Farmers & Rural Communities
Agri-Pulse: This time, USDA will have broad latitude to aid farm debtors
More than a year after courts forced the Agriculture Department to shut down a debt forgiveness program for minority farmers, Congress is set to give USDA wide open authority to…
The Fern: Today’s Quick Hits
A U.S. district court judge in Texas ruled that the National Black Farmers Association and the Association of American Indian Farmers can intervene in a lawsuit by Texas Agriculture Commissioner…
Texas court grants farmers of color groups to represent their own interests in debt relief case
Today, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a motion to intervene in a case concerning debt relief for farmers of color. Public Justice filed…
E&E News: Biden’s CEQ has a Stephen Miller problem
Former Trump administration aide Stephen Miller is on the minds of Biden White House staffers as they work to channel federal investments toward disadvantaged communities.
Law360: Minority Farmer Groups Want In On COVID-19 Relief Fight
A pair of minority farmers associations asked a Texas federal judge Friday to let them intervene in a fight between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and two classes of white…
Civil Eats: Dust Is a Growing Problem. What Role Does Farmland Play?
With a growing set of tools, scientists are digging into questions about the links between modern agriculture, drought, and rising incidents of dust storms and respiratory illness.
The Counter: Independent cattle ranchers continue fight against national checkoff program
For 28 years, rancher Kyle Hemmert ran cattle auctions out of his sale barn near Oakley, Kansas. He had a front-row seat as the industry changed over the decades, and…
Reuters: Biden farm debt relief plan to exclude thousands of minority farmers
The latest version of the Biden administration’s plan to forgive billions of dollars in farm debt – initially targeted at farmers of color – will exclude thousands of its originally…
Progressive Farmer: R-CALF Beef Checkoff Case to Continue
A lawsuit against USDA challenging the Beef Checkoff program will be allowed to continue after a federal court on Wednesday denied the agency’s motion to dismiss.