The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop report shows that almost all of the nation’s corn is in the silk stage, and most of it is in pretty good shape. The National Corn Growers Association says 96 percent of corn acres having achieved the silking stage as of August 9 and 51 percent of corn acres is in the … Read More
US Ag Production Cost Nearly $400 Billion in 2014
The 8.3 percent increase in agriculture production from 2013 to 2014 is the largest since 2008. Last year U.S. farmers spent $397.6 billion on agricultural production, according to the Farm Production Expenditures as reported by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Feed, already the largest expenditure category for U.S. farmers, also saw the largest increase since 2013. In 2014, producers … Read More
USDA Gathering Conservation Data
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is gathering information on conservation practices. This news release from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) says the agency is talking to farmers and ranchers through this month. During the first phase of the National Resources Inventory (NRI) – Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), NASS will contact approximately 24,000 farmers and ranchers nationwide to determine … Read More
USDA Finds Ways to Save Water with Sorghum
While there’s plenty of water in Texas this year, the recent drought in the state has many farmers looking for options more tolerant to drought. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist is giving sorghum farmers some much needed guidance in how to save water by using less-than-optimal amounts of it. Susan O’Shaughnessy, an agricultural engineer with the USDA’s Agricultural … Read More
USDA, Microsoft Team to Address Food Resiliency
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Microsoft are partnering to explore how climate change will impact the United States’ food system with the intent of achieving better food resiliency. This USDA news release says the “Innovation Challenge” is a contest designed to challenge entrants to develop and publish new applications and tools that can analyze multiple sources of information … Read More
Organic Alfalfa Seed Coating to Protect Against Disease
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found that a natural seed coating that protects alfalfa against some soilborne diseases. This article from the agency says the coating offers an organic alternative to the fungicidal treatment mefenoxam, which is ineffective against the pathogen causing Aphanomyces root rot (ARR), common to Midwestern soils. Demand for organic alfalfa for organic … Read More
Survey: Cover Crops Expand in Acres, Boost Yields
A new survey shows that more farmers are planting more cover crops, and that is resulting in bigger yields in corn and soybean fields. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), says the survey of more than 1,200 farmers revealed that cover crops boosted 2014 … Read More
New Conservation Incentives Offered for Grass, Pastures
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering new conservation incentives for working grasslands, rangeland and pastureland. This news release says the areas will still be able to be maintained as livestock grazing lands. The CRP-Grasslands initiative will provide participants who establish long-term, resource-conserving covers with annual rental payments up to 75 percent of the grazing value of the land. … Read More
Record Number of Producers Certify Conservation Compliance
More than 98 percent of the farmers and ranchers required to certify conservation compliance to qualify for crop insurance premium support payments have done so. This news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the conservation provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill are expected to cover an additional 1.5 million acres of highly erodible lands and 1.1 million … Read More
New Report on Cover Crops, Soil Health Out Soon
A new report outlining recommendations for cover crop and soil health reform is due out soon. Seed breeder and producer Grassland Oregon gives a preview of what will be in the report that will come from the National Working Group on Cover Crops and Soil Health, in particular, the call for public-private partnerships for cover crop research and reform. When … Read More