You only have about two more months to get in a proposal for the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership. Proposals are developed through a collaborative process between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Forest Service and local partners. Past partners have included county, state, non-governmental, Tribal, utilities or private individual stakeholders. NRCS and Forest Service national offices will evaluate the …
Benefits of Joining Cotton Trust Protocol
By Clint Thompson A new streamlined three-year grower enrollment for the 2022-24 cotton crops should allow for an easier and more efficient way for producers to enroll in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. That’s great news for organizations like the Georgia Cotton Commission who continue to encourage farmers to enroll in the program. Value of Enrolling Matt Coley, a cotton …
Peanut Production: Reminders Early in Season
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission and University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Peanut Team remind growers about the importance of promoting a proper plant stand now to avoid replanting later. UGA Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort discusses what producers should be mindful of now that most of the state’s crop has been planted. “I think we need to be …
Eight Georgia Counties Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
(WASHINGTON, DC/USDA FSA/June 3, 2022) — This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a …
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Confirmed in a Backyard Flock in Georgia
(ATLANTA/June 2, 2022) — The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) have confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial, backyard flock (non-poultry) located in Toombs County, Georgia. This is the first confirmation of HPAI in Georgia. Avian influenza does not pose a risk to the …
USDA Sends Out ERP Applications
Last week, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) mailed 303,000 pre-filled applications for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). It’s a new program designed to help agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms, and other qualifying natural disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021. This all stems from legislation that Congress passed, and President Biden signed into law. It’s known as the Extending Government Funding …
Vilsack Gives Details on Food Supply Chain Plans
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made an announcement Wednesday at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. on USDA’s framework for improving the food supply chain and transforming the food system. In a release, the secretary’s office said the address underscored “USDA’s commitment to increase competition, bolster access to healthy, affordable food, ensure growers and workers receive a greater share of the …
USDA to Gather Information about Adoption of Conservation Practices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they will be gathering information about the adoption of conservation practices across the Southeast. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is mailing the Conservation Practice Adoption Motivations Survey this week to nearly 2,700 farmers and ranchers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The new survey is a joint project between NASS and USDA’s Natural …
Southern Peanut Growers Conference Set for July 21-23
The Georgia Peanut Commission and fellow members of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation remind growers that registration is ongoing for the annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference, scheduled for July 21-23 at the Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida. The three-day event provides farmers from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi a chance to obtain timely information about peanut-related issues, …
Alabama Cattlemen Welcome Back Summer Grilling
Through various promotional efforts, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) is saying welcome back to summer grilling. Through the Beef Checkoff program, they are noting that beef’s versatility makes it the easy choice for consumer’s next get-together. From steaks to hamburgers, tacos to hotdogs, beef can create a spread that everyone will enjoy. Part of the summertime beef promotion is making …