The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives applauded President Joe Biden’s Buy American executive order signed this week. The action supports manufacturers, businesses and workers to ensure that federal purchasing programs follow Buy American requirements. The order seeks to close loopholes in how domestic content is measured, create a new position at the Office of Management and Budget to oversee the …
Contract Poultry Growers Now Eligible for CFAP Funds
(ACES) — Changes to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) announced earlier this month is good news for Alabama’s contract poultry growers. “The USDA changes mean that relief funds are available to contract poultry and other contract growers affected by COVID-19 market changes,” said Dennis Brothers, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System agricultural economist. Brothers said contract poultry growers need to understand …
Growing the Future of Agriculture Through Give FFA Day
The National FFA Organization will again hold Give FFA Day. Through generous donations from FFA supporters in 2020, students and teachers across the country continued to make a difference. During National FFA Week, individuals will have an opportunity to step up and support FFA and agricultural education through Give FFA Day on Thursday, Feb. 25. The organization has a goal …
Meatpacking Workers Offered Bonuses to Get COVID-19 Vaccinations
JBS, a meatpacker, and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a chicken company, say they’ll pay $100 to American workers who voluntarily get the COVID-19 vaccine. Yahoo News Dot Com says thousands of U.S. meatpacking workers were infected last year, so the bonus will, hopefully, encourage employees to get the inoculations. COVID outbreaks temporarily halted most meat production in the spring of 2020, …
Biden Names Acting Federal Agency Leaders
(NAFB) — President Joe Biden designated acting leaders to federal agencies to oversee the government until his political appointments are confirmed upon taking office. Biden assigned Kevin Shea as the acting Agriculture Secretary. Shea will assume the duties until the Senate confirms Biden’s pick, Tom Vilsack, for the top post at USDA. Shea has been the administrator of USDA’s Animal …
Perdue: It Has Been a Privilege to Serve Farmers
(NAFB) — Former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, via Twitter this week, stated, “It has been a privilege to serve America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers the past four years.” The former head of the Department of Agriculture promised to continue to fight for U.S. agriculture. Perdue highlighted his visits to farms in all 50 states, saying, “I have learned that while …
Farmland Market and Prospects for 2021
One expert says farmland values managed to hold their ground in 2020, despite Covid-19. Gary Crawford has a story looking at what those values are expected to do in 2021. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Funding Crucial For Forage DevelopmentMay 22, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding to Enhance Brahman GeneticsMay 15, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Production ResearchMay 8, …
COVID-19 Impacts Mental Health on the Farm
A strong majority of farmers and farm-workers say the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their mental health, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) poll. The poll also indicates that more than half say they are personally experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago. The survey of rural adults and farmers/farmworkers reveals how the pandemic …
Interviews with Tom Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture
We told you recently that Tom Vilsack, former Secretary of Agriculture, is President Joe Biden’s pick to once again hold that position. And according to a story from Tyron Spearman, the interview process for that to happen is underway. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Funding Crucial For Forage DevelopmentMay 22, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding to Enhance Brahman GeneticsMay …
Florida Legislators Looking at State Finances Ahead of 2021 Session
(NSF) — A top Florida economist mentioned in a ????? article told lawmakers last week that financial problems could linger for a couple of years because of the resurging coronavirus pandemic. This comes as first-time unemployment claims tripled in the first full week of 2021. Amy Baker, the coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research, says that …