A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …
USDA Expands Partnerships for Conservation Through CREP
(WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2021)?— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is leveraging its authorities under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to bring in new types of partners and ultimately expand opportunities in voluntary conservation for the country’s agricultural producers and private landowners. USDA has updated CREP’s rule regarding matching fund requirements and invested in additional staff to work directly with partners for streamlined, partner-driven conservation …
Seven Alabama Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas by USDA
(WASHINGTON/USDA-FSA/Dec 14, 2021) — 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 farming operation …
USDA Releases 2020 Sheep Death Loss Report
The USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) has released the Sheep Death Loss 2020: Sheep and Lamb Predator and Non-predator Death Loss in the U.S. report. The study is a collaborative effort between USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service; USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services; and NAHMS. The iterations occur every five years along with NASS’s Sheep …
Florida NRCS CSP Signup Ends Friday
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida reminds agricultural producers and forest landowners to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) by Friday, December 10 to be considered for funding in the current cycle. CSP provides assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals, and related resources. It is for working lands, including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural …
USDA Opens 2022 Sign-up for Dairy Margin Coverage
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened sign-up for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program and notes they’ve expanded the program to allow dairy producers to better protect their operations by enrolling supplemental production. Supplemental DMC will help small and mid-sized dairy operations that have increased production over the years but were not able to enroll the additional production. …
USDA-NRCS Offers Continuous Signup
From time to time USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) holds batching signups for various programs. But, they want to remind producers and landowners that applications are accepted on a continuous basis for many of their programs. NRCS Chief Terry Cosby says that includes their popular Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). To learn more, contact your local USDA Service Center or go to the NRCS website. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares …
GCC, UGA Remind Growers About Annual Meeting in January
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) and University of Georgia (UGA) Cotton Team remind producers about the annual Georgia Cotton Commission meeting, scheduled for Jan. 26, 2022, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. Camp Hand, UGA Extension cotton agronomist, is excited to meet with the state’s producers, especially after the event was …
CSP Signup in Florida Ends Dec. 10
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants to remind agricultural producers and forest landowners they are accepting applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). But the deadline to apply to be considered for funding in the current cycle is December 10, 2021. CSP is for working lands, including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, non-industrial forestland as well as tribal lands. The program helps producers …
Signup Deadline Announced for RCPP in Alabama
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama has announced they are now accepting applications for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for the first batching date through January 3, 2022. In Alabama, the Nature Conservancy plans to reduce sedimentation, toxic pollution, nutrient runoff, and other stresses within several waterbodies in the Paint Rock, Big Canoe Creek, and Locust Fork watersheds. Implementing streambank restoration …