Agriculture
Country ham nets $10.5M for charity as Kelly, Joe Craft break own record at Farm Bureau breakfast
LOUISVILLE —?Two Republican megadonors once again were the highest bidders at Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Country Ham Breakfast charity auction.? Kelly Craft, a former United Nations ambassador and 2023 Republican gubernatorial candidate, and her husband, coal executive Joe Craft, bid a record $10.5 million Thursday morning for the country ham that was crowned champion of the […]
Bipartisan bill aims to expand free school meals with more Kentucky-sourced food
Kentucky lawmakers from both parties are hoping to lessen childhood hunger while also supporting farmers with new legislation set to be introduced in next year’s legislative session.? The pre-filed legislation from Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, and Reps. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, and Scott McPherson, R-Scottsville, would establish the “Kentucky Proud School Match Program.”? In a […]
Federal government pays $2 billion for farmer discrimination
Tens of thousands of farmers or would-be farmers who say they suffered discrimination when they applied for assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will get one-time payments that total about $2 billion from the federal government. “While this financial assistance is not compensation for anyone’s losses or pain endured, it is an acknowledgement,” U.S. […]
Anti-abortion researchers back riskier procedures when pregnancy termination is needed, experts say
The day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the medical board that certifies OB-GYNs in America released a statement calling legal pregnancy termination and knowledge of abortion procedures “essential to reproductive health care.” But a small number of influential anti-abortion doctors have spent the last two years trying to change the […]
Kentucky State University receives $7 million grant for agriculture research network
FRANKFORT —?Kentucky State University has been awarded a $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation for an agricultural research incubator that has partners across the state. With the dollars, KSU plans to establish a statewide research network that focuses on agriculture, climate change and access to fresh food called Driving AgTech Research and Education […]
Sun, water, federal dollars power new energy projects in Kentucky
Jonathan Moore sees potential for reliable, durable electric power in Kentucky’s hundreds of miles of waterways, more navigable water than many states can boast. The Kentucky River is a prime example, says Moore, a partner in the company Appalachian Hydro Associates. Taking advantage of a system of locks and dams dating back to the 19th […]
U.S. Senate Republicans outline their farm bill framework
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Tuesday released their framework for a new five-year farm bill that will set the policy and funding levels for key food, agriculture and conservation programs. The top Republican on the committee, Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, laid out?GOP priorities?with reporters during a […]
USDA rubber-stamped Tyson’s ‘climate friendly’ beef, but no one has seen the data
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.? About five miles south of Broken Bow, in the heart of central Nebraska, thousands of cattle stand in feedlots at Adams Land & Cattle […]
Group alleges ‘hidden-camera’ video reveals ‘cruelty’ in chicken production in Kentucky?
An animal protection advocacy group released footage from a “hidden-camera investigation” Monday of what it says is cruel treatment of chickens being transported from poultry operations in Kentucky — an investigation the group says would be criminalized under a bill recently approved by the Kentucky legislature. Mercy For Animals, a California-based nonprofit which describes its […]
House passes restrictions on filming food production, farming operations
After rejecting protections for whistleblowers and accidental violations, the House on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 16 restricting drone photography of food production plants and animal feeding operations. Democratic Rep. Al Gentry of Louisville offered an amendment protecting whistleblowers who film violations of safety or health laws.? Overbroad bill risks turning food plant workers, government inspectors, […]
‘Power grab,’ says Beshear of bill to move Fish and Wildlife to agriculture department
LOUISVILLE — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday called a Republican-backed bill that would move the state’s wildlife management agency from his administration to the agriculture department an unconstitutional “power grab.”? Beshear also called out Senate Republicans for refusing to confirm his appointees to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.? “It’s time for them to stop […]
Divided Kentucky Senate advances bill attaching Fish and Wildlife to agriculture department
FRANKFORT — The GOP-dominated Senate narrowly advanced a controversial change for Kentucky’s wildlife management agency Friday while also voting to administratively attach the racing commission to the state agriculture department as well.? Sportsmen’s and wildlife conservation groups have strongly opposed the proposal, and lawmakers echoed their concerns during Friday’s debate.? Senate Bill 3, primarily sponsored […]