Breaking News

Agribusiness

Biden considers 1st offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico

The Biden administration said Wednesday it is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of a push to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 to help fight climate change. The proposed sale, which could take place as soon as this summer, includes areas offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas, for roughly 3.6 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power about 1.3 million homes. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management plans to open a 60-day public comment period on Friday. The area offshore Lake Charles could be ...

N.Y. finalizes overtime changes for farm workers

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York officials gave final approval Wednesday for a measure that will lower the hourly threshold for when farm workers qualify for overtime pay. Under the adopted measure, the overtime pay threshold will gradually be reduced to 40 hours by 2032. Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, farm workers will be eligible for overtime pay after 56 hours worked per week. Right now, farm workers in the state qualify for overtime pay after working more than 60 hours per week. The state’s Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, who approved of a recommendation to reduce the ...

Sleepy Eye FFA awarded Bend, Don’t Break Mental Health Wellness grant

SLEEPY EYE — The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter was recently recognized as a grant recipient of the Minnesota FFA Foundation’s Bend, Don’t Break Mental Health Wellness Program. The Bend Don’t Break Mental Health Wellness program is an important program for supporting youth in your local ...

Landowner help sought to protect endangered animals, plants

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The Biden administration called for regulatory changes Wednesday to encourage voluntary conservation projects on private land, partly by shielding owners from punishment if their actions kill or harm small numbers of imperiled species. The proposed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule outlines steps to simplify permitting for damage that otherwise would be illegal under the Endangered Species Act. The Associated Press obtained details on the proposal prior to its public release. To qualify, landowners take steps that would benefit declining species, including ...

South Dakota lawmakers seek foreign-owned land investigation

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota lawmakers are advancing a number of bills that would curb Chinese influence in South Dakota’s farmland amid concerns among Republican leaders after a spy balloon was spotted and shot down last week. Republican Rep. Will Mortenson proposed Thursday investigating partnerships between landowners and foreign entities. It comes a week after other lawmakers pushed forth other propositions tackling foreign influence, like banning contracts between state land and foreign countries, and establishing a committee to oversee future foreign purchases. “We don’t ...

UN eyes revival of millets as global grain uncertainty grows

RUSHINGA, Zimbabwe — While others in her Zimbabwean village agonize over a maize crop seemingly headed for failure, Jestina Nyamukunguvengu picks up a hoe and slices through the soil of her fields that are lush green with a pearl millet crop in the African country’s arid Rushinga district. “These crops don’t get affected by drought, they are quick to flower, and that’s the only way we can beat the drought,” the 59-year old said, smiling broadly. Millets, including sorghum, now take up over two hectares of her land — a patch where maize was once the crop of ...