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Agriculture

Natural State Coalition, Farm Bill Challenges, and More News

Natural State Coalition Seeks Safe Herbicide Use to Protect Lands The Natural State Coalition recently launched a campaign to protect Arkansas’ diverse landscapes from continuous damage resulting from overuse of dicamba herbicides. Since 2016, Arkansas’ lands and landowners have suffered injuries repeatedly from dicamba, a herbicide that is difficult to control and habitually volatizes after it has been sprayed, moving into other areas where it damages or kills plants that are not tolerant. The problems with dicamba emerged after the release of soybeans and cotton engineered to be resistant to dicamba which rely on in-crop applications of the herbicide, especially in the warmer months of the growing season which increases its volatility. The

joelcape January 6, 2023

Agriculture

Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough, Waterhemp’s Evolution & More

Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Re-Enters the Discussion on Energy The U.S. Department of Energy announced a scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion was achieved this week when a controlled-fusion reaction achieved “fusion ignition” for the first time on earth. In other words, the experiment produced more energy that it consumed. Nuclear fusion has long been viewed as a holy grail of clean, sustainable, theoretically limitless energy. You can read the DOE’s announcement here. What does this have to do with agriculture? Nothing in the short-term, but it could be monumental for the future of U.S. ag. A significant portion of U.S. crops are grown for renewable fuel feedstocks, along with enormous investment in

joelcape December 16, 2022

Legal News

Significant Changes in Market Structures Here for the Long Haul

Dan Basse, President of AgResource, delivered his broad economic assessment of U.S. and global markets at the American Seed Trade Association’s 2022 Corn, Soybean & Sorghum Seed Expo this week in Chicago. Dan’s presentations are always compelling and loaded with data. Here are some of the highlights: The ultra-low interest rates that we have enjoyed for the last several years are gone and are unlikely to return for quite a while. Historically, periods of low interest have been short-lived and this last period of low rates was relatively long. Market structures have changed in light of the Russia-Ukraine war and regional reactions to the pandemic. Inflation is at 40-year highs

joelcape December 9, 2022

Agriculture

Cultivated Meat Moves Closer to Dinner Tables & Closing Farms

Cultured Cell Poultry Gets FDA Approval Upside Foods, a startup focused on cell-cultured poultry, recently completed a pre-market evaluation of its cultivated poultry (i.e., lab-grown) by the Food and Drug Administration which indicated that the Agency was satisfied with the company’s conclusions that it was safe for human consumption. The FDA’s review marks the Agency’s first completed regulatory review of cell-cultured food. Also known as cultivated meat, it is produced from actual animal cells (often stem cells) which are grown in bioreactors with a mix of nutrients to generate cell growth. Unlike the plant-based meat alternatives, cultivated meat is made of actual animals cells and is biologically identical to poultry harvested from

joelcape December 2, 2022

Brands

Heirloom Corn’s Flavor Premium, and More | Cape Law

Craft Distillers Reviving Heirloom Corn Two Missouri distillers are taking the path less travelled in a quest to find unique corn varieties for making craft spirits. In speaking with DTN Progressive Farmer, Gary Hinegardener of Wood Hat Spirits explains that just like grape varieties influence the taste of wine, corn varieties influence the taste of distilled spirits. This led Hinegardener to begin looking at heirloom corn varieties such as Bloody Butcher, Hopi Blue, and Cateto Orange Flint. Hinegardener recently began collaborating with USDA researchers based at the University of Missouri in a project to evaluate old corn varieties, particularly varieties that were traditionally grown in Missouri, for their potential to enhance whisky flavors.

joelcape November 18, 2022

Agriculture

Ag Groups Revolt Against EVs | FTC’s Approach to Unfair Trade

Ag Interest Groups Challenge Electric Vehicle Use Various Ag Interest Groups have joined with Petroleum Groups in a court challenge to EPA’s final rule setting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for 2023-2026 model year cars and trucks. According to a recent article in DTN Progressive Farmer, EPA’s action exceeded its authority by effectively mandating a transition to electric vehicles to achieve GHG reduction goals, while ignoring alternative technologies such as low-carbon, ethanol-based fuels. Ag and Fuel proponents have argued that the Agency’s actions are an effort to transform the U.S. transportation fleet and fuel infrastructure which would have major impacts on automobiles, oil & gas industries, and the electric grid —

joelcape November 11, 2022