Across the country farmers are looking for innovative ways to conserve water while maintaining or boosting crop yields, and leading farmers are helping others manage water more efficiently. Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District members in Southwest Georgia have used a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia to partner with other like-minded groups to advance …
NCBA Applauds Greater U.S. Beef Access to Japan
“Great News,” Will Hopefully Lead to Elimination of More Non-Tariff, Non-Science-Based Trade Barriers In Near Future National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Jennifer Houston issued the following statement regarding the announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that Japan will allow products from U.S. cattle, regardless of age, to be imported into that country for the first time since 2003: …
U.S. Beef Gains Full Access to Japan
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the United States and Japan have agreed on new terms and conditions that eliminate Japan’s longstanding restrictions on U.S. beef exports, paving the way for expanded sales to the United States’ top global beef market. Last week, on the margins of the G-20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Niigata, Japan, Secretary Perdue met …
NRCS Florida State Technical Committee Meeting is Tuesday
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida will conduct a State Technical Committee Meeting on Tuesday, May 21 starting at 10 a.m. in 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. Florida State Conservationist Russell …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date
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. Source: SFWMD Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to Support Forage Development and Management PracticesMarch 6, 2026CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle IndustryFebruary 20, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable …
The USDA Announces New Vision for Animal Genomics
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) blueprint, published today in Frontiers and Genetics, will serve as a guide for research and funding in animal genomics for 2018-2027 that will facilitate genomic solutions to enable producers to meet increasing future demands for animal products by a growing world population. The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the National Institute for Food and …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Addresses Florida Congressional Delegation in Washington
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried appeared before Members of Congress from Florida to discuss key issues facing the agriculture industry. At the invitation of delegation co-chairs U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, Fried spoke on a panel alongside industry group leaders from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, and the Florida Forestry Association. Commissioner Fried raised …
USDA Enhances African Swine Fever Surveillance Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is furthering its overall African Swine Fever (ASF) preparedness efforts with the implementation of a surveillance plan. As part of this plan, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will work with the swine industry, the states, and veterinary diagnostic laboratories to test for ASF. ASF is a highly contagious and deadly disease …
NRCS Announces Changes to Strengthen Technical Input
Last week, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced they are expanding the technical input in program development and technical services in their program delivery. The 2018 Farm Bill made several changes expanding the membership on the State Technical Committee and expanding the avenues through which technical service providers can be certified. Other changes include the administration of the, Watershed Protection and …
Women in Ag Numbers on the Rise
Lauryn Bryght of Macon County is part of an expanding group of farmers—women farmers. From 2012 to 2017, the number of women involved in U.S. agriculture grew by nearly 27 percent. Out of 3.4 million farmers nationally, more than 1.2 million are women. The most recent Census of Agriculture shows a dramatic increase in the number of women in agriculture—a …