USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama reminds landowners the signup batching deadline for Fiscal Year 2019 funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is April 25th. This EQIP signup includes wildlife, forestry, cropland erosion, cropland irrigation, grazing land, and water quality concerns. Plus, there are National and Statewide initiatives included, like Alabama Soil Health, Feral Swine Management, Working Lands …
NRCS Florida State Technical Committee Meeting
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced they will conduct a State Technical Committee Meeting on May 21, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Doyle Conner Agriculture Building Auditorium in Gainesville. The meeting is open to the public and will give an overview of the 2018 Farm Bill programs and conservation easements. This year’s …
USDA Sign Up for Georgians Affected by Hurricane Michael
Georgia state leaders for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who suffered damage to working lands due to Hurricane Michael but were not eligible for previous sign ups, you have until April 19th to seek assistance for the USDA programs right for you. Georgia State Conservationist, Terrance Rudolph with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service …
Federal Program Repairs Popular Arcadia Park
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has provided $740,000 to DeSoto County through Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) assistance to help to repair hurricane damage a popular park in Arcadia, Fla. Hurricane Irma struck Southwest Florida as a Category 3 in fall 2017. The hurricane dropped from 10 to 15 inches in the Peace River drainage area, which covers 1,367 square miles. The Peace …
USDA Census of Agriculture One Week Away
Videos on how to use Census data are now available The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the 2017 Census of Agriculture results on Thursday, April 11, at noon ET. The full Census report will include millions of data points, including number of farms, land in farms, total value of production, demographics, and …
USDA Launches New Farmers.gov Features to Help with H2A Applications, Managing Loans
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched two new features on farmers.gov to help customers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H2A visas. “Customer service is our top priority at USDA and these new features will help our customers as they manage their farm loans and navigate the H-2A temporary agricultural …
If You Eat, You Are Involved in Agriculture
By Sen. Ben Albritton I have enormous respect for Congressman Francis Rooney and his life of public service. However, I have grave concerns about the congressman’s recent misinformed, inaccurate, and hostile comments about agriculture in Florida. Describing any sector of Florida agriculture as a “menace” clearly shows a lack of understanding of how agriculture has been a highly successful partner …
Alabama Prospective Planting Numbers Released
A year of tumultuous weather and natural disasters, 2018 brought challenges where expectations were high for good yields and market pricing. In Alabama alone, producers experienced hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding on top of the usual changes in weather farmers expect. Alabama Cooperative Extension System economist, Max Runge, said while uncertainty is normal in the agricultural sector, there is more uncertainty for 2019 …
AFBF Concerned about Labor, Trade if Border Closed
The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging the administration to make sure that any steps undertaken to tighten enforcement at the U.S. border do not create more uncertainty for agricultural producers. “Right now, farmers and ranchers are toughing it out,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Many of our products are caught up in a trade dispute. Mother Nature has devastated the …
NRCS Accepting Comments on Conservation Practice Standards
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds landowners they are currently accepting public input on existing national conservation practice standards as part of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill. NRCS offers 150-plus conservation practices to America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to help meet their business and natural resource needs on their working lands. NRCS is requesting public comments, until April 25, 2019, on how …