A national effort to enhance farm sustainability through soil health has additional backing from a major consumer foods manufacturer. Leaders from General Mills, The Nature Conservancy, the Soil Health Institute and the Soil Health Partnership announce a collaborative effort to advance soil health on America’s farms and ranches, paving the way for measurable economic and environmental gains for farmers, businesses …
ARS Announces New Scientific Impact Video Series
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is pleased to debut a video series highlighting important scientific advances that occurred because of ARS research. This first YouTube video highlights ARS’ role in large-scale commercial production of penicillin. While discovered in England, the ability to mass-produce penicillin occurred in the United States at an ARS lab in Peoria, Illinois. This video showcases one …
The Potential Effects of Increased Demand for U.S. Agricultural Exports on Metro and Nonmetro Employment
by Steven Zahniser, Tom Hertz, Peter Dixon, and Maureen Rimmer, Economic Research Service What Is the Issue? ERS estimates that U.S. agricultural exports supported about 1.1 million full-time, civilian jobs in 2015. Yet, the economic linkages between U.S. agricultural exports and rural employment are not fully understood, particularly in the metro and nonmetro regions of each State and among production …
USDA to Hold Expert Panel Meeting on Publication of Farm Operator Demographics
Public Comments Welcomed The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announces a public meeting of an expert panel to consider questions surrounding publication of farm operator demographic data obtained through the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The panel meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at …
Scott Pitches Dike Repairs to Trump
Gov. Rick Scott said he spoke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday about the importance of completing repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. On Monday, Scott asked state lawmakers to add $200 million to the budget to help speed the federal government’s ongoing repairs. “President Trump is clearly focused on protecting Florida’s environment and investing in our …
Anxiously Awaiting Perdue’s Confirmation
The Senate is scheduled to vote next Monday, April 24th, to confirm former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as the next Secretary of Agriculture. And many in agriculture are anxiously awaiting Perdue’s arrival at the department. After months of waiting and delays, American Farm Bureau Federation executive director of public policy, Dale Moore, expresses the relief of many in agriculture that …
Animal Rights Groups Want Dead Animal Payments Stopped
The Humane Farming Association is once again attempting to get the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop payments to livestock farmers when their animals are unsheltered and die as a result of bad weather. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says the group has sent a petition to Sonny Perdue ahead of his confirmation as Ag Secretary. Severe storms and heat have …
Mexico Finishing New Trade Deal with Argentina
Mexico is looking to establish closer ties with other Latin American and South American countries after Donald Trump took office in the United States, its biggest export market. Reuters says Mexico expects to finish a new trade agreement with Argentina by the end of this year as it continues to try to diversify its trading partners. Argentina could make significant …
Pence Talks Trade in Japan
Vice President Mike Pence was in Tokyo on Tuesday, calling for “stronger and more balanced bilateral trade relationships” with countries like Japan and South Korea. A Washington Post article says his comments raise the prospect of trade talks with Japan as well as a look into the current agreement with South Korea. Japan and the U.S. seem to have different …
Monsanto Surpasses Pollinator Habitat Goal
Monsanto announced it has reached milestones in two key aspects of its biodiversity program, including protecting species and promoting sustainable landscapes. Monsanto established 72 habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators at company sites across America. The number of those sites certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council doubled from 15 to 31 in the past year. “Our commitment to establishing …