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
Potato Crusher Helps Farmers Fight Weeds Monday, August 31, 2026 Researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) found a new use for a machine originally designed for potato production. The potato vine crusher, first created to destroy insect pests in potato vines, is now proving effective in reducing weed seeds during harvest. The idea was... Read this article online
Canadian Meat Council Warns of Food Safety Risks Monday, August 31, 2026 The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) has expressed concerns about proposed changes to Canada's food safety regulations that would allow certain provincially inspected meat products to be sold across provincial borders. While the organization supports efforts to reduce barriers to... Read this article online
Boosting Soybean Protein Through Better Nutrition Monday, August 31, 2026 Soybeans areone of the most important crops in the world.Soybeansprovide a major source of plant-based protein for both human consumption and animal feed. As global demand for food continues to grow, researchers are working to find ways to improve the nutritional value of soybean crops... Read this article online
Record El Nino Intensifies as U.S. Heat Wave and Drought Risks Grow Monday, August 31, 2026 As harvest season approaches across much of North America, producers are facing a rapidly evolving weather pattern highlighted by the strongest El Niño event on record. According to from meteorologist Eric Snodgrass, the east-based El Niño continues to strengthen, with Niño Region 3... Read this article online
Wheat Futures Surge as Black Sea Risks Fuel Grain Market Rally Monday, August 31, 2026 Grain markets finished the week of August 28, 2026, on a strong note as wheat futures led a broad rally across agricultural commodities. Traders monitored escalating risks around Black Sea exports, potential changes to U.S. crop estimates, weather concerns across the Midwest, and increased... Read this article online