USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced they are now accepting Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) applications for the fiscal year 2021. Through CSP, NRCS helps agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for expanding conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land. CSP also encourages the adoption of new technologies and management techniques. Changes in the 2018 Farm Bill authorized NRCS to …
AFBF President Testifies Before House Agriculture Committee
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall provided testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Climate Change and the U.S. Agriculture and Forestry Sectors. Here is his written testimony: Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, my name is Zippy Duvall. I am a third-generation farmer and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and I am pleased to offer this …
Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance Expands Membership
Drills Down on Policy Recommendations (FACA) — The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) announced expanding membership and new policy working groups focused on developing a set of more specific policy proposals that drill down on the 40+ recommendations released by FACA in November 2020. FACA’s eight founding members — American Farm Bureau Federation (co-chair), Environmental Defense Fund (co-chair), FMI …
New Form Required for Some NRCS Customers
If you are a producer or landowner who participates in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs, you may receive information in the mail from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) about a form you’ll need to fill out. Starting this year, all producers and landowners participating or applying to participate in certain NRCS conservation programs must complete form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan. …
ACEP and Public-Private Partnership
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the final rule for its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The program enables agricultural producers and private landowners to protect farmlands, grasslands, and wetlands with conservation easements. Jimmy Bramblett, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), discusses the relationship between landowners and the federal government under ACEP. ACEP’s agricultural land easements (ALE) component assists state and local …
Wildflowers to Consider Planting in Your Garden for Pollinators
What you need to know about planting wildflowers in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The standard definition for “wildflower” is a type of flowering plant that grows without human intervention. Wildflowers such as daisies, poppies, marigolds, and cornflowers (aka bachelor’s buttons) are considered “common.” These flowers have been around for about 49 million years. As …
ESAP Applications are Due March 12
It was just a little over a year ago, at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced that Blackbeard’s Ranch in Myakka, Florida was the winner of the 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). They were the Southeast, NCBA Region 2, representative in the award recognition program that year. For those interested in being a part of this …
Why Probiotics Should Be Added to the Garden Soil
How and why probiotics should be added to your garden soil. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. We’ve all heard how using probiotics can help improve our overall gut health. But you may not know that probiotic gardening can improve your plant’s health! Probiotic gardening is all about nurturing your soil to encourage the highest quality minerals, nutrients, …
Florida Forever Funding Defended by Environmental Chief
(NSF) — State Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein on Wednesday defended Gov. Ron DeSantis for not asking to issue bonds for the Florida Forever Land Conservation Program, as the financing method has been proposed to cover Everglade’s work and a new program to fight rising sea levels. Valenstein told members of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations …
Florida NRCS to Hold State Technical Committee Meeting
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida will conduct a State Technical Committee meeting on March 3 by web conference. Chair of the event, Florida State Conservationist Juan Hernandez, says the meeting will have two distinctive portions. The committee is composed of individuals and groups from a variety of agricultural and natural resource interests, as well as farmers. And while the …