Last year was a record setting year for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). When it comes to conservation work, some 2.8 billion dollars was spent on various projects across the country. That was NRCS Chief, Terry Cosby, who says these farm conservation projects can help fight climate change. For fiscal year 2024, NRCS has $3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funds …
USDA to Train Future Conservation and Climate Leaders
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a new effort to train the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. As part of the American Climate Corps (ACC) initiative, the Working Lands Climate Corps (WLCC) will provide technical training and career pathway opportunities for young people, helping them deliver economic benefits through climate-smart agriculture solutions for farmers and ranchers across the …
USDA’s Working Lands Climate Corps
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched the Working Lands Climate Corps (WLCC), an initiative designed to train the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. Xochitl Torres Small, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, revealed the program at the National Association of Conservation Districts’ (NACD) yearly gathering in San Diego. According to Will McIntee, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement at …
Changing Climate Means More Pests for Almonds, Peaches, Walnuts
How a changing climate could mean more pests for some tree crops. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Department of Agriculture research shows climate change may increase the insect population that poses a threat to the specialty crops industry. Led by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the University of California, the research shows populations …
U.S Agriculture “Flips the Script” at U.N. Climate Meeting
U.S. Agriculture’s climate change mitigation efforts were showcased at COP28. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. At last year’s UN climate conference, COP 27, US agriculture, was in some cases on the defensive about its work on climate change. But in this year’s conference- “We flipped the script for American agriculture,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, said on the …
“True Cost” of Food Discussed at COP28
True cost accounting takes into consideration every possible expense involved in an activity. In the case of agriculture, two recent true cost accounting reports show there are many hidden costs in the food supply around the world. They were a topic of discussion at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, this week in Dubai. Sara Farley, Vice President of the …
EQIP Signup Reminder in Georgia
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia (NRCS-GA) wants to remind agricultural and forest producers in the state that signup for Fiscal Year 2024 statewide federal assistance opportunities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) runs until Friday, November 17, 2023. This application ranking date announcement is for all general EQIP, special initiatives, as well as the IRA-funded Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry mitigation activities that address grazing, forestry, …
Injecting Carbon into National Forests and Grasslands
A proposed forest service change could lead to more carbon storage. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The U.S. Forest Service proposed a change in regulations that would allow it to consider requests to inject carbon dioxide beneath the 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. Currently, the Forest Service is barred from authorizing “exclusive and perpetual …
Webinar: Expansion of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities and other FY24 Conservation Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a public webinar Wednesday, October 25 at 2 pm eastern that will cover the newly expanded list of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation activities available for Inflation Reduction Act funding. This is all through conservation programs offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The webinar will also cover available Inflation Reduction Act and …
USDA Sees Record Interest in Conservation and Clean Energy Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has seen record interest in the conservation and clean energy programs that received funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA made nearly $20 billion available over five years for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to address continuous high demand for popular conservation programs. This will help farmers and ranchers implement expanded conservation practices …