Legislative Update 2-1-13
Well, we are now a couple weeks into the session and things are finally starting to pick up steam. More bills are being introduced, committees are meeting and both chambers are doing floor work. All of this is keeping CFB busy under the Gold Dome. The legislators had many bills, some more heated than others, to work on. Here is a snapshot of some of the issues about which CFB cares. Early in the...
Read MoreInsects May Be Developing Resistance to Bt Corn
A recent Associated Press article explores Bt corn, which was genetically engineered to resist western corn rootworms. During the past several summers, rootworms have eaten the roots of Bt corn in parts of four Midwestern states, which suggests that some insects are becoming resistant to the crop’s pest-fighting powers. According to scientists interviewed for the article, farmers planting Bt...
Read MoreCFB Applauds Boulder Commissioners
Members of Colorado Farm Bureau are applauding the Boulder County Commissioners for their unanimous decision to support the diversity of farming methods on open space land. The Commissioners yesterday approved a plan to allow the planting and cultivation of biotech seeds on county-owned Open Space land after a lengthy review. “The Commissioners should be proud of their commonsense approach to...
Read MoreFarmers Outnumber Activists at Boulder Hearing
It was a good night in Boulder County! After months of consideration, last night finally saw Boulder County Farm Bureau members being able to address the Boulder County Commissioners directly regarding the expanded use of GMO crops and coexistence between organic and conventional agriculture on Boulder County open space land. A crowd of roughly 600 people turned out for the event, and because of...
Read MoreUSDA Releases EIS Report on RR Sugar Beets
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced today the availability of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) that evaluates the potential environmental effects of making a determination of nonregulated status of sugar beets genetically engineered (GE) to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, known commercially as...
Read MoreBarry Bushue Named to Biotech Advisory Committee
Barry Bushue, president of the Oregon Farm Bureau and vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, was appointed to the reactivated Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, or AC21. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the committee members on Friday. “This advisory committee will come together to continue investigating the challenges of...
Read MoreLegislative Tracking 2013
