New Market for Seed Potato Producers

Colorado is one of 10 new states that can now ship seed potatoes to Thailand, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Tuesday.

The newly eligible states are Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In 2009, Thailand announced it would accept seed potatoes from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

“This is a promising development for U.S. seed potato producers who will now be able to compete in Thailand, the largest potato growing country in Southeast Asia,” Vilsack said. “Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing markets for U.S. agricultural products, and exports there are expected to grow by more than 25 percent this year. This action by the government of Thailand will provide buyers with additional supplies of high-quality seed potatoes.”

 

Honeybee Colonies Rise 7.4 Percent in 2010

The number of honey-producing bee colonies in the U.S. rose 7.4 percent last year and honey production was up 20 percent, according to a report released Friday by the Agriculture Department.

About 2.684 million colonies were reported by beekeepers with five or more hives in 2010, USDA reports. Honey production rose to 65.5 pounds per colony, up 12 percent from 2009, with overall output at 176 million pounds.

In response to Colony Collapse Disorder, beekeepers are keeping more bees on hand during the year to withstand higher losses in the winter dormancy season, which is helping the honeybee population recover.

 

Battle Over Beets Continues

Environmental groups failed to show that seed plants for Roundup Ready Sugar Beets would cause irreparable harm, a federal appeals court said Friday. The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a  previous injunction that called for the destruction of the plants.

“We conclude the district court abused its discretion in granting a preliminary injunction requiring destruction of the steckling plants,” the court wrote. “Plaintiffs have not demonstrated that the … plants present a possibility, much less a likelihood, of genetic contamination or other irreparable harm. The undisputed evidence indicates that the stecklings pose a negligible risk of genetic contamination, as the juvenile plants are biologically incapable of flowering or cross-pollinating before February 28, 2011, when the permits expire.”

USDA Announces Partial Deregulation of Biotech Sugar Beets

The Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Friday it will partially deregulate biotech sugar beets. The decision means farmers can resume plantings of sugar beets that had been barred by a federal judge.

“After conducting an environmental assessment, accepting and reviewing public comments and conducting a plant pest risk assessment, APHIS has determined that the Roundup Ready sugar beet root crop, when grown under APHIS-imposed conditions, can be partially deregulated without posing a plant pest risk or having a significant effect on the environment,” said Michael Gregoire, deputy administrator for APHIS’ biotechnology regulatory services.

More than half of the nation’s granulated sugar has in recent years come from Roundup Ready beets. The other half comes from sugar cane.

Sugar beet growers welcomed the decision.

“The decision is a win for consumers,” said Duane Grant, a beet farmer in Rupert, Idaho, and chairman of the farmer-owned Snake River Sugar Company. “It assures a full beet crop will be planted in 2011.”

Senate Passes Food Safety Bill

On Sunday, the Senate passed the food safety bill by unanimous consent. The bill now goes to the House where passage is expected this week. President Obama has pledged to sign the bill. The bill will overhaul the nation’s food safety laws for the first time since the Great Depression.

The Senate originally approved food safety legislation last month, but it became a victim of congressional pingpong because of congressional rules that all funding measures must begin in the Senate. The technicality was corrected, and the bill will likely be signed into law this year.

The measure would require manufacturers and some farmers to take steps to prevent food contamination and to continually test to make sure it is working. It also would give the Food and Drug Administration new authority to recall food. The measure is expected to cost $1.4 billion over the next four years; this includes the expense of hiring 2,000 new FDA inspectors.

Kelli Ludlum, AFBF food safety specialist, said the legislation won’t impact most farmers and ranchers.

(Image: matthannon)

A New Solution for Beets

The USDA has unveiled a plan that would allow the planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets in 2011 under strict regulations.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the USDA’s proposal represents the preliminary stage of the process and will be followed by a 30-day comment period before the department makes a final decision.  The USDA remains in a legal battle with groups seeking to halt all production and planting of the genetically engineered sugar beets because of concerns that the plants contaminate nearby non-biotech crops.

USDA has a Problem with Potatoes

Potato growers are fighting efforts to ban or limit potatoes in federal child nutrition programs.

The USDA, which administers the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program—one of the largest federal food assistance programs—is now finalizing an interim rule that bars participants from buying potatoes with their federal dollars.  The agency is also taking steps to limit potatoes in the federal School Lunch Program.

