Looking at agricultural events on the calendar, Tyron Spearman reports while one has been canceled, another one will be held later this week, virtually. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or …
Family-Owned Farms Account for 96% of U.S. Farms
Family farms comprise 96% of all U.S. farms and 82% of the value of all agricultural products sold. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the data in the 2017 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report. The report focuses on the family farm, defined as any farm where the majority of the business is owned …
Farmer Co-ops Applaud White House Call to Buy American
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 ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers …
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 …