County officials in Sherman County, Oregon have redefined their noxious weed “control” ordinance to mean “eradication” — and they’re threatening to forcibly enter the 2,000-acre Azure Farm near Moro in Central Washington to spray weeds. The farm has been organically certified for around 18 years.   Writer / commentator Jon Rappaport has the overview on the story at

Homeowners in Austria can buy Roundup under the familiar “Roundup” label, but there’s no glyphosate in it. Instead, the active ingredient is listed as vinegar. GM Watch has details in the report at this link. The product, produced by Scotts under license from Monsanto, looks like a test-market venture in response to glyphosate concerns expressed across

A well-documented news report from Reuters today describes how Chinese consumers are buying non-GMO cooking oils, shunning soybean oil from imported U.S. and Brazilian soybeans. We’ve anticipated this grassroots uprising since 2014, when a coalition of Chinese scientists and activists linked up at a “Food Safety and Sustainable Agriculture Forum” July 25-26 in Beijing.   Today’s Reuters analysis

The Brazilian Ministry of Agrarian Development has published a new online book in English: “Transgenic crops hazards and uncertainties: More than 750 studies disregarded by GMO regulatory bodies”. It’s an official government study unlike any you’d expect from USDA or the National Academy of Sciences, which are open advocates of transgenic crops. The new American

Until late 2015, the U.S. price of organic corn hovered mostly above $12 per bushel, and the soybean price around $25 per bushel. Then came a plunge to the current level of around $8 corn and $17 soybeans. That happened despite surging demand for organic livestock feed, driven by consumers’ appetites for organic meat, milk and dairy

The cost-price squeeze in commodities plus wider rural internet access have generated new competition in generic ag chemicals. No longer can a major regional co-op count on its domination of each local market with a ready stock of crop protection chemicals and specialty fertilizers.  Feb. 16, 2017 by Jerry Carlson — New on-line marketers are offering farmers

WakeUP was part of the management package which Arkdale, WI farmer Irvin Osterloh used to win second place in Division 2 of the Wisconsin Soybean Yield Contest. His yield was 68.76 bushels. Division 2 contestants are in a northerly region of Wisconsin with a cooler climate and generally less fertile soils than southern Wisconsin counties.  

Yes, it’s a glossy, upscale quarterly magazine whose winter issue has 90 pages and lots of ads: Modern Farmer. It’s not your usual ag trade paper with a half-time editor and a very vertical audience.  This somehow captures the escape quality of a coffee-table conversation piece and the delicious aroma of chef-level cooking.  February 10,