(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 …
USDA Awards $5 Million to Support Wetland Mitigation Banking
WASHINGTON, September 28, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today it will award $5 million for eight new wetland mitigation banking projects through the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program. This program helps conservation partners develop or establish mitigation banks to help agricultural producers maintain eligibility for USDA programs. “These wetlands will provide agriculture producers an affordable mitigation option …
Continuous Signup for NRCS Programs
From time to time we talk about signup deadlines for various programs through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). But NRCS wants to remind producers all of the programs it offers do have continuous signup. NRCS Acting Chief, Kevin Norton, wants you to know that includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). NRCS offers a …
Deadline Nearing to Update PLC Program Yields
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind farm owners the deadline to update yields that are on file for the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program is Sept. 30. This deadline is to update yields that are used to calculate the PLC payments for 2020 through 2023. Plus, producers who elected Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) should also consider updating …