Much of the money will go to growers of crops such as the cherries, asparagus, beans and other products that make up more than half of Michigan's agricultural income. Stabenow has pushed for months for the provisions, lining up senators to back her plan to shift agriculture policy away from the traditional commodity crops -- wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton and rice -- that still get the most federal funding. The bill, which Congress must renew every five years, includes a section on fruit...

In a time when fiscal restraint is much needed, the additional spending authorized in this bill, such as provisions for local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects (hundreds of millions of dollars), is unacceptable, according to a White House statement. We have found ourselves falling further and further behind, so these infrastructure improvements are needed to remain competitive in the world ag economy, Grassley said. Charles Grassley, who sides with Bush on many issues,...

in spring 2004 - was found this year in 11 counties in Iowa and four in Nebraska, but came late enough in the season to do little damage in those states. Forty-two sentinel soybean plots at 27 sites in South Dakota are checked weekly for soybean rust as part of a nationwide network. Eighteen states this year confirmed soybean rust, a fungus that feeds on sugar in the plant's leaves, reducing yield and the bean's protein content. South Dakota's soybean crop is most at risk in July and...

Food & Health : Laws & Politics New York City to require display of calorie info on menu The Board of Health voted to propose a new regulation to require certain chain restaurants to prominently display calorie information on their menus and menu boards, the City Department of Health announced on October 24. Food & Health : Laws & Politics New York City to require display of calorie info on menu The Board of Health voted to propose a new regulation to require certain chain restaurants to...

Reuters . Monday, 29 October 2007 Email a Friend . Printable View . Have Your Say Fairfax Media OIL WORRY: Household products makers like Gillete maker Procter & Gamble, Paddle Pop producer Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive are expected to post a quarterly profit but soaring oil prices could imperil growth. Reuters . Monday, 29 October 2007 Email a Friend . Printable View . Have Your Say Fairfax Media OIL WORRY: Household products makers like Gillete maker Procter & Gamble, Paddle Pop...

Redden, a fourth-generation farmer, spreads the litter on corn and soybean fields near a sandy creek that flows into the Pocomoke River and then the Chesapeake Bay. How much should an industry -- one that produces about 1 billion pounds of waste a year but is also an economic and political force on the Eastern Shore -- be regulated? Nitrogen in the bay Nitrogen is one of the main sources of nutrient pollution that cause the growth of harmful algae blooms and low-oxygen "dead zones" in the...

Larry McKenzie says, "If cattle farmers are having to pay a lot more for hay - it's going todrive up beef prices and that's going to impact consumers. That's forced Crouch to dig into his soybean crop to make an alternative to hay. When it comes to this year's drought, he says he and his cows have been hit pretty hard. The biggest problem for cattle farmers is hay, trying to find it and trying to afford it. SC farmers desperate for rain. Some farmers are resorting toextreme measures to survive.

ASA President John Hoffman, a soybean farmer from Waterloo, Iowa, said that "ASA appreciates action by the Senate Agriculture Committee in reporting a bill, and urges its early consideration by the full Senate, so we can complete omnibus farm legislation this year. ASA President John Hoffman, a soybean farmer from Waterloo, Iowa, said that "ASA appreciates action by the Senate Agriculture Committee in reporting a bill, and urges its early consideration by the full Senate, so we can...

DAYTON In sharp contrast to the real estate slowdown and foreclosure crisis in many of Ohio's largest cities, the value of the state's cropland is soaring. Ward said: "It's very inviting when we start seeing 10 percent returns," and that doesn't include cash rent that landowners receive annually from those who farm their acreage. The price has increased by 10 percent since last year, nearly doubling since 1997, says federal agency. That's up 10 percent in the past year the fastest annual...