The exclusion of potatoes apparently stems from a recommendation in a report from the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine.  A spokesperson for that organization says the recommendation was made “to encourage the consumption of other fruits and vegetables.”  She says Americans aren’t consuming enough of what she calls “dark green leafy vegetables—orange, yellow, red ones, et cetera.”

Bee Killer Found

It wasn’t pesticides or any mysterious effects of biotech crops that was killing bee colonies. According to research released this week, the complicated reason for the widespread collapse of bee colonies in the United States was a fungus teaming up with a virus.

According to a story in The New York Times, a group of military scientists and university entomologists has concluded that the interaction between a virus and a fungus was killing the bees. Researchers still are not sure how the lethal combination works, but the fungus and virus work together to attack the bee’s ability to absorb nutrition.

Biotech Sugar Beets on Hold Again

The uncertainty continues over the planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets in 2011.

A federal judge in California has ruled that USDA has once again violated a federal environmental law by allowing companies to plant Roundup Ready sugar beet seedlings.

In August, Judge Jeffrey White ruled that USDA was wrong in deregulating Round Ready sugar beets without completing a proper environmental impact statement.  USDA agreed to do the study, saying it would take at least two years to complete.  Meanwhile, in September USDA said that it would allow the industry to begin planting Roundup Ready seedlings, called “stecklings”. Environmental groups filed a complaint against USDA, seeking an injunction to stop the agency from allowing the stecklings to be planted and the judge has agreed.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack expressed frustration over the latest ruling.  Vilsack says the uncertainty over whether farmers will be allowed to plant Roundup Ready beets is stressing farm families who grow the crop.  He suggests that environmental groups and those who favor biotechnology are going to have to figure out a way to co-exist, as opposed to the current climate, which is—as Vilsack puts it—“winner-take-all”.

Do ‘Real’ Farmers Markets Have a Monopoly on the Term?

Fans of farmers’ markets don’t always agree on the fine points of what defines the folksy bazaars, but they concur on what farmers’ markets aren’t: chain grocery stores selling fruits and vegetables on their supermarket doorsteps.

Some states have come up with legal definitions for farmers’ markets, and California even certifies farmers and markets that only sell growers’ own produce. But the state can’t prevent an event or store from using the term “farmers’ market.”

Farmers’ market supporters are also becoming concerned about chains that use the term in their names, even though the stores may promote fresh and healthy foods. Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market, founded in 2002, has grown to 51 stores in Arizona, Texas, California and Colorado.

Cynthia Torres, director of the Colorado Farmers’ Market Association, said Sprouts isn’t a “bad organization” and she supports any purchases they make from Colorado farmers. But, she added, “I also want there to be some integrity” for the term “farmers’ market.”

SLV Expecting Good Potato Harvest

San Luis Valley potato growers are predicting this year’s harvest will help them rebound from 2009. Last year, a freeze affected the quality and size of the valley’s usually superior potatoes.

“We’ve had hot days and cold nights — just absolutely perfect weather for growing conditions,” said Mark Bisel, owner and sales manager of Apex Produce Co. LLC, Center, Colo.

Not only are yields expected to be good, but potato size looks to be much better than last year. The valley’s overall planting acreage is down slightly from 2009, but increased yields will result in about the same volume, grower-shippers said.

USDA to Provide Emergency Assistance to Producers

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that disaster assistance will be issued starting today to livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers that suffered losses in 2008 because of disease, adverse weather or other conditions. The aid will come from the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).

“American farmers, ranchers and producers should have protection from market disruptions and disasters,” Vilsack said. “The assistance announced today will be particularly helpful to beekeepers whose bees suffered from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and will also assist other producers facing economic challenges.”

EBT Machines at Farmers’ Markets Accept SNAP Benefits

A new handbook released by the Agriculture Department provides guidance to managers of farmers’ markets on installing Electronic Benefits Transfer machines and accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. A record number of Americans now receive SNAP benefits. At the same time, the number of farmers’ markets participating in the SNAP program has increased.

USDA anticipates that helping SNAP recipients buy fresh produce from farmers’ markets and farm stands will boost revenue for local producers. The handbook covers nut-and-bolts issues such as installation of EBT machines and tactics to ensure the program is a success for both farmers’ market vendors and customers.

