The USDA is working to bring more jobs to rural communities. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture this week announced an effort to help rural communities to address some of their immediate needs and foster long-term economic growth. USDA is providing loans and grants to help people living in rural and Tribal communities in …
USDA Offers Assistance to Help Organic Dairy Producers
Help for organic dairy producers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced assistance for dairy producers with the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The program helps dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic …
Bill Incentivizes Use of Cover Crops
A new bill would give farmers more incentive to use cover crops. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and several state representatives introduced bipartisan legislation to incentivize farmers to plant cover crops to help boost environmental conservation. The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act would provide farmers who plant cover crops …
Mango Industry Seeing Unprecedented Growth
Big growth in the mango industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The mango industry is having record volume of high-quality fruit arriving in the U.S. this year. Mango volume for the past three weeks has topped the charts at 4.4M, 5.1M and 4.6M boxes per week. The National Mango Board has engaged its growers, importers, and retailers …
Food Spending Decreased Unevenly Across States in 2020
Trends in food spending across the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States disrupted the food industry in 2020, according to fresh data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Inflation-adjusted total U.S. food expenditures were 6.6 percent lower in 2020 than in 2019. However, individual states experienced varying degrees of food …
Socially Disadvantaged Farms Concentrated in South and West
Some areas of the nation are more likely than others to have socially disadvantaged farms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers tend to be more concentrated in southern and western regions of the country. USDA defines socially disadvantaged farmers as those belonging to groups subject …
Rodale Institute Applauds USDA Investments in Organic Farmers
The USDA gets a pat on the back for its investments in organic farming. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding opportunities for organic farmers, a welcome investment, according to the Rodale Institute. USDA announced the expanded opportunities last week. Through the newly-established Organic Market Development Grant Program (OMDGP), USDA’s Agricultural Marketing …
More Elected Officials Concerned About Lack of AM Radio in New Cars
Concern about the lack of AM radio in new vehicles continues to grow. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Representatives Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey sent a bipartisan letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the future of AM radio in new vehicles. They expressed concerns over automakers’ decision to drop …
Apples and Oranges Top U. S. Fruit Choices
These are the top fruit choices in the United States. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Apples held the top spot for total fruit available for consumption in 2021 at more than 26 pounds per person after adjusting for losses. USDA’s Economic Research Service’s (ERS) loss-adjusted food availability data adjusts the data for food spoilage, plate waste, and …
EIA Expects Less Electricity Demand this Summer
You may use less electricity this summer, but that’s not necessarily completely good news. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects a slightly cooler summer in 2023 will lead to less demand for air conditioning than in 2022. The result will slightly reduce overall electricity demand this summer because of the installation …