COVID-19 shockwaves could create a round of trouble for the coffee industry, according to Purdue University. Starting in the 2011-12 growing season, a powdery orange fungus called coffee leaf rust spread throughout Latin America and Central America, damaging crops on 70 percent of farms and causing more than $3.2 billion in damage. Coffee crop management programs helped growers mitigate the …
Right to Farm Expansion Law in Florida Starts Thursday
Two months ago, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law an expansion of legal protections for farmers. And that bill will take effect July 1st, which is the start of the new state fiscal year. Passed by Florida lawmakers, SB88 expands the state’s “Right to Farm” law, which was initially approved in 1979. It helps shield farmers from what are known as …
USDA Signup for Covid-19 Assistance Program Ends Friday
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a couple of months ago the availability of more than $330 million to help agricultural producers and organizations in the food supply chain recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, and includes $169.9 million for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) …
Cyberattack Leads to Shutdown of JBS’s U.S. Beef Plants
A cyberattack on JBS SA, the largest meat producer globally, forced the shutdown of all nine of its U.S. beef plants, wiping out output from facilities that supply almost a quarter of American supplies. Bloomberg reports an official with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union noted JBS’s fed-beef and regional beef plants were forced to shutter, and all …
National FFA Organization Picks New CEO
The National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation have new leadership after picking Scott Stump as the new CEO of both organizations. Stump lives on a small ranch in Colorado with his wife, Denise, and their three children. He has a background in agricultural education, career and technical education, and the FFA. “It’s with great anticipation that I return …
An Ingenious Way to Maximize Your Potato Harvest
An ingenious way to maximize your potato harvest. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. One of the easiest ways to grow potatoes, when space is limited, is by using upcycled materials. Potato tire towers, is one example, which are made of used tires stacked on top of one another. The reason these work so well is that potato …
Farmers National: Interest in Farmland Selling to Increase
Land sales activity was flat the past few years, but that may soon change. The lower supply of farms for sale has been one of the factors that supported land values after the 2013 peak in prices paid for ag land. But Farmers National Company reports seeing indications for increased land sale activity through to the end of 2021. Farmers …
Vilsack: No Plans to Take Land to Meet Climate Goals
We told you last week that the Biden Administration’s goal to conserve at least 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030, commonly known as “30X30,” was raising a few questions. As a matter of fact, there have been rumors they are planning to take land away from people and discourage consumers from eating beef to help fight climate change. …
Overgrown Mint
What to do when your mint plants have taken over the garden. Cathy Isom explains on today’s This Land of Ours. While there are a number of uses for mint plants, invasive varieties, can quickly take over the garden. Other than placing barriers deep in the ground to prevent their runners from spreading, growing mint in containers is probably the best …
Kids’ Gardening Projects
Today, Cathy Isom passes along information about gardening projects that kids will love. If you want to get the kids involved in gardening there are a ton of projects they can do and will love. One example, is taking that old plastic turtle shaped sandbox and repurposing it into a kid-friendly garden bed. Plant things that kids will love to …