Articles Tagged with ''Chellie Pingree''

A bipartisan group of 30 U.S. representatives sent a letter to the USDA today with suggestions on how the agency’s $500 million investment in expanding U.S. meat processing capacity should be focused

The Environmental Protection Agency would get $11.34 billion, the most ever in its history, for fiscal year 2022 under a bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee Thursday.

Farm groups are stepping up the pressure on Congress to reject President Joe Biden’s proposals for increasing taxes on capital gains. More than 40 organizations have signed a letter to congressional leaders, saying the proposals threaten the transition to a new generation of farmers.

The Biden White House has hired Wisconsin native Kelliann Blazek as a special assistant to the president for agriculture and rural policy.

President-elect Joe Biden’s commitment to addressing climate change and the food and ag industry’s progress in coalescing on ag carbon proposals are increasing the chances that farmers could see new income streams developing through private markets and USDA programs.

The government’s poultry price-fixing case is moving forward quickly following the June 3 indictment of four executives from Pilgrim’s Pride and Claxton Family Farms.

Faced with criticism about delays in research reports and distribution of grant funding, a top USDA official defended the department’s decision to relocate the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture to the Kansas City region at a congressional hearing Thursday.

A USDA senior adviser acknowledged “missed opportunities to engage stakeholders” on the department’s plan to move the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture outside the Washington, D.C., area, but said the relocations would benefit both employees and taxpayers.

Schools have sharply increased their purchases of locally produced foods in recent years while also taking other measures to reduce food waste and encourage kids to eat more healthful products, including installing school gardens.