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Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Shore Breeze Farms will expand operations at its hydroponic greenhouse facility in Northampton County, increasing its production of Virginia-grown leafy greens by thirty percent. The company provides Virginia-grown lettuces to Virginia public schools, local restaurants, and farm stands on the Eastern Shore and in Virginia Beach. This is the first Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund grant awarded to Northampton County.

“It is exciting to see homegrown companies like Shore Breeze Farms harnessing new agriculture technologies to bring fresh, local vegetables to their communities,” said Governor Northam. “Shore Breeze Farms has long been known for innovative product offerings, and I am especially proud to see how they are branching into new markets during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis to offer pre-packaged salad kits to Virginians on the Eastern Shore.”

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Results from an annual survey of more than 71,000 farmers showed a jump in planted corn and soybean acreage, and a dip in cotton and wheat, compared to 2019.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated 92 million acres of corn was planted in the U.S. in 2020, up 3% from last year. Planted soybeans are estimated at 83.8 million acres, up 10%. Extreme wet conditions hindered the amount of corn and soybeans planted in 2019.

Robert Harper, grain division manager for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, said Corn Belt states had ideal weather this spring, and their crops were planted quickly compared to last year.

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Bipartisan legislation to make it easier for farmers and foresters using conservation practices to participate in carbon markets has been introduced in the House.

Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, and Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a Republican, recently proposed the Growing Climate Solutions Act. The bill is supported by a wide range of farming, environmental and industry organizations in Virginia, Nebraska and across the country.

The proposed bill would create a certification program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help remove barriers that prevent farmers and foresters from participating in carbon credit markets. Through the program, USDA would act as a liaison between farmers and private sectors.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall told Congress that American agriculture accounts for less than 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, far less than transportation, electricity generation and industry sectors. He added that carbon sequestration from forestland, grasslands and farmland converted to forestland “more than offset agriculture’s total greenhouse gas emissions.” Continue reading →

Virginians may not need to worry about murder hornets, but they should be on the lookout for another invasive pest—the spotted lanternfly.

First seen in Virginia in 2018, the pest is a threat to 70 ornamental plants, trees and various crops, including apples, grapes, hops and stone fruits.

Once limited to Winchester and Frederick County, the pest is quickly expanding its territory despite vigorous prevention measures. Adult spotted lanternflies were found in Clarke County last fall.

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Hoping to bounce back from an unusually cold spring, some Virginia farmers are now embracing the early summer rainfall.

Many localities across the state have seen steady rain since June 1, resulting in favorable soil moisture levels. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s end of June crop report, Virginia’s topsoil moisture was rated at 85% and subsoil moisture was 91%.

The satisfactory soil conditions and influx of rain have helped fortify some summer crops after freezing temperatures in mid-May damaged or delayed much of Virginia’s wheat harvest and corn planting.

“The rain has provided a silver lining for some farmers,” said Mike Parrish, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent in Dinwiddie County. “Cotton is pushing along really well after a slow spell, and tobacco, peanuts and soybeans are being helped along by the rain.”

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The 2020 Virginia General Assembly passed legislation renaming the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF)  the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). As of July 1, that name change is official. For more information, click here for a message from DWR.

Check out this week’s Merchandiser Minute!

https://youtu.be/ed9LxWeJM0c

• Company will make a total payment of $10.1 billion to $10.9 billion (€9.1 billion to €9.8 billion) to resolve current and address potential future Roundup™ litigation
• Company also resolves dicamba drift litigation for payment of up to $400 million and most PCB water litigation exposure for payment of approximately $820 million
• Funding sourced from free cash flow and Animal Health divestment
• Bayer is well positioned to deliver science-based solutions to meet global health, nutrition needs

Bayer announced today a series of agreements that will substantially resolve major outstanding Monsanto litigation, including U.S. Roundup™ product liability litigation, dicamba drift litigation and PCB water litigation. The main feature is the U.S. Roundup™ resolution that will bring closure to approximately 75% of the current Roundup™ litigation involving approximately 125,000 filed and unfiled claims overall. The resolved claims include all plaintiff law firms leading the Roundup™ federal multi-district litigation (MDL) or the California bellwether cases, and those representing approximately 95% of the cases currently set for trial, and establish key values and parameters to guide the resolution of the remainder of the claims as negotiations advance. The resolution also puts in place a mechanism to resolve potential future claims efficiently. The company will make a payment of $8.8 billion to $9.6 billion to resolve the current Roundup™ litigation, including an allowance expected to cover unresolved claims, and $1.25 billion to support a separate class agreement to address potential future litigation. The Roundup™ class agreement will be subject to approval by Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The resolutions were approved unanimously by Bayer’s Board of Management and Supervisory Board with input from its Special Litigation Committee. The agreements contain no admission of liability or wrongdoing.

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In 2019, a petition was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit against the EPA for its decision in 2018 to extend the registration of low-volatility dicamba products, including XtendiMax. The petition was filed by the National Family Farm Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Center for Biological Diversity, and Pesticide Action Network North America. The petitioners requested the court to vacate the current U.S. registrations of certain low-volatility dicamba products, including XtendiMax. The petitioners claim the EPA’s 2018 registration decision was based on insufficient evidence and therefore violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In April 2020, the court heard oral arguments on the petition. The EPA defended its science-based registration decision.

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