Gene and Rose Thornton of Roanoke, Alabama have been named the Alabama Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 2018 Small Farmers of the Year. An award plaque and an engraved special-edition clock were presented to the Thorntons by Alabama NRCS State Conservationist Ben Malone at the 75th Annual Alabama Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) Conference in Huntsville, Alabama on November 13, 2017. …
James Hatcher Awarded 2017’s Jerry L. Johnson Award for Public Service
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama announced that James Hatcher has been named 2017’s Jerry L. Johnson award winner. Hatcher was recognized at the 75th Annual Alabama Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) Conference in Huntsville, Alabama on November 13, 2017. This award is given to an Alabama NRCS employee for “Excellence in Public Service through One’s Family, Employment, Profession …
Florida First Detectors Help ID Invasive Plant Pests Before They Spread
Florida has the most invasive species of any state in the country, and half of the insects, reptiles, arachnids and crustaceans imported into the United States come through Florida ports, University of Florida experts say. So, UF/IFAS has teamed up with government agencies to create the Florida First Detectors program, which teaches the public how to identify these insects before …
Farm Bureau Survey Reveals Lowest Thanksgiving Dinner Cost in Five Years
American Farm Bureau Federation’s 32nd annual price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $49.12, a 75-cent decrease from last year’s average of $49.87. The big ticket item – a 16-pound turkey – came in at a total of $22.38 this year. That’s roughly $1.40 …
Farm Bureau Seeks End to Organic Livestock Rule
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is seeking full withdrawal of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule, now delayed until January. AFBF President Zippy Duvall this week in a statement said the rule “has been about pushing an agenda rather than advancing food safety or animal welfare.” Duvall said the rule would force organic farmers and ranchers out of …
Senator Cruz Writes Iowa Governor Over RFS Dispute, Northey Hold
Before Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds traveled to Texas to lobby for the removal of a hold on Bill Northey’s Department of Agriculture nomination, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz pressured Reynolds to reach a deal on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Cruz has placed a hold on Northey’s nomination to USDA, who is currently serving as Iowa’s Agriculture Secretary. In a letter …
Slight Majority of Americans Favor NAFTA
New findings from the Pew Research Center show 56 percent of Americans believe the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is good for the United States. Just one-third, 33 percent, of respondents to a Pew Research poll say the trade deal is bad for the United States. The study surveyed more than 1,500 adults at the end of October as …
Ross Alleges Special Interest, Like Agriculture, Making NAFTA Talks Harder
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross pointed a finger at special interest groups, including those in agriculture, as reason for hiccups in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation. Ross earlier this week said the U.S. will “continue to take a hard line” on its proposals as talks get under way in Mexico City. Speaking at an event Tuesday, Ross said …
Senate Tax Bill Expands Small Business Break, Ends ACA Individual
A revised Senate tax reform bill expands a key break for family farms and other small businesses, but also includes a key GOP goal to end the Obamacare individual mandate. The reworked Senate Finance GOP bill expands tax relief for small businesses that ‘pass through’ company income as individuals. But Republicans set off a firestorm of protest from Democrats by …
Bringing Persimmons into the Limelight
Persimmons are a sweet, flavorful fruit that hasn’t gotten much attention. That’s probably because many people don’t know what it is, how to eat it, or that it’s good for you. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators are working to bring this uncommon Asian native fruit into the limelight. In 2016, the United States exported 7.4 million pounds of …