Agriculture

New program to protect water quality; details to be worked out
Federal officials in St. Paul today announced a collaboration to encourage farmers to address pollution problems in local waters. However, both farmers and environmental activists are cautious about how the new program could work.
Poor weather last year reduced the size of the Minnesota harvest more than previously estimated.
Seven Minnesota offices of the U.S. Agriculture Department will close, including a food safety office in Minneapolis which serves five states.
USDA says it will close 259 offices to save $150M
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will close 259 domestic offices, labs and other facilities as part of an effort to save $150 million per year, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday.
The Food and Drug Administration says it will step up testing for a fungicide that has been found in low levels in orange juice.
Biodiesel a concern as renewable fuel subsidies end
Representatives of the well-established corn ethanol industry say their business will do just fine without expiring federal subsidies, but those in the still-developing biodiesel sector are concerned.
Farming practices threaten widely grown corn crop
One of the nation's most widely planted crops -- a genetically engineered corn plant that makes its own insecticide -- may be losing its ability to kill a major pest, and scientists fear potentially risky farming practices are spurring the rise of insects immune to the hybrid's sophisticated weaponry.
Strong farm economy rolls along
The nation's struggling economy is making tentative steps toward recovery, but still has a ways to go to catch the high-flying agricultural sector.
Farmland prices near record rates
Minnesota farmland prices are rising at near record rates, according to recent estimates. Some officials say the higher prices reflect a strong agricultural economy. Others are concerned that land prices could be the next real estate bubble.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it had awarded 17 grants totaling $10.4 million for university research projects designed to boost food safety at a time when millions of Americans get food-borne illnesses each year.