Food Safety Reuters writer Christopher Doering reported yesterday that, “Passing food safety reform legislation this year is a ‘priority’ for the Senate, said a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, as Congress feels pressure from consumer groups to act following the latest recall to highlight weaknesses in the system. “‘It has been and will continue to [...]

Food Safety Issues Alicia Mundy reported yesterday at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “The criminal division of the Food and Drug Administration and the Justice Department have joined the probe of the Iowa farm at the heart of the recent egg recall linked to an outbreak of salmonella, according to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. “‘There is [...]

Disaster Aid- Farm Bill John Lyon reported earlier this week at the Arkansas News Online that, “A recent spate of editorials in the national press knocking U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s efforts to secure $1.5 billion in disaster aid for farmers [Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal] shows how the East Coast media misunderstands the [...]

Food Safety Philip Brasher reported yesterday at the Green Fields Blog (Des Moines Register) that, “The Food and Drug Administration says it found numerous sanitation and biosecurity lapses, including live mice, in the Iowa hen houses that have been linked to a salmonella outbreak and a nationwide egg recall. “Mice are one of the main sources of [...]

Farm Bill On Friday, USDA issued a statement indicating that, “U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Secretary Justin DeJong today released the following statement in response to the recent Bloomberg/Business Week story titled ‘Broadband Trumps Farmer Payments in Rural Aid’: “‘The Obama Administration cares deeply about our farmers and ranchers, and USDA continues to work hard and [...]

Many economists believe that the days of banking on an asset that could only rise in value are gone for good.

A San Francisco condo owner who had complained publicly about the tax assessor’s office finally got his day to appeal his appraisal. It did not go well for him.

Florida’s plan to reclaim the wetlands is instead on track to rescue the fortunes of United States Sugar.

No one knows how treacherous the markets will be in 2010, but earnings, valuation and policy are expected to be the three top risk categories.

Preparing a business for sale has a lot in common with starting it in the first place: The more you prepare, the more successful the outcome is likely to be.

ASFMRA: NRCS posted a solicitation for appraisal reviewers. http://bit.ly/aT5q1r

ASFMRA: New 1099 reporting requirements as a result of Section 9006 of new health care reform bill. http://bit.ly/bhIF3i

ASFMRA: Deadline for Papers for the 2011 Journal of the ASFMRA is August 15. http://bit.ly/b74EhB

ASFMRA: ASFMRA comments to House Agriculture Committee on Section 1619: http://bit.ly/cRsLzC