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
Ag in the House: Nov. 2 – 6 Wednesday, November 11, 2026 During question period on Nov. 2, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked the government if it would cut taxes to provide farmers and Canadians with relief from high fuel prices. “The Liberal government is out of touch,” he said. “Yes, the farmers in my riding say the single biggest... Read this article online
Canada Makes Rural Immigration Program Permanent to Address Labour Shortages Wednesday, November 11, 2026 Rural Canadian employers struggling to find workers will have a permanent immigration pathway designed specifically to help smaller communities address persistent labour shortages. The federal government announced Nov. 9 that the will become a permanent program, following previous... Read this article online
Organic Demand Is Growing, But Canada Is Importing Much of the Opportunity Wednesday, November 11, 2026 Canada’s organic market is growing quickly, but industry leaders say Canadian farmers and processors are not yet capturing enough of that growth. Leaders from across the country’s organic value chain gathered in Ottawa Nov. 2 and 3 for where discussions focused on how Canada can... Read this article online
Hensall Co-op Awards $17,500 to Seven Ontario Students Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Seven post-secondary students are receiving financial support from Hensall Co-op as they pursue education connected to agriculture and the future of rural communities. The Ontario farmer-owned co-operative has announced the 2026 recipients of its Bright Futures Scholarships, with each... Read this article online
Bunge, GDM launch Enerseed to develop new oilseed crops for biofuels Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Bunge and global plant genetics company GDM are joining forces to develop a new generation of oilseed crops aimed at the expanding renewable fuels market. The companies have announced the creation of , a strategic joint venture that will focus on developing and commercializing... Read this article online