Agricultural Funding Jeopardy

Courtney MeyerAgribusiness, News

Funding for Penn State Cooperative Extension and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is in jeopardy as a stalemate over paying for state spending continues. Pennsylvania’s 2017-2018 budget was adopted in July. But since then, lawmakers have not been able to agree on how to close the more than $2 billion hole in that budget. Gov. Tom Wolf plans fund schools and many state programs by borrowing money against future revenue from state liquor stores. However, that will not generate enough revenue to fund Penn State Extension and Penn Vet and there is now no clear path for those programs to receive state funding. Lawmakers must approve funding for Penn State Extension and Penn Vet separately from the …

Cover Crops Success is Encouraging To Farmers Nationwide

Courtney MeyerAgribusiness

Farmers have been successfully incorporating cover crops into their rotations and their enthusiasm for the practice remains high according to a 2016-2017 Cover Crop Survey Annual Report conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). This survey is also supported by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and has been conducted since 2012. Covering a wide breadth of topics associated with cover crop use, the complete survey is available on the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education website. Tell me more >>>

DIY Tractor Repair Runs Afoul of Copyright Law

Courtney MeyerAgribusiness, Insurance

This NPR article reports on the impact digital locks and copyrights have on agriculture. The iconic image of the American farmer is the man or woman who works the land, milks cows and is self-reliant enough to fix the tractor. But like a lot of mechanical items, tractors are increasingly run by computer software. Now, farmers are hitting up against an obscure provision of copyright law that makes it illegal to repair machinery run by software. Tell me more >>> If you have questions, email Courtney Meyer, AFIS, Account Executive, Agribusiness, Program Solutions.

The national discussion around the treatment of farm animals is more active than ever. But when it comes to dairy cows, do you know the whole story?

4 facts about dairy cows

Betsy LinnAgribusiness, Insurance

The national discussion around the treatment of farm animals is more active than ever. But when it comes to dairy cows, do you know the whole story?