During the depths of the economic crisis last year, the prices for many goods held steady or even dropped. But on American farms, the picture was far different, as farmers watched the price they paid for seeds skyrocket. Corn seed prices rose 32 percent; soybean seeds were up 24 percent.

Such price increases for seeds — the most important purchase a farmer makes each year — are part of an unprecedented climb that began more than a decade ago, stemming from the advent of genetically engineered crops and the rapid concentration in the seed industry that accompanied it.

The price increases have not only irritated many farmers, they have caught the attention of the Obama administration. The Justice Department began an antitrust investigation of the seed industry last year, with an apparent focus on Monsanto, which controls much of the market for the expensive bioengineered traits that make crops resistant to insect pests and herbicides.

The investigation is just one facet of a push by the Obama administration to take a closer look at competition — or the lack thereof — in agriculture, from the dairy industry to livestock to commodity crops, like corn and soybeans.

On Friday, as the spring planting season approaches, Eric H. Holder Jr., the attorney general, and Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary, will speak at the first of a series of public meetings aimed at letting farmers and industry executives voice their ideas. The meeting, in Ankeny, Iowa, will include a session on the seed industry.

To read the full article CLICK HERE

The current Farm Bill makes pollinators and their habitat a conservation priority for USDA land managers and conservationists. The Pollinator Conservation Planning Short Course is a first- of-its-kind training on those Farm Bill provisions. It also provides instruction on how to translate these provisions into real world conservation efforts.

The Short Course is an intensive, day-long training designed to equip conservationists, land managers, farm educators, and agricultural professionals with the latest science-based approaches to increasing crop security and reversing the trend of pollinator decline, especially in heavily managed agricultural landscapes. It has already been conducted in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon, and Missouri.

Short Course topics include the basic principles of pollinator biology, the economics of insect pollination, recognizing native bee species, and assessment of pollinator habitat. Advanced modules will cover farm management practices for pollinator protection, the development of habitat enhancements (including selecting appropriate plants) and using Farm Bill conservation programs to help farmers restore habitat. An overview of additional funding sources and technical support available to land managers will also be provided. Throughout the workshop these training modules are
illustrated by real case studies of pollinator conservation efforts across the country, and will be supported by field observations.

With the support of North Central, Northeastern and Western SARE, the Xerces Society will offer the Short Course in New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah.
Additional Short Courses (not funded by SARE) are also planned for Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and Missouri where earlier Courses have already been held.

REGISTRATION

To register please visit the Events section of the Xerces Society website: http://www.xerces.org. <http://www.xerces.org/events/>