The Biden Administration this week announced the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loan opportunities to help rural energy and utility providers. They say the funding will help bring affordable, reliable, clean energy to communities across the country. Sabrina Halvorson talks with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to get more details. Each week we highlight essential legislative and …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 05-19-2023
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended May 19, 2023, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended May 19, 2023, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 13,900 head compared to 11,001 last week and …
NCBA Endorses Legislation Protecting Animal Health
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced its support of the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2023. The bipartisan legislation would continue making critical investments in foreign animal disease response programs currently overseen by USDA. “The threat of a foreign animal disease outbreak in the U.S. represents an existential threat to every cattle producer,” says …
Food Spending Decreased Unevenly Across States in 2020
Trends in food spending across the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States disrupted the food industry in 2020, according to fresh data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Inflation-adjusted total U.S. food expenditures were 6.6 percent lower in 2020 than in 2019. However, individual states experienced varying degrees of food …
Senate Ag Committee Advances Torres Small Nomination
The Senate Agriculture Committee Wednesday advanced to the full senate the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, says, ” Ms. Torres Small has a proven track record and a wide-ranging background that make her an ideal candidate to help lead the nearly 100,000 public servants at USDA.” Ranking …
Livestock Producers Give Opinions on EPA Regulations
Representatives from livestock industries gave passionate responses when asked about Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations during a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing, Wednesday. “Can you speak to the detrimental effects these types of onerous rules have on livestock producers and how uncertainty in compliance costs trickle down to the American consumer,” asked Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04). The first response was from …
Interesting Developments in Grains
There are interesting developments in the grain trades. Mark Oppold has more. Sponsored ContentValley Helps Growers Get The Most Out Of Every AcreMarch 19, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Builds Relationships Between Researchers and Cattle ProducersMarch 13, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to Support Forage Development and Management PracticesMarch 6, 2026CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026
BASF Fungicides Key for Peanut Producers Managing Diseases
By Clint Thompson Peanut planting is well under way across the Southeast. That means fungicide sprays should be applied not long after. Brianne Reeves, BASF technical service representative, said producers should begin applying fungicide treatments anywhere between 35 and 45 days after planting. BASF provides the best protection against diseases like early and late leaf spot, and white mold. “BASF …
Peanut Planting Precautions for Georgia Growers
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission and University of Georgia Extension Peanut Team advise growers to take proper precautions when planting their crop this spring. Scott Monfort, UGA Extension peanut agronomist, discusses the current planting season which is taking place in some abnormally dry fields across Southwest Georgia. “We’ve had spotty rain showers but yeah, it’s getting dry in …
Socially Disadvantaged Farms Concentrated in South and West
Some areas of the nation are more likely than others to have socially disadvantaged farms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers tend to be more concentrated in southern and western regions of the country. USDA defines socially disadvantaged farmers as those belonging to groups subject …