Tennessee backs down on ag-gag law Monday, August 5, 2013 In June's Better Pork, we reported that lawmakers voted to make Tennessee the latest state to approve a so-called "ag-gag" law, a bill to make it illegal to record animal cruelty incidents on livestock farms without reporting them to the police right away.Just after we went to press, Tennessee Republican governor Bill Haslam vetoed the bill, following the opinion of his Democratic attorney general that it wouldn't pass a constitutional challenge, freedom of speech being nearly as important in that country as freedom to own a gun.According to Meatingplace.com, Haslam also cited concerns that the new law might take away reporters' rights to gather information for stories, and that it might be harder to prosecute legitimate animal cruelty cases "as an unintended consequence."As well, a number of Tennessee celebrities jumped on the bandwagon, among them songwriter Emmylou Harris, country music singer Carrie Underwood and even Priscilla Presley. The Humane Society of the United States sees it as a victory; the Animal Agriculture Alliance, which writes and speaks out against animal rights legislation, is not pleased. BP A Chinese takeover of Smithfields? The battle of the polls over gestation stalls
Poll shows Canadians support supply management Monday, April 20, 2026 Canadians are in favour of supply management, a new poll shows. A Nanos poll commissioned by Dairy Farmers of Canada surveyed 1,099 people between March 31 and April 4, asking participants about the topic and others related to ag. When it comes to supporting the “general objectives” of... Read this article online
Ag in the House: April 13 – 17 Monday, April 20, 2026 Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald attended question period last week where he fielded a question about business investments in Canada. Michael Guglielmin, the Conservative MP for Vaughan—Woodbridge, cited a report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business indicating that for... Read this article online
Prairie Swine Centre celebrates 35 years of driving innovation Friday, April 17, 2026 Over that time, the centre has evolved into one of Canada's premier swine research facilities, delivering practical, industry-focused research that strengthens the financial position of pork producers while advancing animal welfare and environmental sustainability across the Saskatchewan and... Read this article online
Claas Expands Midwest Presence to Support Farmers Friday, April 17, 2026 Global equipment maker grows dealer and service network across the Dakotas Claas, a global agricultural equipment company, is expanding its operations in the Midwest to better serve farmers and ranchers. Although the brand is not always part of common “red or green” equipment... Read this article online
Canadian Farmland Values Rise Faster Than US Thursday, April 16, 2026 FCC analysis highlights rising land costs and growing affordability pressure Farm Credit Canada has released a new economic analysis that sheds light on changing farmland value trends in Canada and the United States. The study shows that cultivated farmland values in Canada are... Read this article online