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Gestation stalls, manure application and antibiotics took center stage during a panel at the 2017 Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Kansas City, Mo.

Produce growers are searching for long-term solutions not just a short-term fix when it comes to agricultural labor. However, lawmakers and the farming community are mixed when it comes to those different solutions. The Ag Guest worker Act, introduced by Chairman Bob Goodlatte cleared the House Judiciary Committee in late October. It’s designed to replace the H-2A Program. That’s not the only piece of legislation floating around Congress. Lawmaker Lamar Smith introduced legislation called the Legal Workforce Act, which could mandate employers to use the e-verify system to check legal status of agricultural employees. It’s a tug-of-war battle to see which piece of legislation proposed at roughly the same time will work for farmers. AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben talked with West Coast produce growers Neil Nagata with Nagata Bros. Farms in Oceanside, Ca., and Al Stehly with Rockwood Ranch in Escondido, Ca., about their challenges and thoughts on potential legislation. Betsy also talked with Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers as well. Listen to the full AgDay segment above.

The event will convene more than 500 leaders from across the food supply chain to discuss strategies for continuous on-farm improvement and scaling of best practices.

Producers say field practices need improvement as food buyers seek sustainability

Food Fight Breaks Out Over Fresh Fruit-and-Vegetable Packaging

Arkansas rice producer Jennifer James earned the agricultural sustainability group’s 2017 Farmer of the Year Award, while the 2017 Collaboration of the Year Award went to Kellogg Company, Syngenta and The Nature Conservancy.

The world may produce the least wine this year in half a century,

California is using diesel brewed from fats and oils to fuel everything from fire trucks to United Parcel Service Inc. delivery vehicles.

Producers are one step closer to a new guest worker program designed to get more agricultural labor help to operations. The Ag. Guest Worker Bill barely clearing the House Judiciary committee by a vote of 17 to 16 on Wednesday. The bill is designed to replace the current H2A program.

California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys are continuing to clean up after recent wildfires swept through the area.