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May 15, 2008
Child Eating Broccoli
More than a billion dollars in the newly proposed farm bill will be dedicated to a school snack program, an effort to get children to eat fresh produce. The program will be good news for Michigan's fruit and vegetable farmers if Congress can override a presidential veto.

Farm bill faces veto, potential override

Touting the new farm bill as beneficial for children, the environment and farmers, the "Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2008" was unveiled May 8 by a bipartisan group of farm bill conferees, who said it should be called a food bill rather than a farm bill. Click here for full story.

An evolving approach for TB eradication

Like the chicken or the egg, we don't know which came first - deer or cattle infected with bovine TB, but we do know there is a relationship between the two. We also know that feed and hay contaminated with the bovine TB bacteria can result in infection in both cattle and deer and that the bacteria can live for weeks in the environment. All that strongly suggests that for the health of both cattle and deer, keeping them away from each other is an excellent idea. Click here for full story.

Can farmers safely delay first irrigation of corn?

Delaying the onset of irrigation water applications during vegetative growth could be advantageous if the resulting yield reductions are not too severe. Click here for full story.

Saginaw River dredging on track; farmers to benefit

Dredging in the Saginaw River will begin this summer after a compromise was reached between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Click here for full story.

Early antlerless deer season planned in five counties

A special early antlerless firearm deer hunting season on private land has been scheduled for Sept. 18-22 in five counties of the state's Modified Accredited TB zone and Michigan's Zone 3, which includes most of southern Lower Michigan and most of the Thumb. Click here for full story.

Success without ever going to work

While expansion under one family is nothing unusual in the farm equipment business, it is unusual these days for a family to build a new store rather than to simply buy out an existing dealership, especially in an area like Coopersville, which contains a high percentage of farms. Click here for full story.

MDA budget crunch continues: Ag helps out again

Economic woes have prompted tough choices by nearly every department of state government, but the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has suffered more than its fair share of lean times, according to officials closely connected to agriculture. Click here for full story.

Berrien County Farm Bureau puts money toward member safety

When farmers viewed a video in 2007 that graphically showed tractor rollover effects, it stirred some discomfort, according to Berrien County Farm Bureau President Ed Kretchman. Click here for full story.