In the Nov. 3 election, Ohio voters passed Issue 2, but the Humane Society of United States plans its own ballot initiative in response.

ELGIN, Minn. — The USDA awarded more than $17 million in grants to 29 institutions to address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.
“Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges and need educational and training programs to enhance their profitability and long term sustainability,” Agriculture […]

SUGARCREEK, Ohio — April Showers Greenhouse will host a garden central symposium and organic vegetable conference, “Cultivate Your Passions,” a day of lectures on design, plants and garden style, at 3 p.m. Jan. 15-16 at the Carlisle Inn of Sugarcreek.
The symposium will examine timeless principles of design — whether applied to the creation of a […]

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The new Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Program is performing better than expected and has helped to double the state’s solar generating capacity in less than 6 months.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection, the program has reached its first incentive milestone for small business rebates — the deployment of 5 megawatts of […]

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Genetically modified squash plants that are resistant to a debilitating viral disease become more vulnerable to a fatal bacterial infection, according to biologists.
“Cultivated squash is susceptible to a variety of viral diseases and that is a major problem for farmers,” said Andrew Stephenson, Penn State professor of biology. “Infected plants […]

WOOSTER, Ohio — Crop producers may have shied away from making phosphorus or potassium applications last year due to high fertilizer prices, but don’t let bumper corn and soybean yields fool one into thinking an application this fall may not be needed.
Robert Mullen, an Ohio State University Extension soil fertility specialist, said that producers […]

COLUMBUS — Both large and small farmers say that the cost of health insurance is their top business concern, according to a new report issued by Ohio State University’s Social Responsibility Initiative.
The findings come from a larger study, “Agricultural Adaptation at the Rural-Urban Interface: Can Communities Make a Difference?” led by researchers at Ohio […]

It’s the threat of recombination of the flu virus in commercial pig populations that concerns scientists.