(image:cheapeats)

‘AgJobs’ Bill Needed for Temporary Workers

The Associated Press reports on the difficulty of finding temporary farm workers and the need for Congress to pass an “AgJobs” bill and a simplified temporary worker visa program.

The labor shortage is impacting farms across the country. In Appleton, N.Y., Jim Bittner had to cut down a quarter of his cherry and peach trees due to the shortage of migrant workers. In California’s Imperial Valley, asparagus production dropped from 786 acres in 2006 to 373 acres in 2008 due in a large part to a shortage of workers.

“Asparagus in the Imperial Valley is an indicator as to what happens with crops that are labor intensive and what happens when labor becomes unfeasible economically and also just hard to find,” said Ayron Moiola, the executive director of the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.

Farm Bureau supports a worker program that addresses agriculture’s unique needs and backs a visa program that lasts at least three years and is renewable multiple times.

Survey Reports Latest Honey Bee Losses

Losses of managed honey bee colonies nationwide totaled 33.8 percent from all causes from October 2009 to April 2010, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the Agriculture Department’s Agricultural Research Service. Beekeepers identified starvation, poor weather and weak colonies going into winter as the top reasons for mortality.

Overall losses of 29 percent were reported from a similar survey covering the winter of 2008-2009. Losses during the winter of 2007-2008 were 36 percent.

The continued high rate of losses are worrying, especially considering losses occurring over the summer months are not being captured, according to Jeffrey Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. Continued losses of this magnitude are not economically sustainable for commercial beekeepers, noted Pettis and other researchers who worked on the project. The survey checked on about 22.4 percent of the country’s estimated 2.46 million bee colonies.

(Image: cygnus921)

Organic Food Poised for Comeback

While sales of organic food have taken a hit in recent months, new research shows that consumers will be purchasing more of the product in the next few years. The natural and organic food and beverage category saw rapid growth of more than 24 percent from 2006 to 2008 but stalled during the recession in 2009, with sales up just 1.8 percent.

Sales are now forecast to grow nearly 20 percent from 2010 to 2012, indicating that going organic has become a way of life for some.

Nutritionists: No Need to Eat Organic to be Healthy

USDA, which runs the National Organic Program, considers organic agriculture a “production philosophy” and has stated that an organic label does not imply that a product is superior to conventionally produced foods. Nutritionists are saying there is no need to eat organic to be healthy, and it is more important to choose less processed food and more fruits and vegetables.

Last summer, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a comprehensive systemic review that concluded organic and conventional food have comparable nutrient levels.

Farm Bureau Asks Court to Delay Worker Program

New H2A rules will make it more difficult for U.S. farms to access the labor pool. Places like California, pictured above, will have an easier time accessing workers, under the rule, due to their proximity to Mexico. States like Colorado will not have that advantage.

The American Farm Bureau Federation believes the nation’s immigration system is broken and only Congress can fix it. The organization is asking a federal district court to delay the Obama administration’s final rule on a crucial foreign worker program because the administration failed to properly consider the impacts on small businesses.

“The solution offered by the administration’s final rule on the H-2A foreign worker program only makes an already bad situation worse, and it’s going to be especially hard for family-owned farms and other small family-owned businesses,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.

2010 Legislative Conference

TENTATIVE AGENDA
February 2-3, 2010
Crowne Plaza Downtown
1450 Glenarm Place
Denver, Colorado

Tuesday, February 2
9:30 a.m.
     Advisory Committee Meetings
     (Animal Ag, Crops, Specialty Ag, Water, & Wildlife/Environment)

12:00 p.m.
      Break for Lunch

1:30 p.m.
     CFB Legislative Conference Welcome
     Former Congressman Scott McInnis, Candidate for Governor

     Legislative Updates

     Issue Updates and Debriefings from legislators, state officials, and candidates

     Colo. Department of Ag budget

     Continued Legislative updates

5:00 p.m.
     Adjourn

5:30 p.m.
     Reception

6:30 p.m.
     Legislative Dinner – Speaker: Craig Beyrouty, CSU Dean of Ag

Banner Year for Beets

Its a great year for the beet crop in Colorado. As the Denver Post reports…

“This is the best sugar beet crop we’ve ever had here,” said Richard Seaworth, whose family works 600 acres.

