The National Dairy FARM Program has released the 2017 edition of its Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual, the primary educational tool for dairy managers about the judicious, responsible use of antibiotics and how to prevent drug residues in milk and meat. The Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual serves as a valuable tool to the …
Bee “Bed and Breakfast” Gets Helping Hand from Science
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are digging into the soil around alfalfa fields near Touchet, Washington, to unearth new clues to improve the lives of the crop’s chief insect pollinator: the alkali bee. Alkali bees are champion alfalfa flower pollinators—even outperforming the respected honey bee. So much so, some Touchet farmers maintain open soil parcels called “bee beds” to …
$6.3 Million in Funding Available for Resilient Agroecosystems-July 13 Deadline
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $6.3 million in available funding for projects to support resilient agriculture and forestry production systems. Funding is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “It’s important that we work toward ensuring a safe, sustainable food supply in the face …
USDA Seeks Nominees for the United Soybean Board by May 19th
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for positions on the United Soybean Board. Vacancies for producer member positions will occur in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. There are alternate vacancies in Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas. Any …
NMPF Recognizes Members of Congress for Focusing Attention on Dairy Workforce Needs
As discussions over immigration policy continue on Capitol Hill, the National Milk Producers Federation thanked members of both the House and Senate for working to address the unique labor challenges faced by dairy producers. NMPF has called on legislators to address this dilemma for more than a decade. “We welcome these bipartisan efforts to shine a light on an issue …
Alabama Extension to Host QuickBooks Pro Class
Alabama Extension will host a series of instructional classes on the QuickBooks Pro software. The classes will help farmers and small business owners learn how to get the most out of this widely used program. Each section will last two nights with one class held on Tuesday night and the last class on Thursday night. Each class starts at 6 …
USDA Ordered to Submit Staff Reduction Plan
The White House has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture and all federal agencies to submit a plan by June 30th to shrink their civilian workforces and meet the president’s goal to reduce the government’s size and scope. While it’s unlikely the administration can shrink the federal bureaucracy as much as they want, agriculture is bracing for the impact. Even modest …
Survey Shows Farmers Concerns
A new survey by the Farmer’s Business Network shows the current concerns farmers have in the United States. The new Voice of the Farmer Report examines the state of modern day farming through a combination of interviews with farmers and analysis of millions of acres of real farm yield and thousands of farmer seed and chemical invoices and price records. …
China Growing Less Corn as Acreage Drops
Farmers in China will plant less corn this season, resulting in the nation’s smallest crop in six years. A poll by Reuters finds that during the spring planting season, growers in China plan to cut corn acreage for the second straight year to 35.2 million hectares, the equivalent of roughly 85 million acres, 4.1 percent less than a year ago. …
EPA Administrator Promises Back-to-Basics Agenda
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt last week promised a back-to-basics agenda approach for the federal agency. While visiting a Pennsylvania coal mine, Pruitt announced the agenda, saying the new focus “means returning EPA to its core mission: protecting the environment by engaging with state, local,and tribal partners to create sensible regulations that enhance economic growth.” In his speech to …