The agriculture secretary speaks to young ag leaders. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to students, agricultural educators, and guests at the opening session of the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo during Thursday’s opening session. He also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the organization formalizing a partnership to prepare more students …
Federal Urban Agriculture Committee to Meet this Month
You’re invited to the federal urban agriculture committee meeting. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Members of the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee will meet this month. This is the committee’s seventh meeting and is scheduled for November 29, 2023 at 1:00 PM. The 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create the committee to advise the …
El Niño, Winter Weather, and Impacts on Agriculture
How will the El Niño winter weather impact agriculture? Rod Bain tells us coming up on this land of ours. What might the El Niño climate pattern expected to dominate this winter’s weather in our country mean from an agricultural standpoint? USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey starts with Western water supplies for irrigation, where water storage was boosted by last winter’s …
Christmas Tree Cutting in National Forests
An easier way to legally get your Christmas tree from a national forest. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. For several years, the Forest Service has offered Christmas tree permit sales through local offices, but now it’s even easier. Christmas tree permits for those wishing to cut their tree in their local or favorite National Forest are now …
Trends in Agricultural Land Ownership
The latest trends in agriculture land ownership. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The landscape of land ownership has evolved over the past 25 years as a generational transfer of ownership takes place. A Farmers National Company report says a strong ag economy has driven the market higher for several years. Most landowners have seen steady increases in …
World Food Prize Laureate Celebrated
A non-profit organization leader received major recognition. Rod Bain has more coming up in today’s This Land of Ours report. From the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines Thursday evening, World Food Prize Foundation President Terry Bradstad and other dignitaries celebrated the awarding of what is dubbed the Nobel Prize of Agriculture to the 2023 laureate Heidi Kühn. “After …
Details of Household Food Security Report
A look at household food insecurity in the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) Wednesday issued its latest edition of its annual Household Food Security in the U.S. report, with findings of the amount of food insecurity in our country in 2022. More than 87 percent of US households were food secure …
Student Leaders Prepping for National FFA Convention
Students are gearing up for the National FFA Convention. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. FFA members and supporters from across the country will celebrate agriculture and agricultural education next week at the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. The time-honored tradition will take place November 1-4. Over 65,000 FFA members from the U.S., Puerto Rico, …
PPP Loans Provided Billions to U.S. Farm Sector in 2020
How much pandemic help did farmers get? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Researchers at USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) estimate that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided $5.8 billion to the farm sector in 2020. The PPP was a non-USDA assistance program for small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic. Total Federal Government payments to the farm …
Rural Cooperative Month
October is Rural Cooperative Month, but what are rural cooperatives? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. October is Rural Cooperative Month and a part of USDA Rural Development focuses on business cooperatives and their vital role in rural economies. Rural Business Cooperative Service Administrator Karama Neal provides various examples of rural business cooperatives and how they serve customers …