USDA Grants to Improve Organic Market

USDA is working to help organic growers keep up with market demand. Consumer demand for domestic organic products is on the rise, said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Program Jenny Lester Moffitt as she highlighted the Organic Market Development Grant (OMDG) program. “It’s an opportunity for producers to be able to capture a price premium. It’s a market …

NPPC Pleased with USDA Purchase of Pork for Nutrition Programs

Using funds from its Commodity Credit Corporation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is purchasing an additional 33.5 million pounds of pork. The more than $78.6 million buy is for pork products for distribution to various food nutrition and assistance programs. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauded the USDA purchase and says the organization will continue working with the …

How USDA Supports U.S. Biomanufacturing Sector

The Agriculture Department supports development of our nation’s biomanufacturing sector. Rod Bain tells us how in today’s This Land of Ours report. Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land Of Ours program here. Sponsored ContentFL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application …

Vilsack Urges Toning Down Anti-China Rhetoric, Citing Farm Exports

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack suggests the U.S. needs to tone down its anti-China rhetoric or else billions in U.S. farm exports to China could be on the chopping block… From TikTok to China’s spy balloon to its hacking and aggression in the Pacific, U.S. officials and lawmakers have pushed back against Beijing for months. But Secretary Tom Vilsack said at …

Opening of River Navigation System

With various factors affecting the grain trade, Mark Oppold looks at what traders are watching, including barge traffic. Sponsored ContentFL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials through SharpShooter™June 16, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Resources To …

New Baseline Food and Agricultural Outlook Report

Farm commodity prices have tumbled from the peak levels they rose to during spring 2022, and new projections suggest that downward pressure on prices could continue throughout 2024 and beyond. The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri recently released its annual agricultural market baseline outlook (.pdf) The outlook provides projections for agricultural and biofuel …

UGA Cotton Agronomist: Dial Planter in Now Ahead of Planting Season

Planting season is just around the corner for Georgia cotton producers. The Georgia Cotton Commission and University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Cotton Team remind growers about the importance of using this time to ensure their planters are properly configured. It is especially important for growers who produce multiple row crops, says Camp Hand, University of Georgia Extension cotton agronomist. “Another …

GPC Celebrating National Peanut Month

The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) is using March, also known as National Peanut Month, as another way to celebrate and promote Georgia peanuts. Joy Crosby, assistant executive director of the GPC, highlighted some of the ways her organization has promoted one of the state’s top row crops. “We celebrated National Peanut Month by kicking off our annual PB&J Day at …

Researchers: Blue-Green Algae Can Protect Honey Bees

A new way to protect important pollinators. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed an edible antiviral treatment that can be used to protect honey bees against Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and other viruses. Honeybees are important agricultural pollinators. However, viruses, including DWV, are linked to the deaths of millions of …

Risk Management Tool for Specialty Crop Producers

The RMA is making it easier for specialty crop growers to find crop insurance agents. The Risk Management Agency says finding the right risk management tools for specialty crops and smaller-scale farmers can be daunting. RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger says the agency has developed a new searchable directory to make it easier for those producers to find the right agents. …