D.C. meetings examine barriers to rural broadband, proposed policy for universal Internet access
Thursday, the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Rural Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture met to discuss progress made by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce to award grants to expand broadband access in rural areas. Chairman Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., described rural broadband as "an investment that can create jobs, improve communities, and change lives" in a news release, but he said the arbitrary deadline set by Congress is resulting in a flawed process. (Read more)The

Obama: Through Thanksgiving, it's Farm-City Week
President Barack Obama signed a proclamation Friday designating the week ending with Thanksgiving Day each year as National Farm-City Week. The longstandign observance is designed to express gratitude for the contributions of U.S. farmers and ranchers, and to help ensure that all Americans have access to healthy food."For agriculture to thrive in the 21st century, we must continue to cultivate the relationships between farmers and rural businesses and their partners and customers in cities and towns," Obama said in the proclamation. "During National Farm-City Week, we celebrate the bounty of America, and we honor the commitment of those who grow, harvest, and deliver agricultura

More states may OK raw-milk sales to help dairies, but FDA may ban sale of aged raw-milk cheese
Dairy farmers can receive $4 to $6 per gallon more for unpasteurized milk than the common pasteurized version, but there's one problem: The Food and Drug Administration banned interstate sale of raw milk 22 years ago. Individual states can regulate how unpasteurized milk is produced, bought and sold within their borders and just over half allow sale in some form, Hillary Brenhouse of The New York Times reports."There’s no middleman, and people are willing to pay a premium for raw milk and related products," Sally Fallon Morell, president of a D.C.-based organic-farming advocacy group, the Weston A. Price Foundation, told Brenh

Top ethanol maker says it has cut cost of cellulosic product to the verge of commercial production
The world's largest ethanol producer says it has drastically cut the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol, giving hope for commercial production in two years. Jeff Broin, chief executive of South Dakota-based Poet, says the company reduced the cost from $4.13 a gallon to $2.35 a gallon during the past year, Ledyard King reports for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, the company's hometown."Two years ago, I would have told you this was a long shot," Broin told King. "Now I'll tell you that we will produce cellulosic ethanol commercially in two years." However, Broin warns those gains will be for naught if the

Students in 18 Appalachian Kentucky counties to get education in entrepreneurship
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced Wednesday a new project to start entrepreneurial instruction in elementary and middle schools in 18 of the state's Appalachian counties. The initiative will be funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Governor's Office of Agriculture Policy, which spends the 50 percent of the state's tobacco-settlement money that is dedicated to agriculture.The selected schools are mainly in two areas: Bath, Carter, Elliott, Lawrence, Lewis, Menifee, Morgan, Robertson and Wolfe counties in northeastern Kentucky, and Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Hart, McCreary, Monroe, Russell and Wayne counties in the south-centr