The Conservation Reserve Program got renewed attention at a recent confirmation hearing for nominees for top Department of Agriculture posts. Lawmakers focused on both acreage enrollment and emergency CRP haying and grazing. CRP has always been popular, but low crop prices and continuing droughts and other disasters are spurring renewed interest in the land conservation program. South Dakota Ag Senator …
As Lake Okeechobee Levels Rise, So Do Community Concerns
It’s only been a few weeks since Hurricane Irma battered our farms and farming communities. EAA farmers have been working overtime to make sure our farms and farming communities south of Lake Okeechobee have the resources they need to get back on their feet. We’ve delivered more than 10,000 meals to local residents in need and our farms have donated thousands …
USDA Invests in 48 Projects in Local Watersheds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to invest in 48 new, multi-year projects that aim to build vital infrastructure while conserving natural resources in 20 states or territories through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with local groups to help prevent floods, protect watersheds, improve agricultural water management and enhance wildlife habitat through …
USDA Issues Farm Safety Net and Conservation Payments
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that over $9.6 billion in payments will be made, beginning this week, to producers through the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Conservation Reserve (CRP) programs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing approximately $8 billion in payments under the ARC and PLC programs for the 2016 crop year, and …
Senator Seeks $100 Million for Florida Forever
At least $100 million a year would be set aside for Florida Forever, the state’s most prominent land-preservation fund, under a measure filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island. Bradley’s proposal (SB 370) would annually designate a portion of the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund for the Florida Forever program, which in the past received as much as $300 million …
Methods for Building Fertile Soil
Cathy Isom tells us some of the best ways to build fertile soil for your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Your garden cannot thrive unless you have healthy, nutrient-rich soil for your plantings. There are many ways of building a fertile soil without the use of chemical fertilizers. First, always choose nitrogen-fixing plants …
Soybean Growers Want Dicamba Damage Answers
The American Soybean Association is demanding more answers regarding dicamba drift damage. ASA President Ron Moore this week addressed dicamba drift in a statement. Moore says the issue “isn’t going away,” and is “only getting worse.” The Association says it is supporting research at land grant universities to find answers. Moore says the independent research is needed, as well as …
NMPF Supports Effort to Bring Clarity to EPA’s Waters of the U.S. Regulation
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today that the dairy industry supports a two-step process to roll back the existing Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) regulation and generate a new policy that provides farmers greater certainty in the future. NMPF has supported efforts by the Trump Administration since January to restart the regulatory …
EPA Mulling Options on Dicamba
The Environmental Protection Agency aims to allow farmers to use dicamba next year, but with additional rules in place. An EPA official in the agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs told Reuters this week the agency had not yet determined what steps it would take to mitigate problems associated with dicamba. The herbicide was linked to widespread crop damage this summer. …
Lake Okeechobee Rise Spurs More Water Releases
Water started to be released southwest from Lake Okeechobee on Tuesday morning, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seeks to stem a post-hurricane rise in the lake’s water level. The Army Corps had resumed flows from the lake east toward the St. Lucie Estuary on Friday but held off on western releases because of flooding from Hurricane Irma that …