$38.8 million approved for wetland conservation projects; $7.8 million to conserve 2,629 acres on national wildlife refuges and open thousands of additional acres to public hunting The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, chaired by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, approved $17.8 million in grants for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to conserve or restore more …
Commissioner Putnam Urges Department of Commerce to Investigate Mexico’s Unfair Trade Practices
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross emphasizing the need for fair trade, as Mexican imports have negatively affected Florida agriculture. He asked the Department of Commerce to initiate an investigation into Mexico’s unfair trade practices. “I believe that Florida produces the highest quality agricultural commodities in the world and …
Productivity Growth and the Revival of Russian Agriculture
by Nicholas Rada, William Liefert, and Olga Liefert, USDA Economic Research Service What Is the Issue? Russia’s agricultural output fell during the country’s transition from a planned to a market economy in the early 1990s but has rebounded strongly since the late 1990s. The production increase contributed to Russia reducing its large imports of meat and other livestock products and …
USDA Seeks Nominees for Christmas Tree Promotion Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the Christmas Tree Promotion Board to fill six seats for members and an importer whose terms expire on Dec. 31, 2017. The 12-member board is composed of 11 producer members from three regions and one importer. Five producer members are from the Western region, four are from the Eastern region …
Beef Checkoff Investing in Promotions around the World
Efforts continue on a daily basis to promote U.S. beef around the world. And in this week’s “Getting to know your beef checkoff” brought to you by your beef checkoff, we hear from President and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), Phil Seng. As a contractor for the checkoff, Seng says those dollars are very important in USMEF’s …
Funding to Support the Agricultural Sciences
$1 Million to Support Agricultural Science Education for Insular Areas The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $1 million in available funding for projects to strengthen food and agricultural science education in insular areas of the United States. Funding is made through two NIFA programs, the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher …
Renewal Options Available for Expiring CSP Contracts
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners with existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts, the renewal sign-up deadline is coming up May 5. NRCS Acting Chief, Leonard Jordan, says participants with existing CSP contracts that expire on December 31 can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an option to renew their contracts for an …
Secretary Perdue Will Be a Champion for Agricultural Trade
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Philip Seng says new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has shown excellent knowledge of agricultural trade issues, and an outstanding commitment to promoting U.S. agricultural products worldwide. Joe Schuele has more on that story. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle …
Ag and Rural Prosperity in America Executive Order
An Executive Order by President Trump has established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. New Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will serve as the task force’s chairman. And in his first day on the job, Rod Bain reports Perdue took part in a Presidential farmer’s roundtable. Fourteen farmers from across the country met with President Trump and Agriculture …
Help a Horse Day
Cathy Isom tells us about a celebration to raise awareness about a majestic, loving animal. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Wednesday, April 26th is National Help a Horse Day. It was founded by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA. The objective: to spread awareness about at-risk horses who may have been …