This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of …
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Talks with AgNet Media on Funding for Bridge Repairs
President Joe Biden recently announced a new initiative to fund repairs of the nation’s bridges, to the tune of $26.5 billion. A lot of the public focus on this has been on bridges in big cities, so AgNet Media National Correspondent Sabrina Halvorson talked to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to find out how this will help people outside of …
Florida Governor Could Get More Appointment Power
(TALLAHASSEE/January 21, 2022) — A proposal that critics called a gubernatorial “power grab,” to wrest control of appointments from Cabinet members has started to move forward in the Florida House. Republican supporters called the measure (HB 1295) a “streamlining” of the process for appointing leaders of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of …
Consumers Prefer Florida OJ
Consumers are more likely to buy orange juice (OJ) if they think the fruit comes from Florida, new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research shows. In fact, top reasons consumers purchase OJ include taste, health benefits and origin of the fruit. According to the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), while 80% of OJ consumers who responded to …
Awards Given During GA Peanut Farm Show
Various awards were presented during the 2022 Georgia Peanut Farm Show which took place this week in Tifton. Tyron Spearman has the story. Sponsored ContentStrong Relationship Exists Between the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board and UF-IFASApril 17, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response to Research QuestionsApril 10, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, …
EPA Advisory Panel Recommends Limited WOTUS Definition, Protection for Ag Features
An EPA advisory panel recommends the agency continue to protect water rule exemptions for farm features, as it rewrites the Navigable Waters Protection Rule that replaced WOTUS. EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities advisory panel calls for a clear and limited WOTUS definition with exemptions for ditches, stock ponds, prairie potholes and prior converted cropland, though it’s no guarantee EPA …
Input Prices Greatest Threat for 2022
The Latest Rural Mainstreet Index shows rising input prices as the top threat in 2022 for farmers. Released Thursday, the index declined in January, though it remained above growth neutral for the 14th straight month. Overall, the region’s reading for January fell to 61.1 from December’s 66.7. The index ranges between 0 and 100, with a reading of 50.0 representing …
Secretary of Transportation on HOS Regulations for Livestock Haulers
Back in late November of last year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced they had extended the waiver for commercial truckers from the Federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulation until Feb. 28, 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020 the FMCSA included livestock haulers in an initial emergency declaration that provided an exemption from the HOS regulation for …
Georgia Lawmakers Busy Talking Budget
Week two of the 2022 Georgia State Legislative Session has seen lawmakers involved in discussing the budget for the next fiscal year. Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) Director of Government Affairs, Jake Tench, explains what took place this week. He also reminds everyone about their Legislative Breakfast which is just around the corner. To learn more about the GAC’s Legislative Breakfast, …
Applications Due Tuesday for Cover Crop Initiative in Georgia
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia wants to remind agricultural producers about several new and expanded opportunities for conservation programs that lend to climate-smart agriculture production in fiscal year 2022. Among these is the Cover Crop Initiative (CCI), but signup for this ends January 25, 2022. CCI incentivizes the use of cover crops on Georgia’s agricultural land, and the counties …