(USDA/RD) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the official launch of the AskUSDA Contact Center program. The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat, and web inquires, transforming how the public interacts with USDA and providing an enhanced experience for the public. Prior to the creation and implementation of AskUSDA, members of …
Farm & Biofuel Leaders Urge Courts to Hold EPA Accountable
(RFA) — A coalition of the nation’s largest biofuels and agricultural trade groups filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia asking the court to enforce its 2017 decision requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address its improper waiver of 500 million gallons of biofuel demand in the 2016 renewable volume obligation (RVO). The coalition, which includes the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National …
Pruning Principles for High-Quality Citrus
Planting citrus varieties for fresh market production has increased in popularity. With these potentially high-value crops come concerns about management practices, including pruning. Recently, Fernando Alferez informed growers in a virtual presentation about manual pruning principles. Alferez is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus horticulturist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. According to Alferez, pruning …
Ag Secretary Discusses Rural Broadband Access
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made an appearance during the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) virtual annual convention last week. Among the topics discussed was rural access to broadband, something he noted is another vital issue that USDA is working on. “It’s vital. It’s no longer a luxury. When we first began, after the day I was sworn in, President …
Report Suggests Tighter Cattle Supplies
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their November Cattle on Feed Report Friday, and it shows the number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 12.0 million head on November 1, 2020. That is 1 percent above November 1, 2019. And according to a story from …
Compound from Soil Bacterium Gets Reboot as Antibiotics Super Booster
(USDA/ARS) — USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators continue garnering success in their tests of a compound that could bolster the potency of beta-lactam antibiotics, potentially reducing the dosages required and helping stave off resistance in the germs they’re meant to kill. According to Neil Price, a chemist with the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research …
FFA Members Across the Country Give Back to Their Communities This Fall
(National FFA Organization) — Thanksgiving might look a little different this year—not as many large family gatherings, not as many in-person Black Friday sales—but FFA members around the country are working together to ensure their communities still have the food they need. FFA members at the Lawrence Free State High School FFA in Kansas worked on gleaning from local gardens …
U.S. Pork Producers ‘Give-a-Ham’
(NPPC) — The National Pork Producers Council launched the “Give-a-Ham” challenge, a national social media campaign encouraging hog farmers and those involved in the industry to donate pork to organizations serving the food insecure, and challenging others to follow suit. The “Give-a-Ham” challenge begins today and runs through the end of the year. “With so many Americans struggling with COVID-related …
Remedy to EU Grapefruit Tariffs Sought
The European Union (EU) recently imposed approximately $4 billion in tariffs on U.S. grapefruit and other agricultural products. The tariffs, authorized by the World Trade Organization, are punishment for U.S. subsidies for the Boeing Company. “Once again U.S. agriculture is caught in the crossfire of a dispute that is not of our making and we are used as leverage in …
FSA Reverses Rule on Family Eligibility for Farm Subsidies
The Farm Service Agency restored the previous definitions of terms like “active personal management, significant contribution, and related phrasing” in a rule regarding farm program subsidy eligibility and payment limitations. FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce says the change is more of a “correction.” He says, “These revisions mean that members of a family farm operation are not subject to the more …