USDA Announces Climate-Smart Partnership Projects

Dan Climate Change, Environment, USDA

USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement this week. “It’s an exciting opportunity for us to talk about farmers, ranchers, and producers who are on the frontlines of climate change, feeling the impacts on a daily basis,” …

More Resources to Help Underserved Farmers

Dan Economy, USDA

A new program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is designed to support projects that help underserved producers. According to a story from Gary Crawford, the program supports projects that enable producer’s access to land, capital and markets. The new $550 million USDA program also includes $250 million for the “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food …

USDA Investing in Historically Underserved Communities to Bolster Meat, Poultry Sector

Dan Beef, Cattle, Livestock, Poultry, USDA, USDA-NIFA

Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an additional investment of more than $14 million to support agricultural workforce training in historically underserved communities that will increase the resilience of the U.S. meat and poultry processing sector. This investment is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts through the American Rescue Plan to strengthen the nation’s food supply chain by promoting …

USDA Extends Comment Period on Fertilizer Supply Chain Issues

Dan Fertilizer, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Tuesday extended the comment deadline regarding its “Access to Fertilizer: Competition and Supply Chain Concerns” Federal Register notice. Published in the Federal Register in March, the previous deadlines for comments were May 16, and June 15, 2022. USDA extended the comment deadline another month to July 15, 2022. Andy Green, USDA’s Senior Advisor for …

Secretary Vilsack on Ukraine

Dan Exports/Imports, Specialty Crops, USDA

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke with farm broadcasters recently, and on the topic of the war in Ukraine and its effects on agriculture, he discussed production losses. “My concern is that we calibrate the importance of production and profit. When I say that, I mean clearly the world is going to need more production in terms of being able to …

Vilsack on Losing CRP Acres

Dan Conservation, Environment, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that they are accepting just over two million acres in offers from agricultural producers and landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup. But, as Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack explains, more land is leaving the CRP than is going in. Offers for new land into General CRP were considerably lower than last year’s numbers, with …

USDA Accepts 2 Million Acres in Offers Through Conservation Reserve Program General Signup

Dan Conservation, Environment, USDA

(WASHINGTON, May 3, 2022) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 2 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup, the first of the program’s multiple signups occurring in 2022. With about 3.4 million acres expiring this year, Vilsack encourages producers and landowners …

Rural Partners Network: USDA Initiative to Benefit Georgia Communities

Clint Thompson Georgia, USDA

By Clint Thompson The Rural Partners Network will bridge the information gap between rural America and the federal government. Communities in Georgia will be among the first to benefit. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, White House Rural Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop discussed the new effort on Thursday during a visit with South …

Additional Funds for Livestock Producers Affected by Drought and Wildfire

Dan Cattle, Drought, Economy, Forestry, Livestock, USDA

The USDA has announced additional funds for livestock producers who were affected by wildfires and droughts. USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Robert Bonnie spoke with AgNet Media to make the announcement to our listeners. Listen here: The USDA says ranchers who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for forage losses due to severe …