He and the Western Sugar Cooperative said a variety of factors have boosted this fall’s harvest, including a season of ideal growing conditions in Colorado and damaging weather in India that wiped out much of its sugar cane crop.

“This is a very good year, and it will make a little money and help farmers remain in business,” Otto said.

This year, about 39,700 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Colorado, up from 31,700 last year, Otto said.

Farmers are still awaiting the final payout tally for this year, but in Wellington, payments to co-op members are projected to reach $3.2 million this year, up from $1.6 million in 2008, he said.

Bees Will be Tough to Keep Alive Again This Year

A University of California at Davis bee expert warns that the nation’s beekeepers again will experience difficulties keeping their honeybees alive this winter. “It really does appear as though across the country we’re going to see a significant loss of bees again,” apiculturist Eric Mussen told the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. hives were lost last winter to the mysterious phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America and USDA. Several causes are suspected but have yet to be proved since the disorder was first noticed in 2005.

Bees are crucial to U.S. agriculture, adding an estimated $15 billion in value each year by pollinating such staples as nuts, fruit and vegetables.

Colorado YF&R Member on Biodiesel

CFB YF&R Member Grant Allen sits down and talks to NPA Reporter Adam Burke about switching to Sunflowers on his Dove Creek Colorado farm. YF&R members visited the bio-diesel plant during their State Leadership Conference in Cortez last year.

Boulder Leaves Door Open for Roundup Ready Beets

The Boulder County (Colorado) Commission voted last Wednesday to delay action on a farmer’s eight-month-old application to cultivate biotech sugar beets on county land.

The delay comes at the request of the 6 member-growers of sugar beets on Boulder County Open Space land. In a letter to commissioners the growers said,

“We would like to have the opportunity to grow Roundup Ready sugar beets like the other sugar beet growers in the United States and Canada, but our request has turned into a broader emotional debate that has deeply divided our community. We respectfully ask that you delay any decision on the petition to allow the community time to find ways for our farming operations to coexist as they have for many years before.”

The outcome of the meeting was a nod in the direction of the farmers as commissioners welcomed the idea of putting off the decision until a more comprehensive GMO policy could be developed, which county staff say could take up to a year.

Julia Wrapp, left, of Boulder, and Bonnie McCormick listen to presenters at a Boulder County Board of Commissioners meeting on genetically modified beets Tuesday. ( Stephanie Davis )

For their part, county staff supports the growers request to grow the beets on Open Space land and has made the recommendation to both the Parks and Open Space Advisory Council, and the Food and Ag Policy Council, who have both submitted conflicting recommendations to commissioners on the issue. Staff also supports the growers’ new request to delay a decision.

“We’re supporting the growers’ request to delay the decision,” said Tina Nielsen, special projects manager for the open space department.

Commissioners Ben Pearlman, Cindy Domenico and Will Toor said Boulder County should first complete a comprehensive study to guide the future management of the thousands of acres of agricultural land the county leases to farmers. That management plan is expected to recommend what Toor called “a broader GMO policy” that Boulder County officials can consult when considering farmers’ requests to plant biotech crops on county-owned land.

Despite calls for a county-wide ban on GM crops by activists, the decision signaled that the commissioners do feel that GM crops might have a place in Boulder County agriculture and more specifically, within the boundaries of the county’s 17,000 acres of public farmland.

“I don’t think today is the right day to make a final decision about genetically modified beets,” said Commissioner Ben Pearlman. “They need to be part of a comprehensive look at what we want out of agriculture on our county’s open-space land.”

Mr. Pearlman’s comments were encouraging to the growers and to Colorado Farm Bureau. Equally encouraging were Commissioner Toor’s comments which seemed to warm to the industry’s arguments about the need for and safety of Roundup Ready crops. Before three different public meetings on the subject, Mr. Toor had originally signaled that he would vote against the petition to allow the use of the beets.

“In the end, the commissioners know that they have neither the resources nor the expertise to manage the county’s Open Space land without the help of the farmers,” said Troy Bredenkamp of the Colorado Farm Bureau. “The farmers need this tool if they are going to stay on Open Space land.”

