By Sarah Fielder
Silicon Valley’s New Status Symbol: Chickens Silicon Valley’s tech elite have found a new hobby: backyard poultry. Many are using chickens as ways to de-stress and spending large sums of money on their chickens. The Washington Post highlights this new fad with the tech elite. To read the story, click here http://wapo.st/2oM8LRI.
Salt Water Intrusion Threatens Maryland Farms The Atlantic highlights the struggles faced by many Maryland farmers losing productive cropland to saltwater intrusion. The article highlights research and work being done to aid Eastern Shore landowners dealing with this slow-moving threat. To read the story, http://bit.ly/2Fs8mNI.
Harvard Lost $1 Billion on Ag and Natural Resource Investments This week Bloomberg Businessweek highlighted the struggles faced by Harvard in growing its $37.1 billion endowments. The story highlights how Harvard is exiting agricultural and natural resources investments made around the world due to losing $1 billion last year. To read more about the struggles in its investments, click here https://bloom.bg/2Fxfrg8.
Crop Insurance Deadline is Approaching This is a reminder for Delmarva producers that the spring planted crops sales closing date for crop insurance is on March 15. Coverage for corn, cucumbers, forage seeding, fresh market sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes, grain sorghum, processing beans, processing sweet corn, processing tomatoes, soybeans, spring oats, and tobacco is available in select counties in Maryland. Producers should contact their crop insurance agent before the sales closing date to change coverage levels or buy coverage for the first time. To find a crop insurance agent see, https://prodwebnlb.rma.usda.
Iowa Ag Gag Challenge Can Proceed A federal district court in Iowa ruled last week that a challenge to the state’s ag gag law can proceed. A federal judge denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit claiming the law violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. To learn more about the ruling, click here http://dmreg.co/2oXRaX5.
Dean Foods Drops Eighty Dairy Farming Contracts Beginning in June, eighty milk producers have to find a new manufacturer for their milk, with Dean Foods decreasing their number of contracts. Dairy Farmers of America is unable to take on these producers, but plans to monitor these events. Read more details at https://go.umd.edu/ffg.
Food Safety and Recall Readiness for CSA/On-Farm Market/Agritourism Operators Did you miss the food safety and recall readiness workshop/webinar series? No problem, all of the presentations/materials have been uploaded to the food safety page of the ALEI website and recordings of the webinars can be found on the video page. Be sure to check out these resources and make a plan to assess and improve your food safety before spring.