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In a unique philanthropic effort, the heavy metal band Metallica is funding a scholarship to prepare veterans for careers in agriculture and connect them with job opportunities, according to Hartnell College.

A massive bipartisan infrastructure bill the Senate is debating this week would make a historic $65 billion investment in expanding high-speed internet, but the bulk of the funding would be routed through states, and rural broadband advocates want to see the Agriculture Department play a bigger role in distributing the funding.

The 21st Annual National Farmers Market Week kicked off Sunday, Aug 1. The week is meant to highlight the essential role that farmers markets play in the food system and celebrate their resilience and safety during the pandemic, according to the Farmers Market Coalition.

A new Department of Agriculture study shows the biobased products industry supports almost 5 million jobs and adds nearly $500 billion to the economy.

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer for July indicated that farmers are slightly concerned about rising input prices and current conditions, but remain cautiously optimistic compared to this time last year.

The Senate's proposed fiscal 2022 funding bill for the Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration would provide $7 billion in disaster assistance to cover producers' losses in 2020 and 2021.

The Biden administration has reiterated its pledge to get input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including the agricultural industry, on how it plans to define “waters of the U.S.” in the Clean Water Act, as it announced a series of upcoming “community engagements.”

The bipartisan infrastructure agreement that the Senate is preparing to debate includes $8.3 billion in western water infrastructure funding sought by farm groups in the region that is suffering through an extended drought. 

The House on Thursday passed a package of seven fiscal 2022 spending bills that would provide significant increases for climate measures and agricultural research while also beefing up agencies that enforce environmental and labor regulations.

Robert Bonnie, President Joe Biden’s pick to oversee USDA’s farm and conservation programs, insisted Thursday that the administration has the legal authority to use the Commodity Credit Corp. to incentivize climate-friendly farming practices.