(NAFB) — Farmers and ranchers can start applying to enroll grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signup on March 16. “This CRP Grasslands signup allows farmers and ranchers to protect grasslands, rangelands, and pastures, while they maintain the land as working grazing lands,” says Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce. “The program emphasizes support for grazing operations and plant …
U.S. Poultry Entering China without Retaliatory Tariffs
(NAFB) — Beijing recently made U.S. poultry shipments eligible for exemptions from extra tariffs and poultry shipments to China are on the rise. A Reuters article points out that the additional tariff relief may give China a greater ability to follow through on promises to buy significantly more American agricultural goods as part of the Phase One trade deal. U.S. …
UGA Economist Says Block Grant Funds Will Help Georgia Producers
By Clint Thompson Georgia farmers hoping for financial relief from Hurricane Michael in 2018 can begin submitting online applications to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) for the $347 million in Farm Recovery Block Grant funds on March 18. Adam Rabinowitz, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension assistant professor and agricultural economist, believes the block grant funds will provide extra benefits …
Budget Causing Extension of Florida Legislative Session
We’ve been telling you the 2020 Florida Legislative Session is scheduled to end March 13th. But this last week it was evident that isn’t going to happen, as Legislators will need extra time to hammer out the state budget for next fiscal year. Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA) Director of Governmental Affairs, Sam Ard, explains. The some $1.5 billion gap between the proposed …
Common Mistakes for Growing Tomatoes in Containers
Continuing her series, Cathy Isom reviews some common mistakes for growing tomatoes in containers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Growing tomatoes in containers can be incredibly rewarding or flat-out disastrous. However, there are some common mistakes that, if they can be avoided, will vastly increase your chances of successfully growing tomatoes in containers. Such as the size …
Florida Forever to Get $100 Million
(NSF) — Florida Forever, the state’s signature land-preservation program, will get a sizable, one-time boost in funding as lawmakers inched closer Sunday to patching together an estimated $92 billion budget for next fiscal year. House and Senate negotiators also agreed to keep alive an economic development fund backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis but cut spending on the program. The $100 …
Oliva: Senate E-Verify Plan Un-American
(NSF) — House Speaker José Oliva on Saturday blasted a plan that would give Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration the power to randomly audit private businesses to ensure they are not hiring undocumented workers. DeSantis and the Senate have settled on a proposal that would give his administration the authority to audit Florida employers to ensure they are verifying workers’ legal …
Senate Rolls Out Last Minute E-Verify ‘Compromise’
(NSF) — A last-minute deal on E-Verify emerged in the Senate on Friday, moving the Republican-dominated Legislature closer to giving Gov. Ron DeSantis a win on a key campaign promise. After weeks of negotiating with the governor’s office and reviewing a House proposal, Senate bill sponsor Tom Lee said Friday the Senate earlier that day had reached a “compromise” that …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 03-6-2020
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended March 6, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the Week ended-March 06, 2020, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 9,500 head compared to 8,723 last week and 7,159 …
House Approves DeSantis’ Call to Hike Environmental Fines
(NSF) — The Florida Legislature is close to approving Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to boost fines on environmental lawbreakers. The House, with little comment, voted 106-0 on Friday to pass a proposal (HB 1091) that would make numerous changes in the amounts and duration of penalties for violating Florida environmental laws. The Senate put on hold a similar proposal (SB …