(USDA/RD) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the official launch of the AskUSDA Contact Center program. The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat, and web inquires, transforming how the public interacts with USDA and providing an enhanced experience for the public. Prior to the creation and implementation of AskUSDA, members of …
Farm & Biofuel Leaders Urge Courts to Hold EPA Accountable
(RFA) — A coalition of the nation’s largest biofuels and agricultural trade groups filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia asking the court to enforce its 2017 decision requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address its improper waiver of 500 million gallons of biofuel demand in the 2016 renewable volume obligation (RVO). The coalition, which includes the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National …
Pruning Principles for High-Quality Citrus
Planting citrus varieties for fresh market production has increased in popularity. With these potentially high-value crops come concerns about management practices, including pruning. Recently, Fernando Alferez informed growers in a virtual presentation about manual pruning principles. Alferez is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus horticulturist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. According to Alferez, pruning …
Report Suggests Tighter Cattle Supplies
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their November Cattle on Feed Report Friday, and it shows the number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 12.0 million head on November 1, 2020. That is 1 percent above November 1, 2019. And according to a story from …
Compound from Soil Bacterium Gets Reboot as Antibiotics Super Booster
(USDA/ARS) — USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators continue garnering success in their tests of a compound that could bolster the potency of beta-lactam antibiotics, potentially reducing the dosages required and helping stave off resistance in the germs they’re meant to kill. According to Neil Price, a chemist with the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research …
FFA Members Across the Country Give Back to Their Communities This Fall
(National FFA Organization) — Thanksgiving might look a little different this year—not as many large family gatherings, not as many in-person Black Friday sales—but FFA members around the country are working together to ensure their communities still have the food they need. FFA members at the Lawrence Free State High School FFA in Kansas worked on gleaning from local gardens …
U.S. Pork Producers ‘Give-a-Ham’
(NPPC) — The National Pork Producers Council launched the “Give-a-Ham” challenge, a national social media campaign encouraging hog farmers and those involved in the industry to donate pork to organizations serving the food insecure, and challenging others to follow suit. The “Give-a-Ham” challenge begins today and runs through the end of the year. “With so many Americans struggling with COVID-related …
Remedy to EU Grapefruit Tariffs Sought
The European Union (EU) recently imposed approximately $4 billion in tariffs on U.S. grapefruit and other agricultural products. The tariffs, authorized by the World Trade Organization, are punishment for U.S. subsidies for the Boeing Company. “Once again U.S. agriculture is caught in the crossfire of a dispute that is not of our making and we are used as leverage in …
Growing Kumquats, a Popular and Beautiful Mini Fruit
How to grow a popular and beautiful mini fruit. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Kumquats are tiny tasty fruits that look like mini oranges. The flesh is a little sour, while the skin is sweet, giving them a unique flavor. Growing these lovely, grape-sized fruits is relatively easy. They’re a good tree for beginning gardeners. They’re self-pollinating so …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 11-20-2020
**This report will not be issued next week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday** Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended November 20, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the Week ended November 20, 2020, receipts at …