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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

NC: Rural/Farming

The USDA is finalizing a series of rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act as part of President Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in America's economy.
USDA rule could level playing field for livestock producers

Backers of a new federal rule said it will increase fairness for livestock and poultry producers, in North Carolina and across the country. The U.S…

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North Carolina has more than 46,000 farms, and Black farmers run around 1,500 of them. (Adobe Stock)
'Farm and Faith' partnerships combat food injustices, racial land loss in NC

The Rural Advancement Foundation International is taking action against food injustices impacting farmers of color and rural communities through its F…

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Forty workers at an agricultural packing shed at Battleboro Produce in North Carolina are now part of a union. (courtesy of Farm Labor Organizing Committee)
NC union agreement ushers in benefits for immigrant ag workers

Immigrant workers at an agricultural packing shed in Battleboro, North Carolina are celebrating a union agreement which will bring them new benefits…

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The Farm Credit System is cumulatively the largest lender to the agricultural sector, making about 45% of all agricultural loans, with $350 billion in assets. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Increasing accountability, sustainability in Farm Credit System

A new report is calling for greater accountability in the system providing funding to farmers in underserved communities. The research takes a dive …

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As a part of a new USDA rule, poultry companies are now required, when finalizing a new contract, to disclose to prospective growers the income range, broken down by quintiles, of current growers in a prospective grower's region. (Tony Campbell/Adobe Stock)
USDA rule to benefit North Carolina farmers, strengthen competition

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's new "Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments" rule is granting North Carolina farmers more …

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Around 10% of workers in the United States are employed with H-2A visas, according to The National Agriculture Law Center. (Adobe Stock)
North Carolina farmworkers and growers call for better working conditions

Migrant farmworkers and small family farmers in North Carolina got together to form an alliance to advocate for sustainable agricultural supply chains…

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In 1920, Black people made up 14% of all farmers. It is estimated Black farmers lost around $326 billion worth of land within the 20th century. BIPOC farmers now make up less than 5% of all U.S. farmers. (Heather Craig/Adobe Stock)
Advocates bring attention to racism rooted in farming across NC

Advocates are drawing attention to systemic racism in farming across North Carolina and the nation. The National Farm Worker Ministry is hosting its …

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About 5.7 million acres of North Carolina or 17% of the state is made up of wetlands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Adobe Stock)
Sportsmen's Group Voices Concern Over SCOTUS Wetlands Ruling

Conservation and sportsmen's groups are voicing concerns that wetlands areas are now in jeopardy of being drained and developed or otherwise eliminate…

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Produce Purpose has two goals in mind - to offer meaningful employment to individuals with special needs and to bring healthy, nutritional food to college campuses. (Adobe Stock)
Hydroponic Farm Boosts Healthy Eating, Special-Needs Jobs at NC University

William Peace University is teaming up with Produce Purpose, a nonprofit organization, to install a hydroponic farming operation on campus. The new …

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Farmers in North Carolina lose crops worth roughly $79 million as a result of equipment breakdowns. (Alexey Zarodov/Adobe Stock)
Tractor ‘Right to Repair’ Could Save NC Farmers $103 Million a Year

North Carolina farmers are calling on lawmakers to address manufacturer-imposed repair limitations on tractors, and minimize disruptions on their …

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The majority of North Carolina farmworkers are not covered by workers' compensation. (Adobe Stock)
FLOC Fights for Better Farm Worker Conditions Against Tobacco Company

The Farm Labor Organizing Committee is working to better the harsh conditions faced by North Carolina farm workers. During the British American …

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Farmland makes up about 8.3 million acres in North Carolina, and agriculture employs one in six people in the state. (Andrii Yalanskyi/Adobe Stock)
NC Farmers Count On Congress for Support to Fight Climate Change

North Carolina farmers are monitoring a bill that's been revived in Congress, aimed at improving farm sustainability and reducing the agriculture …

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