The Van Trump Report

Month: November 2022

Why Rural Americans Should Weigh In on New FCC Broadband Maps

It has been over two decades since broadband started replacing dial-up internet connections. While broadband has since become a virtual necessity in our modern age, wide swaths of the US still don’t have access to high-speed internet. Until recently, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has collected limited information on broadband coverage from internet providers, …

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What You Need to Know About New Zealand’s Cow Burp Tax

Most have probably heard by now that New Zealand is planning a so-called “cow burp tax” that would charge the country’s livestock farmers for the greenhouse gasses that their animals emit. The belch tax, which would be the world’s first, is controversial to say the least, and could have implications for livestock farmers across the …

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FDA Approves Lab-Grown Meat but Will US Consumers Bite?

The US Food and Drug Administration earlier in November approved the first cultivated meat product for human consumption. That means just one final stamp of approval from the US Department of Agriculture is needed before Upside Food’s lab-grown chicken can be sold to consumers. Most believe the odds of that happening are high, though the …

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Are You a “Giver” or “Taker”? by Jordan Van Trump

As a kid, my dad always talked a lot about “gratitude” and how he watched it single-handedly help change people’s lives, not only from an improved psychological perspective but also helped to promote improved health and wellness. Let’s just say my dad is a true “half-full” type of guy.  My dad also likes to identify …

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Doomsday Prep is Going Mainstream and Some Ag Businesses are Cashing In

A growing number of Americans are preparing for doomsday. However, the number of companies catering to the so-called “prepper” community doesn’t seem to be keeping up. Estimates vary but some peg the share of Americans actively getting ready to ride out some sort of catastrophe is as high as 20%. That’s compared to an estimated …

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What We Know About China’s Hog Herd

China’s hog herd size is once again being questioned as prices of the country’s most popular meat have doubled from last year’s levels even as official statistics show inventory levels and production remain virtually unchanged. China officials blame the higher prices on farmers holding pigs back from slaughter. However, industry insiders say China’s herd inventory …

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What’s a Snow Roller…and Other Weird and Rare Weather Phenomena

A lot of strange weather happens every day in some part of the world. While rain, snow, and drought is happening constantly and simultaneously in various places across the planet, some forms of weather are extreme in their nature and rarely experienced by most. A lot of weather patterns also tend to be unique to …

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“Infarm” Successfully Grows Wheat Indoors

Vertical farming company “Infarm” says it has successfully grown wheat inside an indoor farm. Infarm, which claims to be the first vertical farming company to attempt staple crop production in a controlled environment, says the wheat achieved yields 26 times higher than current farming practices average. According to Infarm, initial trials of indoor-grown wheat yielded …

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