Longleaf pine once covered 90 million acres from Texas to Florida, but today only 3 percent of the habitat remains. So the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners about the Longleaf Pine Initiative, which provides financial and technical assistance for conservation practices to help restore longleaf pine forests and enhance existing stands. Leonard …
USDA Offers Renewal Options for Expiring Conservation Stewardship Contracts
Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to renew their Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. Participants with existing CSP contracts expiring on Dec. 31, 2018 can access the benefits of …
Cool-Season Forages Field Days in Florida
A couple of winter forage field days are coming up this week in Florida. The first one will be held Thursday, March 8 at the University of Florida Dairy Unit in Gainesville starting at 10:00 am. There next one will be held Friday, March 9 at the White Oak Dairy in Lafayette County, and Shenandoah Dairy in Suwannee County starting at …
Alabama Regional Beef Ambassador Training Workshop
The Alabama Regional Beef Ambassador Program (RBAP) Workshop will be held at Upchurch Hall classrooms, Stanley Wilson Beef Teaching Center and other facilities on the Auburn University campus on Saturday, April 7, 2018. But the deadline for workshop registration is March 19th or until spots are filled. The workshop is designed to prepare youth with the foundational skills, coaching and direction needed …
No Tariff Exceptions for Canada/Mexico
Bloomberg is reporting that there will be no exceptions for Canada and Mexico when it comes to potential tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The only way they get exempted from the tariffs will be if they sign a new North American Free Trade Agreement that’s better for America. “Canada must treat American farmers better and Mexico must stop drugs …
Grain, Dairy Markets Worried About Trade War
Analysts are saying that President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports could be hard on farmers. Farm Journal’s Ag Web Dot Com points out that, while Trump hasn’t officially imposed the tariffs, the decision doesn’t have the support of his entire Cabinet and has raised eyebrows all over the world. Jeff Harrison of Combest, Sell, and …
NAFTA Round Seven Wrapped Up Monday and Facing More Questions
The seventh round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) wrapped up Monday in Mexico City. The three countries have taken some incremental steps toward agreements on some of the lower-level issues. However, trade negotiators and almost anyone else interested in the NAFTA negotiations acknowledged that the looming threat of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum …
USDA Announces More Local Control for School Meal Operations
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Steve Censky announced two new efforts to provide states and school districts with additional flexibility and support to operate more efficient school meal programs. Censky made the announcement during a speech at the School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Child Nutrition Hiring Flexibility Rule In 2015, USDA established education and …
Paraguay Market Now Open To U.S. Pork
Under an export certificate recently negotiated between the two countries, the United States now can ship pork to Paraguay. The National Pork Producers Council welcomed the news. “Paraguay won’t be a huge market for U.S. pork, but given the current trade climate, the U.S. pork industry needs all the new markets it can get,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a …
Georgia Cotton Commission Welcomes Cotton Ginning Cost Share
On March 3, at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis, Tennessee, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a Cotton Ginning Cost Share (CGCS) program for the 2016 crop. This program provides assistance to American cotton producers who were left out of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety net programs during that crop year. The Georgia Cotton Commission welcomes this …