Agriculture Archives - Page 2 of 2

Forget driverless cars. One company wants autonomous helicopters to spray crops and fight fires

HENNIKER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire company is working to develop a fleet of autonomous helicopters that it hopes can be used to put out fires, spray crops and handle other dangerous jobs. Rotor Technologies has built two of the autonomous helicopters, started running test flights and plans a demonstration of the helicopter at an agriculture trade show in Texas on Wednesday. The company is hoping to sell as many as 20 of the small helicopters next year, most of which would be used by farmers to spray fields with pesticides and fertilizers. To allow those flights, the company is counting on getting Federal Aviation Administration approval by next year.… Continue Reading

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections

Federal health officials are calling for more testing and treatment of workers on farms with bird flu. The new guidance comes after a study showed that some dairy workers had signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick. Blood tests of 115 workers on farms in Michigan and Colorado showed that eight workers had antibodies that indicated previous infection. The finding suggests the virus may be spreading more widely. Four of the workers reported feeling sick and four reported no symptoms. Officials said the risk to the public remains low.… Continue Reading

Daylight saving time ends Sunday. Time to ‘fall back’ an hour

Sunday is the time to move clocks back in the U.S. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time, which means setting your clock back an hour. Standard time will last until March 9 when we will again “spring forward” with the return of daylight saving time. That spring time change can be tough on your body but the fall change should be easier to adjust to. Most countries don’t make time changes. It’s mostly North America and Europe. In the U.S., there are two exceptions. Arizona and Hawaii stick to standard time year-round.… Continue Reading

Voters in Northern California county to vote on whether to allow large-scale farms

PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) — A proposal to phase out large-scale confined animal farms will be put before voters in a Northern California county. Sonoma County residents will decide whether to approve Measure J. Proponents say the move to phase out what federal authorities call concentrated animal feeding operations is about the humane treatment of animals. Critics say it is a misguided effort that could harm egg farming and dairies in the county and that California already has strict rules to ensure farm animals’ well-being.… Continue Reading

As many forests fail to recover from wildfires, replanting efforts face huge odds — and obstacles

BELLVUE, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. is struggling to replant forests destroyed by increasingly destructive wildfires, with some areas unlikely to recover. Researchers are studying which species are likely to survive — and where — as climate change makes it difficult or impossible for many forests to regrow. But researchers say the U.S. also lacks enough seed collection, nursery capacity to grow seedlings and workers trained to plant them on a scale needed to stem accelerating losses. The Forest Service says the biggest roadblock is the yearslong task of completing environmental and cultural assessments and preparing severely burned land for replanting.… Continue Reading

US to hand over pest inspections of Mexican avocados to Mexico and California growers aren’t happy

MEXICO CITY (AP) — California avocado growers are fuming about a U.S. decision to hand over pest inspections of Mexican orchards to the Mexican government. Inspectors hired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been guarding against imports of insects and diseases for decades, but they have also been threatened in Mexico for refusing to certify deceptive shipments. Threats and violence against inspectors have caused the U.S. to suspend inspections a couple of times in recent years. But California growers question whether there is any hope that Mexico’s own inspectors would be better equipped to withstand such pressure.… Continue Reading

Trump listens during a farming event in rural Pennsylvania, then threatens John Deere with tariffs

SMITHTON, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump sat in a large barn in rural Pennsylvania as farmers expressed concerns about losing their way of life, asking questions and offering jokes but mostly just listening. His event Monday offered a softer side of Trump markedly different than his usual campaign style built on wordy, gleefully bombastic speeches. He shared long tables with a small group of farmers and flanked by large green tractors and a sign declaring “Protect our food from China” in Smithton, southeast of Pittsburgh. There, Trump let others do most of the talking, even though he spent some time decrying his opponent in November, Vice President Kamala Harris.… Continue Reading

‘Short corn’ could replace the towering cornfields steamrolled by a changing climate

WYOMING, Iowa (AP) — Taking a country drive in the Midwest means venturing into the corn zone. Snaking between 12-foot-tall green, leafy walls, the corn seems to block out nearly everything other than an occasional water tower. But soon, that towering corn might become a miniature of its former self, replaced by stalks only half as tall as the current green giants. The short corn offers farmers a variety that can withstand powerful windstorms that could become more frequent due to climate change. The smaller plants also let farmers plant at greater density, so they can grow more corn on the same amount of land and increase their profits. That is especially helpful as farmers endure low prices.… Continue Reading