The vigorous debate on the issue has not gone unnoticed. Last week the Denver Post editorial board came out in favor of the grower’s request. Columnist Vincent Carroll has supported the growers in two separate columns, one after the Food and Ag Policy Council meeting and another after last week’s delay.

For their part, the six farmers have stated that they can hold out for another year growing conventional beets, while the GMO policy is developed. This is the second year that the new beets have been available across the country and already 98% of this year’s crop is Roundup Ready. This makes it exceedingly difficult to find conventional seed.

“We can hold out for another year,” said Jules VanThuyne, one of the six farmers. “After that, we will have to make some tough decisions if you (the commissioners) don’t find in our favor.”

Several members of the Boulder County Farm Bureau were present at the meeting along with state staff and industry representatives. Members from Boulder County gave testimony in support of the petition to delay.

Training the Next Generation Of Aerial Applicators

The Wall Street Journal Online has done a short piece on the ever increasing shortage of aerial applicator pilots.

Video – Cropduster

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Boulder Council Says ‘No’ to Biotech Crops

Photo by Mark Leffingwell: Meredith Frantz leans forward to look through the glass doors of the 3rd floor hearing room to watch the hearing on Roundup Ready Sugar Beets from the hallway with dozens of others who couldn't fit into the room at the Boulder County Courthouse in Boulder

After 7 hours of testimony and debate, members of the Boulder County Food and Ag Policy Council recommended against allowing the cultivation of Roundup Ready sugarbeets on county open space land by a vote of 10-3

With dozens of citizens present for the hearing, public testimony began at 5:30 and stretched well into the 11 o’clock hour. 45 members of the community were present to oppose a request by 6 farmers to allow the cultivation of the beets. 11 farmers and other community members supported the farmer’s request.

The six farmers have argued that they need to plant GMO beets to remain competitive, since the modified seeds increase yield and decrease pesticide and labor costs. Proponents of GMO sugar beets also say that the crop requires both less herbicides and less plowing than conventionally-grown crops, ultimately protecting soil fertility.

In the end, the majority of council members were not swayed by those arguments, at least not in the face of vigorous public opposition. But even council members who voted against the beets seemed to agree with council member Matt Pierce on one point: the public doesn’t seem to know much about farming.

The county commissioners will make the final decision at their meeting Aug. 25, taking into account the conflicting opinions of the council and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee, which voted to recommend the genetically modified sugar beets at a meeting last week.

Tune into the Pulse on Monday to hear audio of some public comments both for and against the proposal. We will also have clips of State Women’s Committee member Amber Clay’s testimony before the Council.

Study: ‘Organic Has No Health Benefits’

The BBC writes…

Organic food is no healthier than ordinary food, a large independent review has concluded.

There is little difference in nutritional value and no evidence of any extra health benefits from eating organic produce, UK researchers found.

The Food Standards Agency who commissioned the report said the findings would help people make an “informed choice”.

“Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority.”

Peter Melchett, policy director at the Soil Association said they were disappointed with the conclusions.

“The review rejected almost all of the existing studies of comparisons between organic and non-organic nutritional differences.

Of particular interest are the audio clips accompanying the story. The BBC did short-takes on what people thought of the results of the study and their answers were very interesting. 

Activists Step Up Opposition to Roundup Ready Sugarbeets

Anti-Agriculture activists in Boulder County have stepped up their efforts in the media to slander and malign sugarbeet production on open space land. Activists are lining up to attack the Roundup Ready Sugarbeets that local farmers have requested permission to produce on county-owned open space land.

The Boulder Daily Camera has a story on sweeteners in their Food section that examines the environmental impact of sugar production from various sources. It focuses heavily on the energy required to produce and refine each type of sugar; as if no other food crop requires energy to grow and refine.

The Boulder Daily Camera also reports this morning about 40 people protested genetically modified sugar beets Wednesday morning, waving “No GMO” signs as cars sped through the intersection of Broadway and Canyon in Boulder.

The Denver Post also reports on a group called Transition Colorado who is sponsoring a screening of the radical French-made documentary film “The World According to Monsanto” at the Nomad Theater in Boulder.

In the film, Monsanto is portrayed as an international conglomerate bent on controlling the world’s food production.

“The film is pretty strong,” said Michael Brownlee of Transition Colorado in Boulder. “It’s the kind of film that, like many have said, can inspire a whole new generation of farmers.”

