How the USDA is helping small farms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Testifying before the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack listed several ways the USDA is helping small and mid-sized farms. “Climate Amart Agriculture Commodity initiative helping smaller-sized producers get a value-added proposition. Having farmers qualify for ecosystem service markets and when they do …
Over $4.5M Approved for Florida Farmers Impacted by Hurricane Idalia
(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Feb 13, 2024) — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced that more than $4.5 million has been approved for farmers impacted by Hurricane Idalia through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program and the Silviculture Recovery Program. Launched less than one month ago, the two agricultural recovery programs aim to help Florida …
Farmers Can Now Pay Farm Loans Online
An easier way to make your farm loan payments. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Farm loan borrowers will be able to make payments to their direct loans online. It’s through the new Pay My Loan feature on farmers.gov that goes live in early February. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline …
Ag Industry Watching D.C. Budget Battle
Even as Congressional leaders announced a deal on some appropriations for fiscal year 2024 on Sunday, Jan. 7, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane said the industry is watching D.C. “All of agriculture is watching the debate over government funding playing out on Capitol Hill at the moment. That first tranche of the Continuing …
December 31 Deadline for USDA Loan Assistance Applications
The deadline is fast approaching for farmers who have done everything they can and simply remain behind on their loans and want some help. The Inflation Reduction Act provided $3.1 billion for USDA to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct and guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations are at …
Food Insecurity in U.S. Households with Older Adults
More older adults are facing food insecurity. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. In 2022, 9.1 percent of U.S. households with adults aged 65 and older were food insecure at some time during the year. The prevalence of food insecurity in households with adults aged 65 and older in 2022 was statistically significantly higher than the 7.1 percent …
Lawmakers Discuss Pesticide Regulations
The issue of pesticide regulation came up a few times during the House Agriculture Committee Member Day Hearing last week. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA) was the first to give comments at the hearing and the first to broach the subject. He said state pesticide regulations need to fall in line with federal controls. “The ability to produce abundant feed, food, …
USDA Now Accepting Applications for Farm Loans Online
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched an online application for Direct Loan customers. More than 26,000 customers who submit a Direct Loan application each year can now use an online, interactive, guided application that is paperless. The online application also provides helpful features, including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, …
USDA Expands Drought Recovery Assistance to Livestock Producers in Additional Georgia Counties
The USDA Farm Service Agency in Georgia (FSA-GA) is now accepting applications in four additional eligible counties for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) to provide financial assistance to eligible livestock producers for 2023 grazing losses due to a qualifying drought. This expands upon a previous announcement of eligibility for twenty Georgia counties. The deadline to apply for LFP assistance is January …
Groups Express Concern About Disaster Relief Changes
The National Corn Growers and 16 state-affiliated associations joined more than 140 allied national, regional, and state commodity organizations opposing changes to USDA disaster relief. The groups sent a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack relaying their concerns with the design of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022. While the group showed appreciation for the allocation of $3.74 billion …