Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack again addressed the delegation at the 87th Annual FFA Convention in Louisville, KY last week. He talked FFA and how the members of the largest farm based organization is the future. He says the future is bright for the youth and why this is the more difficult venue for him to speak following some of the … Read More
USDA to Provide $4 million For Honey Bee Habitat
USDA is providing more than $4 million in technical and financial assistance to help farmers and ranchers in the Midwest improve the health of honey bees, which play an important role in crop production. “The future of America’s food supply depends on honey bees, and this effort is one way USDA is helping improve the health of honey bee populations,” … Read More
More New Products for USDA BioPreferred Program
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to move some new products into a preferred procurement initiative for federal agencies. USDA is using the 2014 Farm Bill to justify making available some new, biobased forest products in the BioPreferred® program, along with some other traditional biobased products and other mature market products, which have been produced in innovative ways. “Today, … Read More
USDA Hands Out $18 M+ in Small Biz Research Grants
Small businesses in the ag sector are getting quite a boost, as the federal government gives out more than $18 million in small business grants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is giving the money in the form of 100 grants through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to companies for high … Read More
New USDA Ag Census Maps Let Farmers Analyze Data
A new tool offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will let producers see and analyze more data. The agency’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now offering the Ag Census Web Maps application, a dynamic online tool that gives users rapid access to Census of Agriculture maps and data about crops and plants, livestock and animals, economics, farms, and … Read More
Ag, Interior Departments Measure Conservation Water Quality
The USDA and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a new partnership agreement that will provide a clearer picture of the benefits of farmers’ conservation practices on the quality of our Nation’s water. Working together, USDA’s NRCS and DOI’s USGS will quantify the benefits of voluntary agricultural practices at a watershed scale. This information will strengthen the effectiveness … Read More
Depts. of Ag, Interior to Measure Conservation Impacts
A new partnership between the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior looks to better measure the impacts of farmers’ conservation practices on the quality of the country’s water. Officials say the information gathered will strengthen the effectiveness of state and federal nutrient reduction strategies while protecting the privacy of individual farmers. “On a voluntary basis, the agricultural community has … Read More
USDA Helps Farmers Diversify Weed Control Efforts
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced several steps that the USDA is taking to address the increase of herbicide resistant weeds in U.S. agricultural systems. “Weed control in major crops is almost entirely accomplished with herbicides today,” said Vilsack. “USDA, working in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency, must continue to identify ways to encourage producers to adopt diverse tactics for … Read More
The Nose Knows: Bugs’ Sense of Smell Turned Against Them
Odors that certain bugs can sense and are attracted to are being used to control the pests. This article from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the blend of odors that attracts spotted wing drosophila flies (SWD) has been developed into a new lure product for improved monitoring and control of these tree-fruit and berry pests. The blend is … Read More
Step-Change Improvement for Predictive Farm Management
In February, the University of Missouri, the USDA-ARS, and DuPont Pioneer announced an innovative collaboration to pool soil mapping resources, predictive technologies and expertise. The collaboration offers growers a step-change in sustainable crop production through better recommendations for nitrogen application management and other field input planning, which can help deliver improved crop yields. A team at the University of Missouri … Read More