Former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam was named Wednesday as chief executive officer of the national group Ducks Unlimited. Putnam finished his second term as agriculture commissioner in January after losing a Republican primary for governor. He will begin leading Ducks Unlimited, which works to conserve waterfowl habitats and educate both children and adults, letting them find out how long …
Kroger Commits to Georgia Dairy Farmers
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program is partnering with over 168 Kroger stores across the state as part of the “Milk Makes Amazing” promotion. Driven by Milk on My Mind, a dairy awareness program initiated by the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Milk (ACCM), the partnership with Kroger aims to educate consumers about the benefits and versatility of milk …
NASDA Disappointed with Trump Budget Proposal
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture expressed disappointment this week in the content of President Trump’s budget proposal. NASDA CEO Barbara Glenn says the budget request would “negatively impact agriculture, particularly at a time when many in agriculture are facing a serious economic downturn.” NASDA expects Congress to ensure the programs agriculture needs, including those within the Department …
Lawmakers Chip Away at Land Preservation Money
Lawmakers are pushing forward with plans to continue carving up millions of dollars voters more than four years ago directed to be spent on land and water protection, despite environmentalists’ concerns about the way the money is being used to help the Indian River Lagoon and Apalachicola Bay. Backers of the 2014 Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, who continue …
Groups Respond to EPA Proposal for Year-Round E15, RINs Reform
Renewable Fuels Association Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following statement on EPA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to allow year-round sales of E15 in conventional gasoline markets and modify Renewable Identification Number (RIN) provisions under the RFS: “Today’s proposed rule means EPA is one step closer to making good on President Trump’s promise to allow …
EPA Proposes Rule to Allow E15 Waiver and to Improve RIN Market Transparency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulatory changes to allow gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) to take advantage of the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver for the summer months that has historically been applied only to E10. EPA is also proposing regulatory changes to modify elements of the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system …
USDA Announces Voting Period for Continuance Referendum 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 …
Florida’s Beef, Dairy and Allied Industries Generated Billions in Revenues in 2017
As Florida approaches the 500-year anniversary of the introduction of cattle to her shores in 1521, a new report from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) demonstrates just how important beef and dairy production have become to the state’s economy – and shows a recent upswing in Florida cattle industry exports. In 2017, Florida’s combined …
Study Clarifies U.S. Beef’s Resource Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A fuller picture is emerging of the environmental footprint of beef in the United States. An Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-led team has completed a comprehensive life-cycle analysis quantifying the resource use and various environmental emissions of beef cattle production in the United States. The aim is to establish baseline measures that the U.S. beef industry can use to explore ways …
Water Management Workshops in Georgia
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia invites producers across the state to take part in the upcoming statewide Water Management Workshop Series. University of Georgia (UGA) and Fort Valley State University (FVSU) extension programs have partnered with NRCS to host these workshops. While they are geared towards smaller acreage and new/beginning farmers, they are open to all who …