Public comments on the monarch's conservation plan
LANSING, Mich. - Public comments are being sought on a conservation plan project to help reverse the decline of monarch butterfly populations in the East.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Mid-America Monarch's conservation strategy is based on the efforts of public, national and local authorities, private organizations and individuals.
The monarch butterflies found east of the Rocky Mountains have fallen by more than 80%. In the last 20 years, this was mainly due to habitat loss, including the reduction of milkweed needed for reproduction and fewer nectar plants.
The Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Organizations will receive comments on the strategy by May 31, covering an area of 16 states stretching from Texas to the Midwest. The region includes primary production areas and migratory habitat for butterflies.
- Associated press
Minnesota governor signs order to relieve fertilizer deficiency
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Governor Mark Dayton signed an emergency order to provide fertilizers to Minnesota farmers during the late planting season.
Dayton has signed a contract on Wednesday to ease travel times for truckers carrying anhydrous ammonia.
Because of the end of spring, Minnesota farmers faced a shorter planting season. The delay means that the farmers in the area start their field work at the same time. This results in a shortage of fertilizers and truckers having to travel long distances.
The Dayton unit will reduce the driver's operating hours restrictions so that farmers receive the fertilizer they need for planting.
- Associated press
SDSU Extension Garden and Canned Hotlines are available for questions
BROOKINGS: Answers to any questions about South Dakota Lawn and Garden are only available by phone.
The regional SDSU expansion centers and gardeners throughout the state have opened the Gardening Hotline 2018 by 28th September.
Call the numbers below with horticultural questions. Free visits are also welcome, as master gardeners are available to answer questions.
• SDSU Extension Regional Center Aberdeen: 605.626.2876 (13 2nd Avenue SE, Aberdeen, SD 57401).
• Expansion of the SDSU Regional Center in Sioux Falls: 605.782.3298 (2001 E. 8th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57103).
• SDSU extension of the Rapid City Regional Center: 605.394.6814 (711 N. Creek Drive, Rapid City, SD 57703).
Consumers with questions about canned foods, food safety, cleaning tips, or balanced nutrition can call 1-888-393-6336 throughout the year.
AnswerLine is a free connection for family scientists and consumers who want to answer questions and lead consumers to research-based resources.
- SDSU extension
General Mills is funding the Healthy Soil Initiative
MINNEAPOLIS - The global food giant General Mills supports the University of Minnesota's Forever Green Initiative, which grows crops and encourages land development.
General Mills has invested in renewable energy and pollinator protection, Minnesota Public Radio reports. The company has invested $ 3 million in soil health over the last two years. This represents only 1% of the company's total donations.
Jerry Lynch, director of sustainability at General Mills, recently told food and food industry leaders that healthy soil can help address climate change issues.
"When the front of this engine, Mother Nature and the agricultural communities, collapses, our activities become very expensive to exploit or sometimes impossible to exploit, because we can not get what we need to manufacture these products," he said.
Lynch said that healthy soil can absorb and hold water rather than letting it escape from the ground. It can also reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers, which can cost money and increase a plant's carbon footprint.
- Associated press
Legislative committees decide to prevent the nitrate rule in groundwater
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota legislature has decided to stop implementing the government's proposed regulation to reduce nitrate levels in groundwater supplies in agricultural countries.
The House and Senate Agricultural Committees, led by the Republican Party, voted this weekend to prevent the state from ending rule for at least another year. The votes came after Democratic Governor Mark Dayton denounced the measure as an attempt to deny the rural residents of Minnesota the right to clean and clean drinking water.
But the committee's resolution can not be the last word. The committee chairmen say they will usually allow the move to go forward if Dayton signs a separate draft agricultural policy approved at the end of the session.
The provision would create voluntary and mandatory practices to limit the infiltration of nitrates from agricultural fertilizers into groundwater. Excessive levels of nitrate can be particularly toxic to babies.
- Associated press
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