Administration officials in charge of food safety testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and related agencies.

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The Economist held its 27th annual festival, this year called "The World in 2013," in early December in New York City. The event coincided with the release of The Economist's annual publication of the same title, which contains a collection of trends and predictions about the year ahead.

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President Obama met with the White House Rural Council to discuss ongoing efforts in response to the drought.  The drought which is hitting the mid-west has been described as the worst drought in more than half a century.

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The Environmental Working Group releases it's report "Plowed Under" on the impact of high crop prices and crop insurance subsidies on environmental conservation efforts.

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The Senate Agriculture Committee heard arguments for and against a bill that would set uniform standards for the treatment of egg-laying hens and egg labeling. The measure is the product of an agreement between the United Egg Producers and the U.S. Humane Society. The provisions include phasing in larger cages for hens over the next 18 years. Farmers in favor of the bill described it as vital to the future stability of the industry, while a witness opposed to the measure said it would force many smaller egg farmers to leave the business.

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The full House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm Bill early Thursday morning by a vote of 35 to 11.  The legislation now moves to the House floor.

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Grover Norquist was on Capitol Hill to speak with Republican lawmakers. Democratic Senate leaders briefed on what they see as the problems with Norquist’s pledge not to raise taxes.

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Atlantic Magazine hosts a forum on the challenges facing clean energy sources like biofuels and wind power.

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The Senate Agriculture Cmte. held a markup of the complete farm bill, an event that occurs once every five years. The committee concluded the day with a vote to pass the bill on to the Senate.

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Author and Anthropologist Helen Rountree uses her many years of scientific and historic research to describe how natives of the Virginia piedmont region made use of their environment for food, transportation, and shelter.  Professor Rountree argues that the Powhatan indian women’s brains were like computers because of their detailed knowledge of hundreds of useful plants. The presentation is part of the "From the Earth: The Environment in Virginia's Past and Future" conference at the Virginia Historical Society.

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