Farm bill passage in late 2018 was thought to provide certainty to U.S. agriculture moving forward. However, 2019 started with perhaps more uncertainty than ever before. The government shutdown has U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency offices across the nation closed, just as farmers are seeking advice for the upcoming planting season. Meanwhile, the farm bill, which provides …
Alabama Irrigation Workshops
The Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee has been working with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) and Auburn University (AU), to identify which watersheds will have funding priority. In response to this initiative, Alabama Extension will host two free irrigation workshops for producers that include trainings, as well as on-farm demonstrations of …
Commodity Classic Early Registration Discount Ends January 10
Thursday, January 10th is the deadline for the early registration discount for Commodity Classic—America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience. The 2019 Commodity Classic will be held Thursday, February 28 through Saturday, March 2 in Orlando, Fla. To register, reserve hotel rooms and sign up for email updates, visit Commodity Classic.com. A complete schedule of events is also available on the …
Lawmakers Eye ‘Long, Long Recovery’ from Hurricane
Hurricane Michael, which pummeled 10 Panhandle counties and spurred evacuation orders for 375,000 Floridians in October, left nearly seven times the debris of Hurricane Irma, which barreled across 45 counties in 2017. And in the three months since Michael came ashore at Mexico Beach, debris continues to be picked up, more than 102,000 people have registered for assistance, and 16 …
Georgia Peanut Farm Show Set for Jan. 17
Kelley Manufacturing Co. sponsors the grand door prize. Producers can improve the bottom-line of their farming operation with knowledge, connections and information gained at the 43rd annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference, held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, Jan. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Peanut farmers and those involved in the peanut industry …
EQIP Signup Continues in Alabama
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state conservationist in Alabama, Ben Malone, wants to remind landowners in the state that Jan. 25 will be the signup batching deadline for producers for fiscal year 2019 funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provided Opportunity To Highlight Difficult Farming SubjectMarch 20, 2026Valley Helps Growers Get …
Georgia NRCS Helped Beginning Produce Farm
In 2007, an old farm-stead in Paulding County, Georgia was purchased and eventually converted into a petting zoo and ice cream business. But after several years, a decision was made to change some aspects of the farm into a produce operation. With help from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia, improvements to the operation to make better use of the …
Georgia Peanut Commission Board Members Renominated
Three Georgia Peanut Commission board members were renominated without opposition to the Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors at nomination meetings held on Dec. 10, 2018. The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation conducted the nomination meetings for the commission’s districts two, four and five. Armond Morris, Tift County, representing district two; Rodney Dawson, Pulaski County, representing district four and Donald Chase, …
UF ‘Plant Whisperer’ Helps Floridians Keep Produce Lush, Green and Safe
Liz Felter gazes at the tomato plant and considers it quietly for a few seconds. Stroking the discolored leaves, she sticks two fingers in the soil and pushes the dirt down. “My gut tells me it’s not Erwinia,” says Felter, a University of Florida IFAS Extension regional specialized agent. The visitor to the UF/IFAS Diagnostic Plant Clinic in Apopka merely …
Shutdown Delays USMCA Trade Agreement
The government shutdown could stall progress on President Trump’s North American Free Trade Agreement replacement, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Analysis of the agreement has stopped during the shutdown as the U.S. International Trade Commission, responsible for examining the trade agreement, remains at a standstill. If continued, Politico reports the shutdown could delay release of the report on the economic impact …