The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to supporting a diverse set of farmers, ranchers and forest owners through climate solutions that increase resilience, expand market opportunities and strengthen rural America. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity provides up to $1 billion for pilot projects that create market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices. Tyron Spearman has more details. …
USDA Encourages Producers to Enroll Grasslands into Working Land Conservation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging producers and landowners to enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Signup ends May 13, 2022.? Grassland CRP, a part of the CRP program, provides a unique opportunity to keep land in agricultural production and supplement your income while improving their soils and permanent grass cover.?? The program had its highest enrollment in history in …
Deadline Nearing to Apply for EQIP Urban Agricultural Initiative in Florida
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind Florida urban agricultural producers the deadline to apply for Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production (UAIP) projects under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is May 13th. This program offers producers technical and financial assistance to address resource concerns on their land. Approximately $500,000 in funding will be available to Florida participants through a …
USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Funding Opportunity Deadlines Approaching in Georgia
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia wants to remind partners the deadline to apply for the first round of funding through the new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities is Friday, May 6. This funding pool includes large-scale proposals from $5 million to $100 million that emphasize the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and include direct, meaningful benefits to a representative …
Deadline Nearing to Apply for EQIP Urban Agricultural Initiative in Alabama
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama wants to remind urban agricultural producers that the application deadline for Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production (UAIP) projects under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is May 11th. This program offers producers technical and financial assistance to address resource concerns on their land. Alabama NRCS is offering financial assistance to assist urban growers in areas …
Vilsack on Losing CRP Acres
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that they are accepting just over two million acres in offers from agricultural producers and landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup. But, as Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack explains, more land is leaving the CRP than is going in. Offers for new land into General CRP were considerably lower than last year’s numbers, with …
Farmers Embracing Sustainable Practices
Farmers are embracing sustainable farming practices. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. People today are interested in their investments as it relates to environmental, social, and governance issues, including sustainability. Farmland Partners CEO, Paul Pittman, says investing in farmland, with consideration of those issues, is a natural fit. “The track record of American farmers and American agriculture generally …
USDA Accepts 2 Million Acres in Offers Through Conservation Reserve Program General Signup
(WASHINGTON, May 3, 2022) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 2 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup, the first of the program’s multiple signups occurring in 2022. With about 3.4 million acres expiring this year, Vilsack encourages producers and landowners …
Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Emissions Falling
Agriculture gets good marks when it comes to lowering greenhouse gasses. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are declining and fell more than four percent from 2019 to 2020. That’s according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The most recent Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks shows agriculture continues to represent …
American Farmers are Dropping Greenhouse Gas Emissions
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions fell over four percent from 2019 to 2020. The recent Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks shows ag represents only 10 percent of total U.S. emissions, much lower than other economic sectors. Farm Bureau economists analyzed the EPA data and found that total agricultural emissions in …