Tag: agriculture
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Rural legislators, Colorado farmers defeat pollinator bill
A proposal to limit the use of neonicotinoid-coated crop seeds collapsed in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week, as rural lawmakers, including two Democrats, joined Republicans to reject what they called an expensive, impractical mandate on farmers. Senate Bill 65 would have required farmers to obtain permission from third-party evaluators before using…
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Rural legislators, Colorado farmers defeat pollinator bill
A proposal to limit the use of neonicotinoid-coated crop seeds collapsed in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week, as rural lawmakers, including two Democrats, joined Republicans to reject what they called an expensive, impractical mandate on farmers. Senate Bill 65 would have required farmers to obtain permission from third-party evaluators before using…
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Rural legislators, Colorado farmers defeat pollinator bill backed by Gov. Polis
A proposal to limit the use of neonicotinoid-coated crop seeds collapsed in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week, as rural lawmakers, including two Democrats, joined Republicans to reject what they called an expensive, impractical mandate on farmers. Senate Bill 65 would have required farmers to obtain permission from third-party evaluators before using…
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Legislation on poison, poultry and prostitution dominate | Rachel Gabel
Many weeks, my search history is odd but the past two weeks might worry our county sheriff if he didn’t know me as well as he does. This week has been the week of poison, poultry, and prostitution. Not to be confused, of course, by brodifacoum, beavers, and butorphanol. In other words, the Colorado Legislature…
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A fight over seeds and bees: Colorado Democrats target neonicotinoid pesticides
Colorado lawmakers are weighing new restrictions on a class of pesticides after Gov. Jared Polis signaled support for a Democratic-backed bill aimed at protecting pollinators — a proposal that has raised sharp worries from farmers who rely on treated seeds to protect crops from soil-dwelling pests. The proposal contained in Senate Bill 65 would restrict…
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Record prices, expenses plague agriculture industry
This time of year, the salebarns are full of bidders, buyers, and cream pie connoisseurs. The adrenalin and anxiety in the building and around the ring is as thick as the gravy served in the café. In the back of the barn, the crews are bringing loads of cattle, many of which are 600-ish to…
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Colorado farmers warn U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper tariffs and research cuts endanger agriculture
Northern Colorado farmers told U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper this week that tariffs and President Donald Trump’s decision to import $40 billion worth of beef from Argentina have hurt Colorado’s agricultural industry. But the administration’s cuts to scientific research are almost as bad, they said in a forum in Fort Morgan Tuesday night. The forum, hosted…
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Manitou Springs community farm seeks land protection
This time of year, the Flying Pig Farm in Manitou Springs doesn’t look like much. Garden plots are tucked in with straw for the winter. A few friendly goats mill around, looking for prime clumps of hay. A blanket of icy snow covers more than a dozen projects in progress. Executive Director Barak Ben-Amots has…
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Ag industry needs real-world solutions
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 sets federal standards for employees including minimum wage, child labor, and overtime. Agricultural workers have been largely exempt from the overtime requirements because during key portions of the growing season, there is a small window of time that requires more hours and more labor than the majority of…
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Colorado could loosen regulations on intoxicating hemp products, countering new federal ban
As the federal government is poised to impose a near-ban on intoxicating hemp products next year, Colorado lawmakers are planning to loosen the restrictions imposed by a 2023 law. Last week, Congress included a provision in its funding bill intended to end the federal government shutdown — a ban on all intoxicating hemp products with…