Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hosted a meeting between the Afghan and Pakistani agriculture ministers and an Iowa family farmer to show how American farmers turn their land into income. Although it may be difficult to translate the American agricultural model to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the purpose is to allow them to “see the possibilities of a maturing agriculture economy and what that looks like and the success that could bring to families and communities,” said Vilsack. (CNN) Learn more.

USDA has settled a class action lawsuit filed by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by the government agency. The settlement, announced today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder, ends litigation concerning discrimination complaints that stretch from1981 to 1999. “The Obama Administration is committed to closing the chapter on an unfortunate civil rights history at USDA and working to ensure our customers and employees are treated justly and equally,” said Vilsack. Under the settlement, $680 million will be made available to eligible class members to compensate for their discrimination claims. Read more.

A leading regulator has warned that one of the next assets to bubble and possibly endanger the U.S. financial system is farm property. According to Sheila Bair, chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1,500 farm banks could be in jeopardy if the booming agricultural sector suddenly reversed. “A sharp decline in farmland prices similar to the early 1980s could have a severe adverse impact on the nation’s…farm banks,” said Bair. (Financial Times) Learn more.

U.S. sugar output is expected to decrease by 20 percent next year if genetically modified beets cannot be planted, according to a court filing by USDA. A U.S. district judge ruled in August that the government agency had not considered the potential environmental impact of the beets and revoked USDA’s approval of the seeds. Beets account for 44 percent of the U.S. sugar output. (Bloomberg Businessweek) Read more.

NASCAR officials announced Saturday that it will utilize the 15 percent ethanol blend recently approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Beginning next season, Sunoco will provide E15 during NASCAR’s three national series — the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks. Aside from making the sport more green, E15 has show to provide a modest increase in horsepower, according to Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s director of competition. (The Charlotte Observer ) Read more.

A new breed of celery will be hitting the grocery shelves just in time for the holidays. Duda Farm Fresh Foods unveiled red celery at a produce industry trade show on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Nearly 20 years in the making, the new breed will have the same flavor and crunch of regular green celery, according to Dan Duda, company president. “It’s bright, it’s red, it’s different, it’s unique,” said Duda. (Associated Press) Read more.

Grants have been awarded to 40 organizations to provide training and assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers to help them run successful and sustainable farms. Announced today by Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, the awards were given by USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program that provided $18 million in funding this year. Learn more.