If you want a definitive answer on food industry claims, like ‘natural,’ or ‘fresh,’ you could pour over pages of advice from government agency or check out consumer advocate websites. Of course, you might start by reading the labels. But these ingredients – or additives -- can be difficult to interpret.
The American Soybean Association is pushing for U.S. trade representatives to negotiate better trading terms with Europe, looking for the European Union to ease the strict restrictions it imposes on genetically modified soybeans.
Ethanol producers have been developing a way to convert biomass, the plant material that is left after harvest, to ethanol for years. Now, Kansas is poised to become the home of one of the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol refineries in the country.
A coalition of business and farm advocates has proposed legislation in Kansas that would help some who are in the country without legal documents stay beyond expired visas in an effort to support the state’s meat and dairy industry. The bill is pitting Republicans against Republicans and businesses against immigration hardliners.
Across the corn belt, more farmers are putting up their own grain bins. In the past year alone, farmers nationwide have added some 300 million bushels of on-farm storage. By storing their own grain, farmers can choose when and at what price they want to sell, and that can translate into thousands of dollars in profit. And this has grain buyers — like grain elevators and ethanol plants —working to keep their edge in the market.
FoodCorps is a nationwide service project that sends its members into schools and communities to teach nutrition, build gardens and bring more local, fresh produce into school lunches. FoodCorps co-founder Debra Eschmeyer recently spoke with Kathlen Masterson in Des Moines.
The U.S. Labor Department backed off a controversial change to child labor laws after an outcry from farm country, softening its stance on barring kids from working certain jobs on family farms. The proposal will be rewritten to include a broader definition of the parental exemption to the rules.