A spokesman for Monsanto said the film is so biased that the company prefers to not even legitimize it with a formal response.

It should be noted that Michael Brownlee is also a member of the Boulder County Food and Ag Policy Council. The Council will rule on the Boulder farmers request tomorrow, Friday July 30th.

Cynthia Torres, another member of the Council has written a blog post about her experience so far in dealing with the controversy.

The ruling from both the Food and Ag Policy Council and the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee will be taken into consideration by the Boulder County Comissioners who will issues a final ruling on the request on August 25th.

The Open Space Committee has already issued a favorable recommendation to the Commissioners.

Biotech Controversy Grows in Boulder County

Boulder County owns a significant number of acres of farmland. Called “open space” the program seeks to preserve the county’s agricultural heritage by leasing that farmland back to producers. A controversy has been growing over the county’s ban on the use of biotech sugar beets on open space land. Farmers leasing the acres are under pressure to convert their plantings to Roundup Ready (RR) sugar beets which help them reduce pesticide use and increase yield. The county has taken the position that biotech crops pose a potential damage to the environment and public health and have so far prevented farmers from planting any biotech sugar beets.

Beet contracts require a certain yield be met or the producer is penalized. With the use of Roundup Ready sugar beets already the norm, (90% of the beets grown in the U.S. are now RR only a year after their introduction) producers using older seed are faced with the possibility of incurring penalties. There is also concern that the ubiquity of RR sugar beets will make it difficult to find non-RR seed next season.

Both CFB and the Boulder County Farm Bureau have advocated for the allowance of biotech beets on open space land. Recently the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee voted to officially recommend the use of RR beets to the Boulder County Commissioners who have the final ruling on the matter.

The Boulder Daily Camera reports that…

The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee recommended late Tuesday that six local farmers be allowed to grow genetically modified sugar beets on open space land.

In December, the farmers, all of whom are at least the second generation to farm in the county, asked that they be allowed to grow Roundup Ready sugar beets, which are genetically modified to resist the herbicide Roundup.

“I do have concerns about (genetically modified) food,” said committee member Janice Moore, who made the motion to recommend the beets. “I think they’re reasonable. I think many typical concerns are reasonable. … But somebody has got to farm this land because we cannot maintain it and we cannot manage it without our farm partners and they have to be economically viable.”

After Moore made her comments, most of the audience walked out of the room in protest, before the final vote was made.

The commissioners will also take into consideration a recommendation on the issue from the Boulder County Food and Agricultural Policy Council. The Council’s stated purpose is to “promote a locally-based food and agricultural system that advances Boulder County’s economic, environmental and social well-being, through research, education and public policy.“

Last month, members of the Boulder County Farm Bureau made presentations to the Council in support of RR beets.  The Council will make its final recommendation on the 30^th of July. A pro-RR finding is by no means guaranteed and might possibly create competing recommendations when the commissioners rule on the issue in August. It will be interesting to see how Boulder County weighs the posibility of reduced pesticide use in biotech crops, with increased pesticide use in “organic” crops. It will come down to fear, as in, are they more afraid of chemicals, or biotech crops. We will see.

Meanwhile, Boulder County Open Space is having a banner year for the growth of noxious weeds, the control of which- in Boulder County-  is in large part done by “Pulling invasive weeds by hand…”

Additional Reading:

Memo from the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee

Extensive white paper compiled by Boulder County staff to brief  both the Food and Ag Policy and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committees

USDA Releases New Ag Satellite Imagery

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) today released new satellite images depicting agricultural land cover for the 2008 crop year. The images, referred to as the Cropland Data Layer (CDL), identify geospatial crop locations in three U.S. regions: the Mid-Atlantic and, for the first time, the Southwest and Southeast.

Weld County Farm Wiped Out by Storm

Joe Miller is used to having a big crop on his vegetable farm in Platteville. But this year it will be slim pickings as the July 20^th storm hailed out most of his crop.

Miller says two storms Monday night damaged his home, his cars and most importantly, his crops. Two-inch hail punched holes in melons and peppers, and shredded almost everything else.

The Weld County FSA says the storm damaged over 400 farms and ranches over 150 square miles, but does not have any estimate on the cost of the damage.

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