I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. We begin today with a question. What state is referred to as the grass seed capital of the world? That would be Oregon. Oregon leads the nation in hazelnut and grass seed production. Its agriculture is quite diverse from even other states along the west coast. Oregon is consistently a top …
USDA to Measure Financial Well-Being of Farmers and Ranchers
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend the next few months gathering information about land ownership income, expense, debt, asset, demographic and other landlord characteristics to provide detailed information from agricultural landowners. The Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey will ask producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics. “TOTAL will …
Richard Fordyce Appointed Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation
Richard Fordyce has been appointed as the Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, marking his return to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fordyce, a Missouri farmer, previously served in the Trump administration as the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency. His new role will oversee key agencies that directly serve farmers and ranchers, including the Farm Service Agency (FSA), …
Foreign Ownership of U.S. Ag Land Increases Between 2022-2023
The latest report on foreign ownership of U.S. ag land shows that 45.85 million acres of U.S. farmland were held by foreign investors in 2023. That represents 3.61 percent of total privately-held agricultural land in the U.S. This marks a 1.58-million-acre, or 3.6 percent, increase from 2022 and a five-million-acre (12.2 percent) rise since the American Farm Bureau’s last analysis …
Beagle Brigade Secures the Nation’s Agricultural Gateways
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beagle Brigade continues to play a pivotal role in safeguarding the country’s farms and crops from invasive pests. Deployed at major airports, border crossings, and postal facilities, these highly trained detection dogs work in tandem with their human handlers to pinpoint unauthorized fruits, vegetables, and meat items that could harbor harmful organisms. Beagles are chosen …
Optimistic about Potential New Agriculture Secretary
With the new administration set to take over on Monday, there are some in the ag industry who are very optimistic about the potential new Agriculture Secretary. Rusty Halvorson has more details. As he prepares to move back into the White House, President-elect Donald Trump did nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his Secretary of Agriculture. National …
Enrollment Opened for 2025 Farm and Dairy Safety-Net Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the enrollment periods for its 2025 safety-net programs aimed at supporting American farmers and dairy producers. These programs, including the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), are designed to provide financial protection against market fluctuations and other agricultural risks. Enrollment Periods: Program Details: How to …
Craig Denounces Proposed Cuts to Farm Bill Programs
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig released a statement criticizing a new Republican proposal she says would reduce funding for essential farm bill programs in order to pay for tax cuts. According to Craig, the proposed plan includes cuts to nutrition assistance, conservation efforts, and rural energy investments. Craig points to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a …
American Agriculture History Minute: Ohio State University Founded
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as a land-grant university under the Morrill Act of 1862. And the name Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. Initially it was thought one of Ohio’s two existing universities. Ohio University and Miami University, would be designated as the land-grant institution. And each, in fact, …
Georgia Peanut Farm Show is Thursday
Southeast peanut growers are invited to attend the Georgia Peanut Farm Show taking place this Thursday, January 16th in Tifton, Georgia. As Tyron Spearman reports, the 48th annual show and conference will be held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, …