(USDA/FSA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 28, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for …
USDA Invests in Rural Broadband Infrastructure for Alabama Families
(USDA/RD) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $62.3 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 8,000 rural households, 57 farms, 44 businesses, 17 educational facilities, 14 critical community facilities and three health care facilities in rural Alabama. This is one …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date
(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Advances Forage ResearchOctober 3, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board …
Cattlemen Celebrate Finalization of Trade Deal With Japan
NCBA Honored to Be Part of Process From Day One to White House Signing Ceremony (NCBA) — National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Jennifer Houston issued the following statement in response to Japan’s final approval of a trade deal that will lower tariffs for U.S. beef exports to that nation: “There’s just no other way to say it: this is …
World Soil Day is December 5
World Soil Day is December 5, a day that was established to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to promote healthy soil for life. Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital …
USDA to Conduct the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties
(NAFB) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties this winter. USDA says the report will provide a comprehensive picture of the U.S. horticulture industry. Survey codes will be mailed this month to more than 40,000 horticulture producers to respond online. Collected just once every five years, the …
Trump: No Deadline for Final China Trade Deal
(NAFB) — In a flurry of meeting with reporters Tuesday in London, President Donald Trump says he has no deadline for finalizing a complete trade deal with China. China and the U.S. are still working to reach a phase one agreement, with an unofficial deadline of December 15, but an overall agreement may extend beyond the 2020 elections. Trump told …
November Ag Economy Barometer Released
(NAFB) — The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose in November for the second month in a row, climbing to 153, 17 points higher than in October when the index stood at 136. This month’s rise in the ag economy sentiment index left the barometer tied with July for the highest reading of 2019. Once again, the rise was driven …
Cabinet Signs Off on DeSoto, Dixie Land Deals
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet agreed Tuesday to spend $8.5 million to help conserve nearly 10,000 acres in DeSoto and Dixie counties. DeSantis and Cabinet members approved spending $6.5 million for a conservation easement on 3,891 acres of ranch land in DeSoto County, with the state hoping to recoup about 42 percent of the money through …
NCBA Seeks Clarity and Consistency in Beef Origin Labeling Practices
NCBA Staff Directed to Work With USDA to Verify Beef Origin Labeling Claims (NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the nation’s oldest and largest national organization representing American cattle producers, reaffirmed its policy supporting voluntary country-of-origin labeling (COOL). Because the association takes the concerns of its members and stakeholders seriously, its Executive Committee has unanimously approved efforts to …