Eighteen grants with a total sum of $6.7 million dollars are being granted by the USDA‘s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The grants are to encourage researching the interactions between components of an agroecosystem interact in food production: soil, water and sun to plants, animals and people. “Population growth, along with environmental factors, including the growing threat of climate change, … Read More
No Progress on US-China Biotech Issues
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were among those who participated in a Thanksgiving week session of the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington last week, the last one for the Obama Administration. The talks resulted in some progress in the areas of intellectual property protection, pharmaceutical and medical devices, and information … Read More
Vilsack Visits with #NAFB16
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made his final appearance at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention of his eight years in this office. “First of all, I want to thank the broadcasters here today,” Vilsack started his remarks to a standing room only crowd. “I think all of you have done and continue to do a great service, particularly … Read More
Accepting Applications for USDA Conservation Grants
The USDA is accepting proposals for projects designed to provide new conservation opportunities. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing up to $25 million for applications that encourage the development and adoption of conservation technologies in areas like conservation finance, data analytics and precision conservation. “Conservation Innovation Grants have played a critical role in developing and implementing creative new … Read More
Enroll Now for ARC or PLC in 2017
If your farm is covered by the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC), now is the time to visit you local FSA office to sign contracts and enroll for 2017. Starting this month, the enrollment period will continue until August 1, 2017, says FSA Administrator, Val Dolcini. “FSA issued more than $7 billion in payments in October … Read More
USDA Invests $1.7 Billion in Sensitive Ag Lands
More than half a million Americans will receive payments for lands enrolled in the voluntary Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The USDA will issue nearly $1.7 billion through the program to protect almost 24 million acres of wetlands, grasslands and wildlife habitat for 2016. “We have seen record demand to participate in this important program,” said Vilsack. “Despite the current enrollment … Read More
Ag Secretary Brings Diversity Message to #TransformFFA
Diversity was the simple message Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared with FFA members at the 89th National FFA Convention. He encouraged each young person to be proud of our history in agriculture and to use their voice to tell that inspiring story. “I am here first and foremost today to thank FFA for it’s commitment to diversity. Each of you … Read More
USDA Finalizes Conservation Easement Program Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a final rule on the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), which was created in the 2014 Farm Bill to consolidate provisions in three previous conservation easement programs. The rule changes are designed to “make the program more flexible and responsive to the unique needs of farmers and ranchers in each region of … Read More
ERS Releases Precision Agriculture Adoption Report
The USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) has released a report, Farm Profits and Adoption of Precision Agriculture. The report covers current trends in precision agriculture (PA), production practices and farm characteristics associated with adoption. The report also looks at corn data from 2010 to determine if PA practices lead to increased profitability. The report looked at three types of Precision … Read More
USDA Loans $25 Million for Water Quality in Iowa
USDA’s Water and Environmental programs will help the City of Fairfield make enhancements to its wastewater facility that will improve the water quality in southeast Iowa. “The recent flooding in Iowa and other parts of the country has demonstrated just how important high-functioning wastewater systems are to our communities. Sanitary waste disposal systems and safe drinking water are vital not only … Read More