology and social science journals on the web…   PSYCLINE’s Journal Locator is [...]

  • Global Health blog: Will the Health Systems Funding Platform Coordinate or Complicate?

    Updated: 2011-07-26 02:19:30
    By Amanda Glassman - This is a joint post with William Savedoff. The latest effort to address aid coordination problems and health system issues – the Health System Funding Platform (the Platform) – is evolving slowly and beginning to recreate the same traps it was supposed to solve. In a paper released this month, Bill Savedoff and I show [...]

  • ScienceCinema for Searchable Videos

    Updated: 2011-07-25 03:44:47
    Jeffrey Salmon, Deputy Director for Resource Management with the DOE Office of Science, said, “Video, animation, visualization, and other forms of multimedia are now widely used to record, share, and collaborate in science. Because of the U.S. Department of Energy’s central role in science, we are also at the center of technology for collecting and [...]

  • FarmPolicy.com Interview: Chairman Conrad- Group of Six Proposal and Agriculture

    Updated: 2011-07-22 17:09:22
    Today FarmPolicy.com spoke with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) about the Group of Six budget proposal and its potential implications for agriculture. A transcript of our conversation is available here. An audio replay of the discussion can be heard here (MP3- 9:00). Keith Good  

  • Development blog: Ensuring the End to Ethanol Subsidies Isn’t a New Beginning

    Updated: 2011-07-22 15:49:41
    By Kimberly Ann Elliott - I wrote here three years ago, during the last food price crisis, that corn-based ethanol subsidies were economically inefficient, environmentally unfriendly, and inequitable. So I listened with great interest yesterday to an NPR story on the likelihood that the ethanol subsidy will be eliminated as part of a budget deal. But as I wrote in [...]

  • Ask POET Episode 7: What's the best source of Biomass?

    Updated: 2011-07-21 22:37:56

  • Development blog: Fingerprints, the Next Big Thing in Banking

    Updated: 2011-07-21 15:12:52
    By Alan Gelb - This is a joint post with Caroline Decker. With the expansion of cell coverage and mobile banking, millions of poor and rural people can now access financial services. But as financial institutions reach new populations, it is becoming clear that there are other issues keeping people from formal banking, such as the need for identification. [...]

  • Farm Bill Issues; and the Ag Economy

    Updated: 2011-07-21 10:59:21
    Farm Bill Issues Philip Brasher reported yesterday at the FoodWatch Blog that, “It’s an axiom among many critics of U.S. farm policy that crop subsidies to grain and cotton subsidies encourage practices that are bad for the environment.  What those critics may fail to realize is that producers who take that money have to comply [...]

  • Development blog: $100 Billion to End Global Poverty –Déjà vu, Déjà Dismissed?

    Updated: 2011-07-19 18:10:26
    By Charles Kenny - My column for Foreign Policy this week has a theme that will ring familiar to anyone who has been around global poverty advocacy for the last few years. It puts a price tag on ending poverty. My price is $100 billion, based on just handing over enough money to everyone worldwide living on less than [...]

  • Development blog: Surprise: Poor Countries Are Shouldering the Costs of Combating Climate Change

    Updated: 2011-07-18 08:06:27
    By David Wheeler - Progress toward an international agreement to cut CO2 emissions has been stymied by disputes about burden-sharing between rich and poor countries. Many participants assume that poor countries will only begin to reduce emissions after an agreement is signed. This conflict has been shaped by the view that clean energy development is an expensive game that [...]

  • Development blog: Crunching the Numbers on Think Tank Gender Balance

    Updated: 2011-07-15 22:37:27
    By Lawrence MacDonald - “Why Think Tanks Hate Women” was the inflammatory subject line on Foreign Policy’s email newsletter this morning. The misleading packaging aside, the relevant FP article by Micah Zenko contained some interesting numbers. In the ten foreign policy-focused think tanks for which Zenko crunched the numbers “women constituted only 21 percent of the policy-related positions (154 [...]

