Help for organic dairy producers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced assistance for dairy producers with the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The program helps dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic …
DeSantis, Florida Cabinet Sign Off on Land Deals
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/May 23, 2023) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday approved spending nearly $100 million on land deals that will secure about 36,000 acres as part of a growing wildlife corridor. The 12 land deals are part of the Florida Forever program and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. They involve purchasing conservation easements, which …
Regional Conservation Partnership Program Applications Open
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has $500 million in funding available to advance partner-driven solutions to conservation on agricultural land. RCPP leverages a voluntary approach to conservation that expands the reach of conservation efforts and climate-smart agriculture through public-private partnerships. Increased funding for fiscal year 2023 is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, and …
Bonnie: Conservation Efforts Will Remain Voluntary
With the Biden Administration’s deep focus on conservation and the environment, some agriculture groups and individual farmers are worried about mandatory conservation efforts. However, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie said conservation efforts by farmers will remain voluntary. “You’re not going to adopt soil health practices at the end of a gun barrel,” Bonnie said while speaking …
Decision Time for Producers: Plant Peanuts or Cotton
Peanut farmers have a decision to make now. With it planting time, they need to decide on planting cotton, or peanuts. Tyron Spearman breaks down some numbers that may help producers make this decision. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune …
Data Shows Few Farm Estates Must File Estate Tax Return
New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows that less than one percent of farm estates created in 2022 must file an estate tax return. Created in 1916, the federal estate tax is a tax on the transfer of property to a person’s heirs upon death. In 2022, the Federal estate tax exemption amount was $12.06 million per person, …
Atypical BSE Case Detected in South Carolina
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) last week announced the finding of an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). The approximately five-year-old or older beef cow tested positive following routine surveillance protocols at a slaughterhouse in South Carolina. The animal possessed a radio frequency identification tag associated with a herd in Tennessee. USDA APHIS and state animal …
Bill Incentivizes Use of Cover Crops
A new bill would give farmers more incentive to use cover crops. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and several state representatives introduced bipartisan legislation to incentivize farmers to plant cover crops to help boost environmental conservation. The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act would provide farmers who plant cover crops …
Nation’s Forests Topic of House Ag Subcommittee Hearing
The nation’s forest systems, wood industries, and wildfires were the topic of a hearing last week in the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry with Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Randy Moore. The hearing largely focused on wildfire management and prevention. “We have a number of forests across the US that are really maximizing their opportunities to use the tools …
USDA: More Peanut Acres to be Planted This Year
Peanut farmers are busy in the field planting for the season. USDA has estimated the peanut acres to be planted. Tyron Spearman gives a breakdown of the report, and what the prediction is for the acres to be planted. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher …