Due to the unpredictable schedule of the Alabama special legislative session, the Alabama Agribusiness Council (AAC) Legislative Reception has been rescheduled for April 10. Governor Kay Ivey called a special session, mainly so lawmakers could discuss an additional excise tax on gas and diesel fuel. So the Alabama Agribusiness Council hopes you can attend the reception later in the session as it honors …
Water Management Workshops in Georgia
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia invites producers across the state to take part in the upcoming statewide Water Management Workshop Series. University of Georgia (UGA) and Fort Valley State University (FVSU) extension programs have partnered with NRCS to host these workshops. While they are geared towards smaller acreage and new/beginning farmers, they are open to all who …
Signup Now for EQIP in Alabama
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama reminds landowners in the state the signup batching deadline for Fiscal Year 2019 for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and initiatives offered through the program is April 25, 2019. This EQIP signup includes wildlife, forestry, cropland erosion, cropland irrigation, grazing land, and water quality concerns. There are also various National and …
Secretary Perdue Comments on President Trump’s Budget Proposal
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after President Trump submitted his FY 2020 budget proposal to Congress: “Our economy is booming, and unemployment is the lowest it’s been in decades. While the agriculture community still faces challenges, the Trump economy is creating new opportunities for all Americans to thrive,” said Secretary Perdue. “President Trump’s budget is fiscally …
South Florida Environmentalist Shares Concerns Amidst Growing Water-Quality Debate
A native of the Pacific Northwest and now a resident of St. Lucie County, Nyla Pipes began working in 2013 with those concerned about growing water-quality and related environmental issues in Florida. She’s been a driving force and is now executive director of the non-profit One Florida Foundation. Pipes gave an exclusive interview following the February meeting of the South …
FFA Chapters Use Innovative Microsoft Solution to Delve Deeper Into Agriculture
Fifty FFA chapters have received Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits as part of a collaboration between the National FFA Organization and Microsoft Corp. For the FFA Blue 365 Challenge, chapters were asked to apply for the FarmBeats Kits by sharing how they would utilize the kits. “The FFA Blue 365 Challenge and the use of the Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits are …
Cattle on Feed Inventories Slightly Larger
After the recent partial government shutdown, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has been working to catch up on reports that were not released on time. Friday, they put out the February Cattle on Feed Report which shows the number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled …
U.S. Beef Exports Reach New Heights in 2018; Pork Hurt by Tariffs
USDA export numbers compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation show U.S. beef exports in 2018 topped both volume and value records that were set in 2017. Pork export volume came up just shy of the 2017 record and the value also fell one percent. Strong demand in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Asian region helped drive beef exports …
Growing Your Own Tomatillos
Cathy Isom gives you some great tips about growing your own tomatillos. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes, and do belong to the same nightshade family, but they’re slightly different plants. An unripe green tomato, for instance, isn’t the same thing as a tomatillo. Tomatillos don’t turn red and are covered in …
FFB President on Ag Commissioner Fried: ‘She’s the Real Deal’
Speaking with AgNet Media’s Gary Cooper last week at the state Capitol during Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) Days in Tallahassee, FFB President John Hoblick said he’s impressed with the passion and communicative capabilities that the state’s new agriculture commissioner brings to the job. Hoblick said he and others in Florida agriculture are growing with concern about the communications challenge to …