Farm & Field
Lamb producers are pinning hopes on growing Muslim and Latino markets
Once a regular dining option, a mix of cultural and economic factors pushed lamb off the American dinner table. To put the meat back on the menu, ranchers and retailers are being encouraged to reach out to a more diverse set of consumers, specifically American Muslims and Latinos.
How redefining ‘farmers’ could change a farm-subsidy loophole
Big farms are collecting taxpayer dollars that they haven’t necessarily earned by taking advantage of a loophole in government subsidy rules, according to regulators, members of Congress and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking aim at what is known as the “actively engaged” loophole, which has been gaping for nearly three decades, by changing the qualifications for some subsidy payments. But many watchdog groups say a proposed fix fails to address the problem.
Lucky Ewe: Green Dirt Farm counts on sheep to make high-quality cheese and dairy products
Feast TV showcases the people and places that define the flavor of the Midwest with a monthly half hour tour of regional food culture. Green Dirt Farm is featured in this month’s episode, which airs on KCPT this Saturday at 2:20pm. This story by food trends writer and founder of The Recommended Daily, Jonathan Bender, was originally published by Feast Magazine. “I’m going…
What Dropping The Cuban Trade Embargo Could Mean For U.S. Farmers
When President Obama announced in late 2014 that he would work toward ending the embargo on trade with Cuba, it wasn’t just tourists perking up their ears. Midwest farmers and ranchers see communist Cuba as an untapped market for goods from the American Heartland.
5 things you should know about the WHO, Roundup and Cancer
As you’ve probably heard, a well-respected group of World Health Organization scientists said glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s wildly popular Roundup herbicide and its generic cousins, is probably capable of causing cancer in humans. Here are five things you should know: 1. What the report said: Roundup could cause cancer in humans. The International Agency…
What if just one agency was in charge of food safety?
Walking through the warehouse of food processor Heartland Gourmet in Lincoln, Neb., shows how complicated the food safety system can be. Pallets are stacked with sacks of potato flour and the smell of fresh baked apple-cinnamon muffins is in the air. Heartland Gourmet makes a wide range of foods from muffins and organic baking mixes…
Art to taste and touch (and talk about)
Kernza is as close as we have to a local wheat celebrity. But if you’re not a baker, there’s a good chance you may not have heard of the perennial wheat that was developed by The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas. Now, the grain is part of a new exhibit combining science, baking, art, and conversation.
Checkoff debate stirs clash within organic food industry
A battle is brewing in the organic food industry. The largest trade association for organic farmers, marketers and processors wants growers to help pay for promotional campaigns, using a decades-old funding model that paid for iconic ads like “Got Milk?” and “Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner.” But deciding how to spread the organic message is…
Anticipating the benefits of a trade deal in the Pacific
After years of negotiations, a dozen countries – from New Zealand up to Canada –are on the verge of a trade agreement that could be worth billions of dollars to the U.S. agriculture industry. Many American farmers and ranchers are eager to see the expected benefits of the Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP. A free…
The labels on the meat you eat
You’ve probably seen, but may not have noticed, labels on the meat at your grocery store that say something like “Born, Raised, & Harvest in the U.S.A.” or “Born and Raised in Canada, Slaughtered in the U.S.” These country of origin labels, as they are known, are part of an ongoing international trade dispute that has swept up Midwest ranchers. And they may not be long for store shelves.