Wildlife Needs a Helping Hand when Winter Weather Hits

Why wildlife need a little helping hand from us when winter weather hits.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. It’s easy for birds, deer, and squirrels to find food in the summer when there are abundant fruits, veggies, and foliage out there. But when the winter rolls around, wildlife has a bigger challenge finding food. There are many …

Open Signup for the Conservation Reserve Program and CRP Grasslands in Early 2021

(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the signup periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the CRP Grasslands in 2021. Signup for general CRP will be open from Jan. 4, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021. Both programs are competitive and provide annual …

USMEF Virtual Strategic Planning Conference Highlights Opportunities

(USMEF/NAFB) — Adapting to the times, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) kicked off its virtual Strategic Planning Conference Wednesday. And according to a report from Micheal Clements, despite this challenging time, U.S. meat exports are enjoying a strong year with market opportunities in the future. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom, speaking during the Opening General Session, says that as countries rebound …

U.S. Peanut Federation Addresses EU Tariffs

It was announced this week that the European Union has slapped new tariffs on in-shell peanuts and peanut kernels at a level of 25%. A move that was authorized by the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to a story from Tyron Spearman, the United States Peanut Federation (USPF) is working to protect European market access for U.S. peanuts against this latest round …

Lawmakers Rolled Out Spending Bills

(NAFB) — Senate appropriators rolled out agency spending bills, including one for USDA this week, hoping to avoid the need for more stop-gap funding when the temporary Fiscal Year 2021 money expires December 11th. The proposed Senate bill calls for over 23 billion dollars in USDA discretionary funding, a bit less than a House-passed version, but both increase or fully …

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 for Livestock Producers

USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) continues to provide direct relief to producers who are facing market disruptions and associated costs due to Covid-19. And payments through the program are available for a variety of eligible livestock producers. Payments for beef cattle, hogs and pigs, along with lambs and sheep will be based on the maximum owned inventory of …

Farm Tractor Sales Stay Positive in the U.S. and Canada

Overall farm tractor unit sales continued to grow across North America in October despite a small pause in the larger unit sales in Canada. The latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers says that total farm tractor sales in the U.S. rose 18 percent in October compared to 2019, while self-propelled combine sales in the U.S. grew almost 15 …

Two Florida Counties Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available (USDA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated two Florida counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Okaloosa and Walton counties who suffered losses caused by Hurricane Sally, high winds, excessive rains and flooding that occurred from Sept. 14 through Sept. 19, 2020, may be eligible for U.S. Department of …

Two Alabama Counties Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available (USDA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated two Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Baldwin and Mobile counties who suffered losses caused by excessive wind, flash flooding and excessive rainfall caused by Hurricane Sally that occurred from Sept. 15 through Sept. 16, 2020, may be eligible for …