Irrigation is not a new idea for farmers, but does it need to be revamped? 2L Staffer, Julianna Grant, takes a look at how AppHarvest (a new agricultural initiative started in Kentucky) is using rainfall instead of ground and surface water to revamp irrigation.
Addressing the Aging Farmer
In the last thirty years, the average age of U.S. farmers has grown from 50.5 years to 58.3 years. Between 2007 and 2012, the number of farm operators fell by 90,000. America’s farmers are an economic asset in stimulating our rural economies and putting food on our tables. However, as American farmers retire, there is a concern that few emerging farmers will replace them.
The Dismantling of Privacy in Agricultural Operations
Utah’s Agricultural Operation Interference statute, or “ag-gag law” as it is often called, is intended to deter animal activists from being able to take videos of animal cruelty and abuse. Recently, a federal district judge in Utah struck down this law, agreeing with activist Plaintiffs that it violated their First Amendment right to free speech. This was the second time that a state’s Ag-Gag law has been held unconstitutional, thus creating a stronger precedent for other states to follow suit.
Bucking the Resource Curse in Appalachia: The Hopeful Rhetoric of the Braidy Industries Aluminum Mill
Braidy Industries will break ground on construction of a greenfield aluminum mill in Eastern Kentucky in early 2018. While proponents like Matt Bevin believe the aluminum mill is the answer to the economic devastation caused by the collapse of the region’s coal industry, Kentuckians should consider whether swapping one fluctuating industry for another is the long-term solution we need.