Recent headlines about the US Department of Agriculture’s leadership and scientific integrity have been unsettling, as have indications that the Trump administration intends to slash budgets for agriculture and climate research and science more generally. But today there’s a rare piece of good news: a bipartisan trio in Congress has introduced legislation that would benefit just about everyone—farmers and eaters, scientists and food system stakeholders, rural and urban Americans. Not only that, but the new bill promises to achieve these outcomes while maintaining a shoestring budget. Read more >

With demand for organic food booming, organic grain farmers need to know the best sowing, cultivation, and rotation strategies to keep their crops healthy and productive. Led by Ellen Mallory, a research team from University of Maine and University of Vermont is designing the best weed and disease management strategies to reduce organic farmers’ production risks. By working across state lines, researchers are able to connect farmers and grain-based businesses like millers and bakers throughout the region. Source: University of Maine.
Three Reasons Congress Should Support a Budget Increase for Organic Agriculture Research
Marcia DeLonge, senior scientist
May 16, 2017 5:17 PM EDT

Photo: New York Blood Center.
Safer Blood Products: One Researcher’s Story on Why Federal Support Matters
Dr. Bernie Horowitz, UCS Science Network, UCS
April 12, 2017 4:29 PM EDT
In 1982, a crisis was beginning to unfold. Gay men were dying of an unknown cause, which years later was shown to be the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). At that time, I was not involved with the gay community, with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or with HIV. But federal funding of my research on blood products helped us prevent the transmission of HIV and hepatitis to tens of thousands of Americans. Read more >