USDA: Fewer Bee Losses
Total losses of managed honey bee colonies from all causes were 21.9 percent nationwide during the 2011/2012 winter, according to an annual survey conducted by USDA, the Bee Informed Partnershipand the Apiary Inspectors of America. This represents a substantial drop in mortality compared to the previous five years, when winter losses of around 30 percent have been reported. Previous surveys...
Read MoreStallman Responds to Attack
In a blog post this week, Tom Philpott, food and ag blogger for Mother Jones, commented on meeting American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman recently. “As I pulled down my name tag and made my way into the dining hall, I quickly spied the bearded, stout figure of Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, which calls itself the ‘voice of agriculture’ but is...
Read MoreU.S. Organic Market Surpasses $31 Billion
Driven by consumer demand, the U.S. organic industry grew by 9.5 percent overall in 2011 to reach $31.5 billion in sales. Of this, the organic food and beverage sector was valued at $29.22 billion, while the organic non-food sector reached $2.2 billion, according to findings from the Organic Trade Association’s 2012 Organic Industry Survey. Overall organic product sales growth of 9.5 percent...
Read MoreUSDA’s Farm to School Program
The Agriculture Department announced Tuesday that it will be investing in farm-to-school programs nationwide to help eligible schools improve the health and well-being of their students and connect with local agricultural producers. The new program will promote opportunities for nutrition and agriculture education while providing new economic opportunities for food producers of all kinds and...
Read MoreAg Council’s Top Chefs
2012 Ag day Celebration Yesterday, the American Culinary Federation Colorado Chefs Association (ACFCCA) partnered with the Colorado Agriculture Council to celebrate Colorado Agriculture Day. As a part of National Agriculture Week – March 4th through 10th – this event was designed to highlight agriculture’s value to Colorado’s economy, emphasize the importance of buying local and sharing...
Read MoreUSA and EU to Share Organic Standards
The European Union and the United States announced this week that beginning June 1, 2012, organic products certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in either region. This partnership between the two largest organic-producers in the world will establish a strong foundation from which to promote organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic industry and supporting...
Read MoreLegislative Tracking 2013
