With the recent announcement of the relocation of the US Forest Service Headquarters to Salt Lake City and operational service centers in various locations across the country, we caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to learn what forestry professionals can expect from this reorganization. Deputy Secretary Vaden said, “Well, what they can expect is a lot more focus …
USDA issues stocks and processes for peanuts each month. More details has been announced now on the month of February. Shell peanuts on a raw basis used in primary products and in-shell also was accounted in this report. Peanut usage is improving. Total edible use for seven months is up four-tenths of one percent with major improvements in peanuts and snacks. For the seven-month …
The USDA is headlong into the construction of a domestic sterile fly production facility in Texas and we caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to get an update on the department’s efforts. Deputy Secretary Vaden said, “So we are on track and on time with regard to that, and even more exciting, with regard to the New World Screwworm, …
I’m traveling today, sending this as I drive to Huntley, Illinois, and the visitation for farm broadcaster, Orion Samuelson. Orion would have turned 91 just before Easter, and he would have wanted all farm broadcasters to proceed as normal today and not putting him in the spotlight. Well, sorry to disappoint, Orion, but you were anything but normal for your 60 years on the …
The Labor of Early Corn Harvesting Coming up on This Land of Ours, it’s the daily Ag History Minute. Mark Oppold brings us a glimpse into the demanding realities of early American agriculture—specifically, the challenge of harvesting corn. Growing corn has long been a cornerstone of American farming, but historically, harvesting it was an entirely different story. Before modern machinery …
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released details on the planting progress for both corn and cotton so far this season. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey provides an overview on the planting progress for cotton, “In a lot of years, we only see planting progress this early in a couple of states, and Arizona is one of those. They lead the nation, …
It’s about planting time across the southeast, but a major problem for farmers, a three-month drought, has really got the farmers waiting to decide when to plant, how much to plant, and markets are changing. The war in Iran is creating some big issues, not only on the price of fertilizer, but on freight rates and fuel surcharges, and counting increases in energy costs …
A five-year review of countervailing duties on phosphate imports from Morocco and Russia is underway. Agri-Pulse reported that fertilizer producers Mosaic and Simplot say they’re in favor of keeping the duties in place. The tariffs range from 16.6 percent to over 47 percent, and have been in place since 2021 when Mosaic filed a countervailing duty case. The Commerce Department’s …
The Roots of Agricultural Excellence Mark Oppold, in his American Agriculture History Minute, highlights the remarkable journey of Eugene Funk—a figure whose contributions helped shape modern corn production in the United States. Eugene Funk was born into a family deeply rooted in agricultural success. He was the grandson of Isaac Funk, one of the earliest settlers in McLean County, Illinois. …
