The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state conservationist for Alabama, Ben Malone, wants to remind landowners that the signup batching deadline for fiscal year 2019 for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and initiatives offered through the program is April 25, 2019. While that is the deadline for this specific batching period, Malone says all of the NRCS programs …
UF/IFAS Master Gardeners Gear Up for Spring Festivals, Plant Sales
Spring is around the corner, and Master Gardeners across central Florida are gearing up for festivals and plant sales. The UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer program, part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is celebrating 40 years in Florida. There are approximately 4,000 Master Gardener volunteers across the state, said Wendy Wilber, UF/IFAS Extension state …
Farmland Values Stable, but Risks to Outlook Remain
Farmland values in the Federal Reserve’s Tenth District held steady in the fourth quarter of 2018 despite risks to ongoing stability, according to the Kansas City Fed’s quarterly Agricultural Credit Survey. While demand for farmland remained relatively strong across the district, weaknesses in the crop sector continued to dampen the overall agricultural economy. The report says that risks to the …
Farm Income Down 20-Straight Quarters
The Midwest and the Mid-South parts of the country saw farm income decline in the fourth quarter of 2018. In spite of the pressure on farm incomes, the value of quality farmland, ranchland, and pastureland rose. Those observations come from the latest Agricultural Finance Monitor, which is published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The 22 agricultural banks …
GCC Disappointed by Inaction on Michael Relief
The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) is disappointed by a lack of response to the aftermath left by Hurricane Michael from our partners in the federal government. Over four months after the storm wreaked havoc to communities in southwest, central, and east Georgia, farms and agribusinesses are left with more questions than answers on federal assistance. GCC Chairman Bart Davis, a cotton …
Students Set to Celebrate Agriculture and Leadership During FFA Week
Agriculture is part of our daily lives—from the food we eat to the clothes we wear. On Saturday, nearly 670,000 FFA members across the country will begin to share the story of agriculture as part of National FFA Week. Whether it is through service projects or community gatherings, National FFA Week is a time for FFA members to raise awareness …
Mike Tate to Lead the National Cotton Council in 2019
Mike Tate, a cotton producer from Huntsville, Ala., was elected National Cotton Council (NCC) chairman for 2019. Named during the NCC’s 2019 annual meeting, held in San Antonio, Texas on February 8-10, Tate moves up from NCC vice chairman to succeed Ron Craft, a cotton producer from Plains, Texas. A graduate of the NCC’s Cotton Leadership Program, Tate previously served …
NRCS Chief Promotes EQIP and CSP
While Matt Lohr has only been on the job a few weeks as Chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), he is very familiar with the programs NRCS offers. And he looks at two of those, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which many call their flagship program. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts …
Secretary Perdue on the American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report: “Last year, I presented the findings of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to President Trump at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention. The report showed how broadband e-connectivity is essential for achieving rural prosperity in the 21st Century, and it has guided work …
Isakson, Perdue Urge Senate, House Leaders to Immediately Fund Agriculture Disaster Relief
U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) wrote to House and Senate leadership urging immediate action on a supplemental disaster relief package to provide critical aid for victims of natural disasters in Georgia and across the country. Supplemental disaster funding was overwhelmingly supported by 98 U.S. senators, including Isakson and Perdue, in funding proposals voted on earlier this …