#ncag

#ncag

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Introduced on Friday, Feb. 13 by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., the AI Workforce Training Act would modify the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to support tax credits for companies providing AI training to employees equal to 30% of the qualified expense with a limit of $2,500 per employee. Eligible expenses are listed as accredited courses, workshops, certificate programs and in-house instruction covering areas like data literacy, machine learning fundamentals, prompt engineering, AI ethics education and more.

If we did that today, it would be a hundred percent, because right now, without question, 2026 is riskier than 2025. So farmers really [face significant challenges]. The war in Iran continues and it works back to the world of agriculture. It's had an impact on fertiliser and diesel prices and commodity markets, as well as currency.

STATEWIDE - NEW YORK FARMERS ARE UNDER INCREASING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PRESSURE because of federal policy changes, including higher tariffs, cuts to certain agricultural programs and stricter immigration enforcement policies, according to a report that state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released on Tuesday, Jan. 27. DiNapoli warns these challenges could diminish farm production, squeeze profits and lead to higher prices for consumers.

"If Canada wants generational change in agricultural innovation, we need to transform our policy around how we fund plant breeding," he says. The current system, heavily reliant on public funding and check-off dollars, is increasingly under pressure. Reinheimer points to signs that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is shrinking its breeding footprint-especially in wheat, where AAFC varieties still account for about 80 per cent of acres. The problem? There's no updated funding model to match that shift.

Conrad says the Alberta government is mindful of the implications for long-standing research programs and the people affected by the decision. "It's early, we're concerned, we're actively talking and we'll do our very best to optimize," he says, noting that Alberta is a co-investor in some of the work conducted at Lacombe and sees the site as a critical part of the province's agricultural research ecosystem.

According to the job posting, the successful candidate will serve as the lead provincial specialist for edible beans and edible oilseeds, including Identity Preserved (IP) soybeans, spring and winter canola, flaxseed, and sunflower. The role centres on technology transfer - developing and implementing strategies, policies, and programs - while coordinating projects that assess new and existing practices for their suitability under Ontario conditions. The specialist will also prepare and deliver educational tools, act as a liaison between the research community and industry, support policy and program development, and manage high-priority or contentious issues in the sector.

When you think of farming, what ingredients do you generally associate with a successful harvest? The basics certainly come to mind: fertile soil, plenty of sunlight and lots of water. But there are other variables that can also mean the difference between a crop of healthy fruits and vegetables and a large heap of organic waste. And it turns out that one of those variables is a very small hawk.

Forty U.S. farm and agricultural groups have launched the Agricultural Coalition for the United-States-Mexico-Canda Agreement, underscoring the accord's vital role as an economic engine for the U.S. farm economy and calling for its renewal with targeted improvements. The group calls the USMCA (CUSMA in Canada) one of "(U.S.) President Trump's signature achievements and one that has significantly propelled the ag economy," according to Bryan Goodman, a spokesperson for the new group.

My career as an agronomist required me to take scientific research and apply that knowledge, to assist farmers by helping them solve problems and increase their farms profitability. The ag industry relies on research to continue to solve the ever-changing problems that farmers face. Today my farm business employs management practices that have come directly from the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, this has improved my farms resilience and profitability.

Based on years of post-transition reviews, MNP has identified seven traits common to successful farm families, MacLean says. First, they start early. Early planning allows flexibility and time to work through the tough stuff. Clear, respectful communication is the second trait - and it's essential. Families who talk openly and establish expectations avoid the dangerous territory of unspoken assumptions. Farms that navigate the process well have a shared vision.

Welcome and thanks for joining us for today's edition of RealAg Radio with your host Shaun Haney. On today's show, Haney is joined by: Darrell Bricker of IPSOS on income, productivity and domestic challenges; Chad Garrod of Corteva Canada for a spotlight interview for Corteva Luxe Chris Reynolds of Nutrien on Nutrien Ltd. unifying its wholesale and retail sales operations.

If summer is for growing things, winter is for learning things.

Most recently, she served as the executive director of the South Central Ontario Regional (SCOR) Economic Development Commission, a regional organization representing the counties of Brant, Elgin, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Oxford. In this role, she oversaw strategic planning, board governance, stakeholder engagement, and the execution of high impact initiatives. In addition to her executive leadership, Earls teaches part-time at Fanshawe College and holds a Master of Public Administration from Western University.

With a background spanning science, livestock leadership, and regulatory oversight, Chalack says the opportunity to bring crop and livestock sectors together under one research umbrella was a key motivator. "The producers have to get some advantage of it," he says, emphasizing that sustainability only holds if farms are profitable . Breaking down commodity silos and aligning research with on-farm return on investment has been central to RDAR's model.

Middleton owns and operates Manawan Mills, a feed mill operation that processes grain into complete livestock feeds for species ranging from poultry to cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. The mill sources most of its grain from nearby farms, often purchasing product that may be discounted at commercial elevators due to quality factors such as splits or lower test weight. Middleton says in this episode of Profitable Practices that those characteristics don't limit the grain's usefulness once it is processed.

A group of Illinois small farmers are meeting with members of Congress on Thursday in Washington to discuss their hopes for "transformational investments" in the next farm bill, which governs policy in the agricultural sector. As they see it, the new law could provide significant financial investment and protections that reduce economic inequality and racial injustice; build crop and human resilience to climate change and unpredictable weather; and improve access to nutritious food and sustainable, local systems.