The USDA is working to bring more jobs to rural communities. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture this week announced an effort to help rural communities to address some of their immediate needs and foster long-term economic growth. USDA is providing loans and grants to help people living in rural and Tribal communities in …
USDA Offers Assistance to Help Organic Dairy Producers
Help for organic dairy producers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced assistance for dairy producers with the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The program helps dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic …
How Dry is it? Drought Monitor Shows Lack of Rainfall in Parts of Southeast
Florida’s dry conditions continue to persist throughout most of the state, according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. An extreme drought remains along the west coast of the state, starting as far north as Levy County and stretching as far south as Hillsborough and Manatee counties. A severe drought persists along the west coast as well, starting in …
SNAP Work Requirements in Farm Bill Discussions
As lawmakers continue early work on shaping the 2023 farm bill, one of the bill’s biggest programs continues to create a divide. Nutrition programs account for about 80 percent of the farm bill, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest food assistance program administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lawmakers on both sides of the …
Legislation Seeks to Increase USDA Technical Service Providers
Legislation introduced in the U.S. House and Senate last week seeks to help address America’s shortage of Technical Service Providers at the Department of Agriculture. Technical Service Providers help producers deploy and manage conservation programs through one-on-one assistance. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby recently projected his agency would need to hire between 3,000 and 4,000 employees …
Ag Economy Barometer: Farmer Sentiment Improves
Farmer sentiment improved modestly in April as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reversed a two-month decline, up six points to 123. The Current Conditions Index rose three points to 129, while the Index of Future Expectations rose seven points to 120. More producers expect prime interest rates to either hold steady or possibly decline during the next 12 …
Preparing For Another Interest Rate Hike
Wall Street is preparing for another interest rate hike from the Fed. Mark Oppold has more details. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Additional Assistance for Farm Loan Borrowers
There’s more assistance on the way for some farm loan borrowers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced, on May 1, 2023 (see below News Release), that nearly $130 million in additional, automatic financial assistance has been obligated for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial …
World Bank: Commodity Prices to Drop Through 2024
Look for a drop in commodity prices through next year. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Global commodity prices are expected to drop this year at the fastest clip since the beginning of COVID-19. A World Bank report says that clouds the prospective growth of approximately two-thirds of the developing economies that depend on exports. The Commodity Markets …
Grain Futures Seeing Lower Prices
As of late, the grain trade has been nothing to get excited about. Mark Oppold says it’s almost like this year’s crop is already in the bin. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024