U.S. Labor Department wants tighter farm worker rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The U.S. Labor Department is trying again to roll back a Bush administration regulation that made it easier for farmers to hire temporary foreign farm workers.

The agency is proposing a rule that would boost wages and increase safeguards for thousands of seasonal workers brought in annually to help farmers harvest their crops. If the proposed rule were to be adopted, it would largely reverse a regulation put in force shortly before former President Bush left office in January.

The Labor Department tried to suspend the Bush rule early this year, but farm groups successfully challenged the decision in federal court. Growers say the changes to the H-2A guest worker program will make it more cumbersome and expensive to hire foreign workers for field jobs that many Americans eschew.
EPA sends draft GHG emissions rule to White House
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Last week, according to the National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA), the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a draft rule to the White House that would establish strict greenhouse gas emissions permitting requirements for entities that emit 25,000 tons per year.

The NCGA stated it is committed to working for regulations that do not harm farmers and target American agriculture. It added the EPA’s proposed regulation will cover approximately 13,000 facilities and around 85 percent of all U.S. emissions. The NCGA does not believe it will include an exemption for agriculture, a high priority for NCGA in the Waxman-Markey bill.

“Now that both Congress and the EPA have (greenhouse gas) emissions reductions proposals, NCGA will work on both fronts to minimize the impact to growers,” NCGA President Bob Dickey said. “We will consider all options to ensure the best possible outcome for our members.”

While the Senate debates the climate change legislation that was passed by the House of Representatives in June, NCGA stated the EPA proceeded with the rule as the outcome of the current legislation is uncertain. It added one major difference between the draft rule and the legislation is that the rule is not likely to include an environment for farmers to trade or sell offsets on a carbon market.

Missouri first to receive
federal biomass money

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri farmers are the first to receive money under a new USDA program for biomass facilities.
The federal program lets agricultural producers who sell materials to biomass conversion facilities receive federal payments equal to the amount received from the facility. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the Missouri-based Show Me Energy Cooperative was the first facility to qualify under the new federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program.

The company has more than 500 biomass producers supplying materials such as switchgrass, straw, sawdust and wood chips. The plant produces fuel pellets from the agricultural waste products that are used to heat houses and livestock facilities.

Apple growers to release
successor to Honeycrisp
LAKE CITY, Minn. (AP) — Apple growers are getting ready to introduce the new sweet-tart SweeTango.

It’s a successor to the popular Honeycrisp. Both were developed at the University of Minnesota. The new apple has Honeycrisp’s crispness and juice but kicks up the flavor and adds an intriguing note of fall spice.

Honeycrisp’s taste and texture were so good it sold for about $1 more per pound than other varieties. Those investing in SweeTango are banking on the same premium price, and they’ve formed a cooperative to grow and sell it nationwide.

SweeTango will be available in some Minnesota farmers’ markets Labor Day weekend and arrive in selected grocery stores around the Twin Cities, Seattle and Rochester, N.Y., a few days later. The apple should be available nationwide in 2011 or 2012.

Truck crash kills some pigs, releases others

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A traffic crash northwest of Lexington has killed some livestock and has authorities rounding up pigs.
WLEX-TV in Lexington reported some of the swine were killed when a tractor-trailer truck rolled on Interstate 24 in Scott County early Aug. 31. The station quoted police saying the truck was transporting about 80 pigs from Iowa when the driver lost control.

Makoti tractor collection
going to auction

MAKOTI, N.D. (AP) — A longtime tractor collector in the Makoti area is putting his collection up for sale. Sixty-six tractors dating back to 1924 are lined up for one-third of a mile on the Ed Dobrinski farm. They’ll go on the block during a Sept. 30 auction.

Dobrinski says he’s 90 years old, and it’s time to sell the tractors so they continue to get attention and don’t deteriorate. Dobrinski at one point had more than 100 tractors. He’s given many to family members.

The tractors to be sold at auction include Minneapolis-Moline, John Deere, Case, Massey-Harris, Ford, Co-op, Oliver, Cockshutt, McCormick, Allis Chalmers and International. The collection includes a Model A AC machine that Dobrinski says is one of only about 1,200 made.

No new bovine TB cases
found in Neb. testing

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — After nearly 12,000 tests, Nebraska agriculture officials still haven’t found any additional cases of bovine tuberculosis.

The latest results released Aug. 31 show a total of 10,500 cattle in north-central and eastern Nebraska have tested negative for the disease since two cases were discovered this spring in a Rock County herd.

Officials are waiting for results of the 1,300 tests done last week, and roughly 5,000 more cattle must be tested to determine whether the disease is prevalent in Nebraska. As of Aug. 30, 22 herds in 12 counties remained quarantined.

The disease typically spreads from one animal to another through the inhalation of bacteria. Experts say there is little risk of the disease being transmitted to humans.

Town hopes giant zucchini
can raise cash for clock
NEW HARMONY, Ind. (AP) — A tiny southwestern Indiana town hopes a giant zucchini can raise money to help repair a clock with a chime that’s heard throughout the town.

The Evansville Courier & Press reports it will cost more than $16,000 to repair the 1924 clock located in a tower above New Harmony’s Ribeyre Gymnasium. New Harmony residents are raising some money through rummage sales, raffles and dances.

But naturalist Sally Roth is pitching in by putting a giant zucchini from her garden up for auction on eBay. She says the squash is as long as a Wiffle ball bat. It was posted Friday on eBay under the name “giant utopian zucchini,” a reference to the town’s heritage as a site for 19th century utopian communities. The starting bid for its nine-day auction was $1.