Agriculture

chickens

The U.S. is undergoing its worst bird flu outbreak ever. Is a poultry vaccine the answer?

BY: - May 15, 2023

WASHINGTON — The deadliest outbreak of bird flu in U.S. history is prompting growing concern in Congress, and Department of Agriculture researchers are awaiting the preliminary results of four trials of vaccines for poultry. Some lawmakers are warming to the idea of a vaccination campaign, long considered a fringe idea due to the cost and […]

Kraig Westerbeek, vice president of Smithfield Renewables and Joe Birschbach of Cardinal Bio-Energy

Cardinal Bio-Energy, Smithfield withdraw plan for swine gas operations in Northampton County

BY: - May 15, 2023

Smithfield Foods and its affiliate Cardinal Bio-Energy have withdrawn their application to build two large swine gas projects in Northampton County, according to emails obtained by NC Newsline. The companies had applied to county officials for a special use permit that would have allowed them to install methane capture systems at several Smithfield-owned facilities: on Spud’s […]

hog farm

In defeat for pork industry, U.S. Supreme Court okays California animal cruelty law

BY: - May 11, 2023

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in a case challenging a California law approved by that state’s voters in 2018 that could have a significant impact on pork producing states like North Carolina. As was explained in this column last Spring, the case revolved around a law that requires all pork sold in the nation’s […]

chickens

Environmental groups file civil rights complaint against DEQ over scant poultry farm regulations

BY: - May 3, 2023

Jefferson Currie, the Lumber River Riverkeeper, drove his truck down St. Paul’s Road, a narrow, sandy stretch near the Robeson-Hoke County line and began counting the chicken barns: “Four, eight, twelve … this is a 48-barn operation,” Currie said, “at 35,000 per barn” – doing the math, that’s roughly 1.7 million birds being raised for […]

hog farm

Hog industry plans major new biogas project in Robeson County, but details are elusive

BY: - April 24, 2023

In any given year, roughly 300,000 hogs are born, weaned, fattened and slaughtered in Robeson County. During their short lifetimes, the animals excrete about 333 million gallons of feces and urine that percolates in open-air lagoons. The rancid cesspools and vast fields where the waste is sprayed are poorly suited for the terrain. Dimpled with […]

One-word change in Farm Act could increase greenhouse gas emissions from hog farms

BY: - April 10, 2023

A one-word change in the Farm Act could allow hog farmers to capture methane from their waste lagoons, but choose not to use the gas for energy. Instead, the farmer could merely send the potent greenhouse gas through a flare and into the air. Current law allows for methane to be collected from the farms […]

Facing a legacy of discrimination, Black farmers tell NC legislators what their businesses need to thrive

BY: - March 23, 2023

Black farmers from throughout the state were in Raleigh on Wednesday to tell legislators they are shut out or left behind when government agencies distribute agricultural loans.  Black farmers who spoke at a news conference said they needed access to capital and the lifting of administrative constraints that hinder their operations.  For decades, the US […]

Limits on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland gain support in Congress, despite skepticism

BY: - March 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — Bipartisan momentum is building in Congress to restrict China and other foreign adversaries from purchasing U.S. farmland, a reflection of a similar push by some states as well as apprehension over Chinese spy balloons, rising land prices and growing international competition. “Foreign ownership of agricultural land threatens small family farms and the overall […]

U.S. agriculture secretary unveils initiatives aimed at small and midsized operations

BY: - March 7, 2023

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday announced new steps the Department of Agriculture is taking to recenter U.S. agriculture and benefit small and midsized operations, including a proposed new “Product of USA” labeling rule and an $89 million expansion of the USDA intermediary lending program.  At the National Farmers Union conference in San Francisco, […]

Federal court of appeals rules NC’s ag-gag law is unconstitutional, signals a win for whistleblowers

BY: - February 24, 2023

In a split decision the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that North Carolina’s “ag-gag law” is unconstitutional and infringes on free speech. The three-judge panel ruled 2-1: Justices Henry Floyd and Albert Diaz, both appointed by President Obama, wrote for the majority. Judge Allison Jones Rushing, an appointee of President […]

U.S. Senate panel spars over elevated food assistance spending in upcoming farm bill

BY: - February 17, 2023

Republican lawmakers balk at administration’s plan to spend more on combating hunger WASHINGTON – Members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee split along party lines on Thursday as they tussled over financial accountability in farm bill nutrition programs.  The main point of contention was the Department of Agriculture’s 2021 changes to the […]

U.S. Senate panel debates safety net spending in upcoming farm bill

BY: - February 10, 2023

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee quibbled Thursday over spending on crop insurance and ad-hoc disaster relief, previewing potential fights in the 2023 farm bill. Legislators of both parties emphasized their support at a Thursday hearing for better funding programs that protect underserved producers, and accounting for future natural disasters […]