bird flu

Moderna to Develop Human H5N1 Vaccine

A new human vaccine for bird flu is in the works. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Moderna will get $176 million in federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a human vaccine against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The grant follows outbreaks of the virus in dairy cattle throughout several states. The …

nflt

North Florida Land Trust Protecting the Natural Environment

Efforts have been underway for quite some time in the northern part of Florida to protect our irreplaceable natural environment. North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) was founded in 1999 and is a local land conservation 501(c)3 organization committed to protecting and preserving the natural landscape and ecosystems. Throughout NFLT’s 25-year history, it has remained focused on preserving the most ecologically, agriculturally, …

Clean Water Act

USDA-NRCS Investing in Wetlands Restoration

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced last month it will be investing up to $50 million in fiscal year 2024 through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP). WREP allows eligible conservation partners to work with local agriculture producers to protect, restore and enhance high-priority wetlands on agricultural lands.  Until August 16, 2024, NRCS will accept proposals for WREP that enables effective integration …

Tyler Harper

Traders Looking at Weather, Meat Sales

Last week was a slower week for most of the markets. But as Mark Oppold reports, this week grain traders will be looking at weather forecasts, while livestock traders will be checking meat sales from this past holiday weekend. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher …

food prices

Food Prices May Be Going Down

We may be seeing a little relief in grocery prices. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. USDA has lowered its food price forecast. Gary Crawford has more. 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 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers …

senators

USDA Expands Insurance Options for Specialty and Organic Growers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it is expanding crop insurance options for specialty and organic growers beginning with the 2025 crop year. The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options by allowing enterprise units by organic farming practice, adding enterprise unit eligibility for several crops, and making additional policy updates. This is the first of …

Specialty Crop

USDA Expands Funding Opportunities for Specialty Crop Growers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it is expanding funding opportunities for specialty crop growers. The Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program will now include both medium-size and small businesses. Eligible specialty crop growers can apply for assistance for expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification.  The program has also been expanded to include …

cherry harvest

Michigan Cherry Production Keeps National Totals Up

It’s cherry pie season, and Michigan is the nation’s top grower of tart cherries – the favorite pick for those pies. Nationally, the outlook for production this year is 222,000,000 pounds. Lance Honing of USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) says much of that is thanks to Michigan. “Out of those 222,000,000 pounds, they account for 182 million pounds of …

National Farm Security Action Plan

USDA Soil Science Proposals are Due July 8

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be investing $3 million in partnerships to promote and fund research that informs and improves soil surveys. So, the NRCS encourages institutions of higher education in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network to submit proposals by July 8, 2024.  NRCS Chief Terry Cosby said, “Congress recognized that states and other partners need soil …

senate

Storing a Lot of Corn on the Farm

Seeing corn prices below four dollars has really opened some eyes. Part of that is due to numbers recently released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Their quarterly Grain Stocks Report indicated on-farm stocks of corn, as of June 1, was up 37% from a year ago. USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says corn growers are storing a large …