(ADAI) — Commissioner Rick Pate is encouraged by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue’s recent announcement awarding $800 million in a disaster aid block grant for agricultural producers in various southern states. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has worked with USDA leadership for the past four months on a disaster aid block grant program, specifically for producers impacted by …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Announces USDA Disaster Relief for Florida
(FDACS) — Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated $380.7 million in federal block grant funding for Florida farmers devastated by Hurricane Michael, including direct relief for timber producers. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will administer the USDA block grants alongside the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Through consistent engagement with USDA officials, Florida …
Why Fall is the Best Time to Plant Trees
We all know the importance trees play to our planet. Cathy Isom lets us know why now is the time to get out and plant some trees. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Though it seems counter-intuitive to plant a young tree just before the seemingly harshest season, the reality is that winter is not the harshest season …
NRCS Program Helping to Build Healthy Forests
Since the 2018 Farm Bill was enacted back in December, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been working to implement programs that offer strong support for conservation efforts of America’s farmers and ranchers. One of those programs is the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). It helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private and tribal lands through easements and …
Sign Up Ends October 15 for HFRP in Florida
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants to remind landowners that the sign up period for the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) ends next Tuesday, October 15. It is a Farm Bill program that purchases conservation and provides cost share funding for conservation management. This program is for landowners with property within the O2O Corridor in the Florida counties of Columbia, …
Scientists Release First Map of Areas Suitable for Spotted Lanternfly Establishment in U.S. and World
WAPATO, WASHINGTON (USDA/ARS-October 3, 2019) — A map identifying the areas suitable for establishment of the spotted lanternfly (SLF) in the United States and other countries has been published in the Journal of Economic Entomology by Agricultural Research Service scientists. Areas in the United States that have been identified as possible spotted lanternfly habitat. The SLF, originally from China, has spread to Korea …
Signup Underway for Healthy Forests Reserve Program in Florida
The sign up period for the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) is open for applications through Oct. 15 for certain counties in Florida. Administered by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), HFRP is a farm bill program that helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources through the purchase of conservation easements and financial assistance for management activities. …
NRCS Providing Reforestation Support After Hurricanes
When Hurricane Michael moved through the central Panhandle of Florida, southeastern Alabama, and southwest and central Georgia last year, many acres of forestland were destroyed. Some landowners had timber that was close to being harvested — something a few of them were counting on for their retirement. But now they face the prospect of cleaning up the debris and replanting …
USDA Resources Available for Farmers Hurt by 2018, 2019 Disasters
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL (ACES-September 18, 2019) — Farmers and producers in 25 Alabama counties affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019 can apply for assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) beginning Sept. 11. “Alabama agriculture has taken some body blows over the last two years from extreme weather,” said Jessica …
Three Alabama Counties Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available WASHINGTON (USDA/FSA-Sept. 10, 2019) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated three Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Dale, Geneva, and Henry counties who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. This natural disaster …