Wall Street Journal writer Valerie Bauerlein reported on Friday that, “Chinese-owned pork giant Smithfield Foods Inc. lost a pivotal legal battle on Friday, as a federal jury awarded $25 million to a rural couple for the nuisance caused by living near a Smithfield contractor’s hog farm.

“The lawsuit is the second in a series of complaints brought by 500 rural North Carolinians who live near Smithfield contractors storing manure in open pools.

The Associated Press reported this week that, “North Carolina lawmakers are making it harder for neighbors of agribusinesses to file complaints about smells and other nuisances.

“Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the wide-ranging farm bill, which contains language sought by pork producers after numerous lawsuits.

“The Senate overrode the veto on Tuesday; the House did so on Wednesday.”

The AP article noted that, “Smithfield Foods was hit recently with a nearly $51 million verdict — cut to about $3 million because of state limits on punitive damages. The new law all but blocks lawsuits against farm operations in the future.”

JoAnna Klein reported yesterday at The New York Times Online that, “Cities are filled with buildings, people and concrete — usually not seen as the ideal place for anything wild but nightlife.

“But then there are the bumblebees of London. They may be faring better than their relatives in the English countryside, suggests a study published Tuesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

“‘We’re not saying from this that urban areas are the solution to bumblebee declines or that urban areas are the ideal habitat,’ said Ash Samuelson, a graduate student at Royal Holloway University of London in Britain and lead author of the study. ‘But given the choice of two unnatural situations, they’re actually able to exploit that city environment, which is very different to what they evolved in.'”

The Times article stated that, “Bumblebees are important pollinators for flowers and crops that benefit from their vibrating pollination style. But pesticides, disease and habitat loss are wiping out all types of bees, worldwide. Oddly, as sprawling cities and vast agricultural fields replace forests and meadows, people have noticed more bumblebees buzzing around cities. Dr. Samuelson wanted to know if these bees were simply traveling to cities when agricultural fields ran out of food or if they actually were surviving better there and having more babies.

“In the past 80 years, expanding urban areas in England have been found to host more species and lose fewer pollinators than agricultural areas. City parks and gardens provide a variety of flowers and foraging opportunities for bees throughout the season. Most agricultural fields offer bees only one type of flower, for a limited time. Some biologists have suggested that cities may provide refuge for bees.”

Ms. Klein also explained, “The new research offers a relief and a warning: It is positive that bumblebees can exploit city resources, but agricultural fields of the future should be more bee friendly. That may require extra landscaping for farms; research has shown that planting wildflowers or flowering hedgerows near crop fields can help restore pollinator habitat and foraging opportunities.”

Bloomberg writer Lydia Mulvany reported last week that, “A group representing American farmers is partnering with an agricultural adviser to help promote more large-scale organic farms that produce corn and soybeans, the largest U.S. crops.

“Farmer’s Business Network, Inc., which shares best-practices and data among thousands of growers, is investing in Arlington, Nebraska-based AgriSecure, according to a statement released Wednesday. AgriSecure specializes in helping growers transition from conventional farming to organic with more profit and less risk.

“The terms of the deal aren’t being disclosed. Through the investment, FBN members will have priority access to the AgriSecure platform.”

Ms. Mulvany added that, “Bumper grain harvests have kept prices low for years, spurring increased interest in organic and other specialty production because of the hefty premiums consumers are willing to pay for such food. But it’s difficult for farmers to convert, and U.S. production lags far behind the growth in demand.

“Fields have to be free of conventional fertilizers and chemicals for three years before any crops can be certified organic, which often results in lower yields during the transition period. In addition, record-keeping requirements are onerous, and farmers basically need to overhaul their operations with new methods and equipment.”

A news release yesterday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSAS) stated that, “[USDA] is sending acreage history and yield reports to agricultural producers with generic base acres covered by the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. This information will help producers decide the best options for how to allocate generic base acres, given the addition of seed cotton as a covered commodity in the programs.

“‘We’re sending this information to make sure farmers and ranchers have the data they need to make critical decisions about these USDA programs,’ said Richard Fordyce, administrator of [FSA]. ‘It’s important that producers take a few minutes to compare the information they receive with their farm records. If something is incorrect, we encourage them to contact their local USDA office.’

“The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 amended the 2014 Farm Bill, adding seed cotton as a covered commodity under the ARC and PLC programs. This week, FSA will start sending producers information on current generic base acres, yields and 2008-2012 planting history.”

Yesterday’s release added that, “All producers electing to participate in either the ARC or PLC program will be required to make a one-time, unanimous and irrevocable election, choosing between ARC and PLC for the 2018 crop year for seed cotton only. Producers who elected ARC with the individual farm option will continue with that option since that election is applicable to all base acres on the farm. The final step to participate requires producers with farms with seed cotton base acres to sign contracts for ARC or PLC for 2018 this summer.

“The anticipated timeline is:

• June 29: Producers are mailed letters notifying them of current generic base acres and yields and 2008 to 2012 planting history.
• July: An online decision tool for ARC and PLC becomes available. Producers have opportunity to update yields and allocate generic base acres for ARC and PLC.
• Late July: ARC and PLC one-time elections occur for seed cotton.
• Late July: ARC and PLC sign-up for 2018 starts for farms with seed cotton base acres.

“‘For all farmers and ranchers with questions, we encourage you to reach out to your local FSA office,’ Fordyce said.

“FSA will provide updates as dates solidify. For more information, visit FSA’s ARC and PLC webpage or contact your local USDA service center.”

Des Moines Register writer Stephen Gruber-Miller reported late last week that, “Iowa can shield large animal feeding operations from lawsuits brought by neighbors who say they are no longer able to enjoy their property, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.

“The shield law is a valid use of the state’s power to pass laws that promote public health and safety, even though individual producers, not the public, directly benefit, the court said in its unanimous ruling.”

The Register article stated, “But the court reaffirmed that there is some recourse for neighbors to sue if they can successfully prove that:

• The animal operation’s immunity from nuisance lawsuits has not in fact benefited the neighbors.
• They have sustained significant hardship.
• They lived on their property ‘long before’ the CAFO began operating.

“The test for plaintiffs to successfully sue was laid out in a 2004 Iowa Supreme Court decision, Gacke v. Pork Xtra.”

Last week’s article added, “Kristine Tidgren, director of the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State University, called the decision a win for animal producers who still have a shield from nuisance lawsuits. The plaintiffs had asked the Supreme Court to declare the law unconstitutional in all circumstances.

“‘The plaintiffs just wanted this statute gone, and the court said no,’ she said.

“But by leaving the Gacke test in place, the court’s ruling means CAFO operators will have to continue to show up for potentially costly court proceedings to prove they were operating within the law.”