organic

Fruit association officials say the crop is forecasted at just under 125 million standard forty-pound boxes of fresh apples.

Certified farmers’ markets are now defined as an essential service for distribution of food supplies. Many of the markets were temporarily closed, have now reopened.

**New federal rules to protect navigable waters promise to provide the certainty farmers and ranchers need to maintain ag production and enhance the land. That’s according to California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson after last week’s release of the EPA’s WOTUS rule replacement, Navigable Waters Protection Rule...

**Operations are returning to normal at California farms, ranches and agricultural businesses that endured public-safety power shutoffs. The widespread outages interrupted harvest schedules for wine grapes, rice and other crops, and caused scattered produce losses due to lack of refrigeration...

Oregon businesses returned from China with specific goals like helping to connect Oregon food and beverage businesses interested in exporting products to China.

Opposition to GMOs is unique in that avoids GM food being promoted as an eco-positive initiative. USDA not to seek regulate emerging gene editing tech.

A government scandal in Brazil, Dept of Ag. delaying organic animal welfare standards and investigation of food stamp fraud in great number of states.

** President Trump’s Waters of the United States repeal Tuesday represents hope and optimism for reducing the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory reach. That’s according to new administrator, Scott Pruitt who says we have always been able the strike the balance between being a good steward of our natural resources, but also growing our jobs and our economy in a responsible way... Read Mor

An economist says organic grain imports are limiting the ability of U.S. farmers to supply the domestic market. CoBank’s Dan Kowalski tells Brownfield premiums for organic grain are becoming increasingly volatile as organic imports have surged in the last year...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service is awarding $200 million to more than 70 U.S. agricultural organizations to help expand export markets for U.S. farm and food products...