An update posted this week at the USDA Blog indicated that, “Everyday USDA works to develop tools for farmers and ranchers that support their financial success. The USDA Farmers Market on the National Mall is a ‘living laboratory’ for farmers market operations across the country. During our 2017 market season, we tested ‘VegU-cation’ and found that this fruit and vegetable education program was popular with our visitors and increased sales for our farmers. Visitors to our market attended a 10-minute demonstration class in the VegU tent, on how to grow, pick, and prepare that week’s featured fruit or vegetable.

Here are five tips to help you bring ‘VegU-cation‘ to your market:

“1. Use Simple and Creative Recipes

2. Showcase Variety to Create Interest

3. Provide Free Samples

4. Share How Things Grow

5. Don’t Be Afraid of Challenges”

Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski reported earlier this week that, “General Mills announced a deal Tuesday to create South Dakota’s largest organic crop farm as the food giant works to secure enough organic ingredients to meet growing consumer demand worldwide.

“Gunsmoke Farms will convert 34,000 acres — more than 53 square miles — near Pierre to organic by 2020, giving it enough space for all the organic wheat needed to make General Mills’ popular Annie’s Macaroni & Cheese line.

“General Mills, which is guaranteeing a market for the wheat, is working with Madison, Wisconsin-based Midwestern BioAg to develop the crop rotation and soil-building program needed for such a large farm to go organic.”

Mr. Karnowski noted that, “Golden Valley, Minnesota-based General Mills, like many other food companies, has ambitious environmental goals, and like other big industry players it has bought smaller brands and tweaked its own products to appeal to consumers who want more organic and natural products. It wants to double its organic acreage by 2020 and to cut greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2025 throughout its supply chain all the way down to consumers, because it believes climate change will be bad for business. The company’s chief sustainability officer, Jerry Lynch, said it’s on pace to meet its organic acreage goal well ahead of schedule.”

The Wall Street Journal editorial board indicated late last month that, “One risk for the political success of the GOP tax reform is that some businesses will manipulate a large new deduction that could reduce federal revenue and discredit the project. An early warning is a carve-out that benefits some farmers, a clunker that ought to be corrected.

“The new tax law allows a larger deduction for farmers selling to farm cooperatives versus other operators. The practical effect is a tax advantage for selling to cooperatives, which has no economic rationale. Some farmers could use the loophole to zero out their taxable income.

A news release yesterday from Purdue University stated that, “Producer sentiment increased for the second straight month in February, but producers continued to indicate uncertainty surrounding a possible U.S. withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

“The barometer read 140 in February, a 5-point increase from January’s reading of 135. The increases mark a strong 14-point jump since December. February also marked the second-highest barometer reading since data collection began in 2015.

“The barometer is based on a monthly survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers.”

The release added that, “February’s survey asked producers about their expectations for corn and soybean production in the 2018 cropping year. A majority – 71 percent – said soybeans would be more profitable than corn, up 4 percent from the number of respondents who expected soybeans to be more profitable when surveyed in February 2017.

“Despite expectations that soybeans will be more profitable, 81 percent of those surveyed said they expect their soybean acreage in 2018 will be unchanged. Only 10 percent expect to plant more soybeans than a year earlier. This differs from the February 2017 survey, when 18 percent of producers reported they expected to increase their soybean acreage.”

William Petroski reported earlier this week at The Des Moines Register Online that, “The Iowa Senate gave final passage Monday to a controversial bill requiring Iowa grocers in a supplemental food program to offer conventional eggs if they sell eggs from chickens housed in a cage-free, free-range or enriched colony cage environment.

“House File 2408 was approved 32-17, sending it to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds for her consideration. It was approved in the House last week on an 81-17 vote.

“Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, opposed the bill, complaining that it’s clearly contrary to free enterprise, anti-regulation policies espoused by Republicans. ‘This is really direct interference in the marketplace,’ he said.”

The Register article stated that, “But Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, who farms in northeast Iowa, lauded the legislation for assuring that a low-cost choice for protein is available when many low-income Iowans head to the grocery store. Free-range or cage-free eggs are typically more expensive than conventional eggs from large farming operations.

“‘This bill is a home-run, game-winning bill,’ Zumbach remarked.

“The legislation would apply to grocers participating as a vendors in the special supplemental food program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in cooperation with state officials, and the bill would allow state officials to seek a federal waiver if necessary.”