Agriculture

The Farm Service Agency has set up a process to resolve claims by Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who say they were discriminated against when seeking farm loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the soil is still too wet for fieldwork in some areas.
Farm subsidies face $30B hit under GOP budget plan
The Republican head of the House Budget Committee has proposed cutting agriculture subsidies by $30 billion over the next 10 years as part of a broad effort to slash federal spending, but it remains to be seen whether his ideas will be incorporated in legislation that sets funding for agriculture programs.
Farmers in Minn. tripled their income last year
Based on a survey of 2,500 farms, the average farmer made almost $120,000. Rising grain and livestock prices were the main reason for the fat profits.
Corn prices surge on news of shrinking supply
Corn prices surged 5 percent Thursday after the U.S. Agriculture Department said the nation's corn supply is shrinking.
SW Minn. plant to switch from ethanol production to isobutanol
Gevo will be the first company in the nation to make isobutanol from a renewable source. Its main advantage over ethanol is that it can be sold for more uses.
An Omaha-based company has completed a $55 million acquisition of an ethanol plant from Otter Tail Ag Enterprises near Fergus Falls, Minn.
A Minnesota farmer who's under investigation for distributing unpasteurized milk says he'll continue to do so, even if it means going to jail.
Budget-cutting fever puts ethanol subsidies at risk
As lawmakers look for places to cut spending, federal support for ethanol could become a tempting target. The U.S. Government Accountability Office says ethanol subsidies cost taxpayers billions of dollars and are not necessary.