  • China, North Korea to increase cooperation in renewable energy sector

    Updated: 2011-07-15 17:54:12
    China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have agreed to collaborate in the sector of renewable energy. The agreement was reached between officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Korean Workers Party (KWP) when the latter were visiting … Continue reading →

  • ANALYSIS: ONLY 23% OF FARM BILL DIRECTLY SUPPORTS AG PRODUCTION

    Updated: 2011-07-15 14:27:00
    : : skip to main skip to sidebar Kopsa Otte Agriculture Blog Kopsa Otte CPAs Advisors have been involved in Income Tax Planning , Estate Planning Succession Planning for over 30 years . For more information about Kopsa Otte services , please contact us via e-mail at lkopsa kopsaotte.com or call 800-975-4829. Friday , July 15, 2011 ANALYSIS : ONLY 23 OF FARM BILL DIRECTLY SUPPORTS AG PRODUCTION Federal farm policy has direct and indirect consequences for Nebraska's economy , in both rural and urban areas . Because of the soaring U.S . debt , some in the media and on Capitol Hill have called for large cuts to the farm bill , which is set to expire next year . Critics say the U.S . cannot afford to financially support farmers at a time of record-high commodity prices . But according to an

  • Development blog: Lipton and Zhu at the IMF: Intellectual and Policy Duopoly?

    Updated: 2011-07-14 15:50:09
    By Nancy Birdsall - There was a lot of justified hand-wringing and tough talk too in the media and in think tank and NGO-land about the unseemly use by Europe of its unwarranted voting weight at the IMF to push the election of Christine Lagarde. The appointment this week of Zhu Min, a former deputy governor of the People’s [...]

  • 'FARMLAND'S FIVE-YEAR BOOM MAY END AS INTEREST RATES GAIN'

    Updated: 2011-07-14 14:31:00
    : skip to main skip to sidebar Kopsa Otte Agriculture Blog Kopsa Otte CPAs Advisors have been involved in Income Tax Planning , Estate Planning Succession Planning for over 30 years . For more information about Kopsa Otte services , please contact us via e-mail at lkopsa kopsaotte.com or call 800-975-4829. Thursday , July 14, 2011 FARMLAND'S FIVE-YEAR BOOM MAY END AS INTEREST RATES GAIN' Bloomberg Bloomberg.com reports , A five-year bull market in U.S . farmland values may peak this year as interest rates increase and crop prices decline , Rabobank International said . The story notes , gains in the past five years as high as 70 in Nebraska , were spurred by record grain and livestock prices and the lowest borrowing costs ever . One analyst said that the cost of agricultural land is

  • Farm Bill; Ag Economy; Regulations; Trade; and Animal Agriculture

    Updated: 2011-07-14 10:57:58
    Farm Bill: Budget Issues (Crop Insurance) Sara Wyant reported yesterday at Agri-Pulse Online that, “Leaders of the nation’s leading corn, soybean and wheat organizations want lawmakers to know that agriculture has already contributed to deficit reduction and any further cuts should be made by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. “Those are just some of [...]

  • Ag Economy (WASDE); Trade; Farm Bill; and Animal Agriculture

    Updated: 2011-07-13 10:38:18
    Agricultural Economy (WASDE) University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good indicated yesterday at the FarmDocDaily Blog (“USDA Report Highlights”) that, “Today, the USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) released the monthly report of World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released new wheat production forecasts. The WASDE report [...]

  • Global Health blog: Polio Eradication as Collateral Damage?

    Updated: 2011-07-12 19:58:43
    By Charles Kenny - In 2003 the world was on the edge of eradicating polio when a virulent outbreak occurred in the Northern Nigerian state of Kano. Efforts to contain the outbreak by vaccinating the local population were stymied when imams in the region said that the vaccine program was part of a U.S. plot to sterilize people in [...]

  • SMALL BUSINESS TAXES

    Updated: 2011-07-06 16:33:00

  • WHAT USES MORE WATER, FARMS OR LAWNS?

    Updated: 2011-07-05 14:16:00
    : , skip to main skip to sidebar Kopsa Otte Agriculture Blog Kopsa Otte CPAs Advisors have been involved in Income Tax Planning , Estate Planning Succession Planning for over 30 years . For more information about Kopsa Otte services , please contact us via e-mail at lkopsa kopsaotte.com or call 800-975-4829. Tuesday , July 5, 2011 WHAT USES MORE WATER , FARMS OR LAWNS Many times I have read in the media about farmers wasting water for production of crops . Actually , according to a recent article in The , Week farmers are actually better stewards of the land than us people that want green . lawns WHAT DOES A NICE LAWN COST Lawn care is a 40-billion-a-year industry in the U.S . Because much of the country is not hospitable to turf grasses—none of which are native species—we use 90 million

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