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USDA gives the go-ahead to 2,4-D-resistant corn and soybeans

Genetically modified corn and beans that are resistant to several herbicides including 2,4-D are a step closer to being planted in a field near you after a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday.

The view from the Johnson Farms farmyard. Photo by Becky Froehlich

New herbicide-resistant crops may affect neighbors

Advocates of the new technology say the new crops provide a vital weapon in the war against weed resistance to glyphosate, which is becoming a stubborn and costly problem for farmers across the country.

Unfortunately, stubborn weeds aren’t the only thing that 2,4-D kills, and gardeners, vineyard owners and even other farmers of commodities who don’t switch to the new technology could be affected if the 2,4-D drifts onto their fields.

Acreage report shows few corn acres to beans

USDA released its much-anticipated June Acreage report on Friday, June 28, 2013. Because of wet planting conditions across much of the Corn Belt, including Iowa and Illinois, many expected about 2 million fewer acres of corn would be planted than reported in the March Prospective Plantings report, with about half of those lost corn acres being switched to soybeans. However the report indicated that did not occur, said Darrell R. Mark, Adjunct Professor of Economics at South Dakota State University.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack challenged the audience at the National Rural Assembly to make the case for rural America Tuesday, June 25, in Bethesda, Md. Looking on is Dylan Kruse of Sustainable Northwest, who introduced Vilsack. Photo by Heidi Marttila-Losure/Dakotafire Media

Vilsack tells rural advocates to make their case for rural America

After raising the issue of the relevancy of rural places to the national political conversation last December, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack took a step beyond that Tuesday as he addressed the National Rural Assembly: Why aren’t rural advocates outraged when rural places are dismissed as irrelevant?

Resources for rural communities, May 2, 2013

Christine Sorensen, rural development coordinator for the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development in Pierre, S.D., sends out a jam-packed e-mail regularly with resources galore for rural communities. I’ve been lax in getting this posted, so here’s the latest from two e-mails.… 

Resources for rural communities, March 29, 2013

Christine Sorensen, rural development coordinator for the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development in Pierre, S.D., sends out a jam-packed e-mail regularly with resources galore for rural communities. Here’s the latest! Read and share with your friends a colleagues. —Heidi M-L NEWS…