(NCGA) — Combating the myths that exist about the use of gasoline blended with 10-percent ethanol has been the primary goal of the partnership between Crappie Masters, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). The Crappie Masters National Tournament Trail kicked-off over the weekend with a two-day national qualifier at St. Johns River in Deland, Fla., …
Adaptation matters – Indiangrass selections for the Deep South
(USDA/NRCS) — Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a native, warm-season perennial grass that occurs across most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. It is commonly found in several ecosystems, including tallgrass prairie, savannahs, and as an understory component in southeastern pine forests across the South. In pine forests, it provides nesting habitat for game birds and songbirds, cover and …
Tyson Agrees to Price-Fixing Settlement
(NAFB) — Tyson Foods this week agreed to $221.5 million to settle claims related to price-fixing lawsuits. The settlements are with three consumer and commercial purchasing groups who bought chickens directly from Tyson and require a federal judge’s approval. Tyson did not admit liability in agreeing to settle and said the payments will be reflected in its first-quarter financial statements, …
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 …
AFBF’s USDA-NASS Working Group Report
(AFBF) — To help rebuild farmers’ trust in USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, a farmer-led working group put together by the American Farm Bureau has developed a series of recommendations for the agency. The recommendations focus on technology improvements and better communication from the agency, but the validity of the agency’s reports hinges on farmers’ full participation in NASS’ data …
Biden Administration Announces Foreclosure Moratorium / Mortgage Forbearance Deadline Extension
USDA Extends Evictions and Foreclosure Moratorium to March 31, 2021, and Provides Additional Guidance for Servicing Loans Impacted by COVID-19 (USDA/RD) — In one of his first acts in office, President Joe Biden requested federal agencies to extend eviction and foreclosure moratoriums for millions of Americans. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an extension of eviction and foreclosure …
USDA Announces Key Staff Appointments
(USDA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C. Katharine Ferguson was named Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary. Most recently, Ferguson served as Associate Director of the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group. Before joining the Aspen Institute, Ferguson served in the Obama Administration …
USDA Offers New Forest Management Incentive for CRP
(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making available $12 million for use in making payments to forest landowners with land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in exchange for their implementing healthy forest management practices. Existing CRP participants can now sign up for the Forest Management Incentive (FMI), which provides financial incentives to landowners with land …
U. S. Researchers to Host Webinar about COVID-19 Disruptions to Food Supply Chains
(UF/IFAS) — A multi-region, multi-institution research and outreach team investigating the impact of COVID-19 on food and agricultural systems will host a free webinar those engaged in the food supply chain at any level at 2 p.m. EST January 28, 2021. Participants interested in the webinar can register at https://tinyurl.com/lessonsfromcovid-webinar. This hour-long webinar is part of the Lessons from COVID-19: …
Secretary Perdue Comments on MOU on Animal Biotechnology
(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assistant Secretary for Health and Head of the Public Health Service Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., establishing a regulatory environment at the Department of Agriculture for agricultural animal biotechnology innovation: “Today’s Memorandum of Understanding clears a path to bring our regulatory framework into …