“Every night, farmers in Georgia get on their knees and pray that help will soon come.” U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to urge support for his bipartisan disaster relief package. The Senate voted 90-10 to begin debate on the bipartisan disaster relief package he introduced with Senator Johnny …
Trump to Tout Lake Okeechobee, Everglades Work
President Donald Trump will be in Florida this week to promote work on the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee and a reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area, the White House confirmed Tuesday. Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere tweeted that Trump is slated to “visit Lake Okeechobee Friday to tout work on dike repair, EAA reservoir.” The tweet linked to …
USDA Designates 11 Florida Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 11 Florida counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Walton and Washington counties who suffered losses caused by Hurricane Michael that occurred on Oct. 10, 2018, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) …
DeSantis, Cabinet Weigh Large Land Buy
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet next week are slated to consider buying 5,534 acres in Hendry County through the Florida Forever conservation program. Under the proposal, which is on the agenda for a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, the state would pay $14.775 million to Alico, Inc. for the land, which is part of what is known as the broader …
Voting Period for National Peanut Research and Promotion Program
For the first time, eligible peanut producers can opt to vote electronically or by paper ballot. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a referendum among eligible producers of peanuts to determine whether they favor continuance of the Peanut Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order), which authorizes the National Peanut Board. The referendum will …
Farm Futures Planting Survey Shows Less Corn Acres than USDA
Farmers indicate they may plant less corn than previously thought by the Department of Agriculture, according to the annual Farm Futures planting survey. The survey of 1,000 producers nationwide says that after planting more soybeans than corn in 2018 for the first time in 35 years, farmers want to return to more normal rotations this spring. However, with the impact …
AFBF Launches Women in Ag Survey
The American Farm Bureau (AFBF) Women’s Leadership Program has launched “Women in Ag,” an online survey that aims to gauge the goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women in American agriculture in a variety of areas. All women who are farmers, ranchers, farm employees, employed in agricultural businesses, pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of agriculture in other ways are …
Alabama State Conservationist on CSP
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama wants to remind landowners in the state that the signup batching deadline for Fiscal Year 2019 funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is April 25, 2019. But Alabama State Conservationist Ben Malone, also encourages landowners wanting to enhance current conservation efforts to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of …
Dairy Producers Previously Enrolled in the Livestock Gross Margin Program Now Eligible for 2018 Margin Protection Program
Retroactive Enrollment Begins March 25 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that dairy producers who elected to participate in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle Program (LGM-Dairy) now have the opportunity to participate in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) for 2018 coverage. Sign-up will take place March 25 through May 10, 2019. Producers enrolled in 2018 LGM-Dairy, administered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), previously were determined by the 2014 Farm …
Conservation Easement Signup Underway in Florida
It was announced last week that applications are now being accepted to fund agricultural easements in Florida. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial and technical assistance to conserve working lands and wetlands through two programs: Agricultural Land Easements and Wetland Reserve Easements. You have until April 25, 2019 to apply. Applications are available on the Florida NRCS website, or at your local …