Republican Presidential Hopefuls Talk Ag in Iowa

This weekend in Iowa, a herd of Republican presidential hopefuls was corralled into the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines to discuss farm-related issues. The event was put together by GOP power broker Bruce Rastetter, who acted as the master of ceremonies, asking the nine potential candidates a series of ag-related questions.

Just down the road, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement held a counter-event focused on local food production and small, family-owned farms. They viewed the Ag Summit as nothing more than a forum for “Rastetter’s corporate agenda.”

Over the weekend in New Zealand, thousands of people took to the streets in more than 20 cities and towns across the country to protest the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade agreement between 12 nations, including New Zealand, the United States and Australia, that is still in the works and under wraps.

Protesters call the proposed agreement nothing more than a “corporate power grab” while supporters say it will help economic growth and improve trade rules among member nations.

Check back later this week for an in-depth story on the TPP here on Modern Farmer’s website.

Bird flu is back in the news after after a flock of nearly 15,000 turkeys on a Minnesota farm were wiped out in a week’s time by a fairly virulent strain of avian influenza known as H5N2. This news prompted more than 40 nations to ban Minnesota poultry imports. It comes at a time when a number of nations have been busy banning poultry from various countries whose products they believe to be tainted. Russia put a temporary ban on some poultry from Hungary recently, while the Philippines has banned poultry from Israel, Taiwan, and a number of U.S. states, including California.

Finally, in a pyrotechnique disaster that would make most rock bands blush, a MÁ¶tley CrÁ¼e-themed food truck blew up in Lakeville, Minnesota, late Friday night. The Motley Crews Heavy Metal Grill food truck was completely destroyed and more than 20 surrounding homes were damaged by flying debris. No injuries were reported and the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

We’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news from around the web.

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