Application deadline for financial assistance is Nov. 20 (USDA/NRCS Florida) — Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until Nov. 20 for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2021 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year. Through EQIP, …
Florida Closes on ‘Once in a Generation’ Land Deal
Wednesday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced closing on a long-sought 17,088-acre tract in Franklin and Wakulla counties that includes a restrictive easement for the U.S. Air Force. According to the News Service of Florida, the $43 million deal with Ochlockonee Timberlands, a subsidiary of AgReserves, Inc., for the property was approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet …
Nobel Prize Serves Notice: The U.S. is Falling Behind in Race to Adopt Key Technology for Farming
(NPPC) — For more than two years, by claiming regulatory jurisdiction over gene edited livestock, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stalled the development of an emerging technology with tremendous promise for livestock agriculture, including improved animal care, production efficiency and environmental impact. The scientists who invented one of the most promising forms of this technology – the …
Florida FWC Puts Hold on Oyster Harvesting Decision
(NSF) – Looking to address additional concerns from area residents, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission delayed a vote Wednesday on finalizing a suspension of wild-oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay for five years. Commission Executive Director Eric Sutton said some people in the Northwest Florida area have had late concerns and “we’d like to take some more time to shore …
USDA Preparing New Round of Crop Production, Demand Forecasts
Hurricane Sally had a real effect on certain crops in parts of South Alabama and Northwest Florida. According to a story from Gary Crawford, by the end of this week we will have a much better idea of the production and marketing prospects for the crops now being harvested. USDA’s Crop Production Report and Supply/Demand Report will be released this …
USDA Seeks New Partnerships to Safeguard, Restore Wetland Ecosystems
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced up to $30 million is available in technical and financial assistance through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP) to help conservation partners protect and restore critical wetlands on agricultural lands. “This partnership enhances the locally driven process to better address critical wetland functions that progress beyond localities,” said Kevin Norton, acting Chief …
USDA Funding Conservation Innovation in Florida
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced last week it is awarding $25 million in grants designed to help partners implement and evaluate innovative conservation practices that have demonstrated benefits on farmland. The funding, provided through On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials), is a component of the Conservation Innovation Grants program first authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. Fourteen projects …
Water War Arguments to be Held ‘In Due Course’
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday indicated it will hear oral arguments in the long-running water battle between Florida and Georgia but did not specify when. The court issued an order that said the dispute is “set for oral argument in due course.” The case involves divvying up water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, which stretches from northern Georgia to …
USDA Releases Quarterly Grain Stocks Report
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released its Quarterly Grain Stocks report, which indicates old crop corn stocks on hand as of Sept. 1, 2020, totaled 2.0 billion bushels, down 10% from 2019. Old crop soybeans stored in all positions were down 42%, and all wheat stocks were down 8% from a year earlier. Total corn stocks stored on …
New Feature Allows Entities to Conduct Online Business with USDA
An update to farmers.gov now provides access to farmers and ranchers who are members of an entity, as well as individuals and entities with powers of attorney to conduct online business with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additionally, online services once available through NRCS’s Conservation Client Gateway (CCG) will be moved to farmers.gov in the coming weeks. “Here at …