landowners

USDA Announces Dates for CRP Grasslands Signups

Dan Conservation, Environment, Pasture, USDA-FSA

Signup has opened for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones. The CRP Grassland signup is competitive, and USDA’s …

farm

NIFA Invests $14 Million in Animal Health and Disease Research

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Livestock, Pasture, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Research, Sheep-Goats

The Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an investment of $14 million in research to protect agricultural animals from disease. The grants are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Diseases of Agricultural Animals program area priority. NIFA director Carrie Castille says, “This research will help better understand, diagnose, control and prevent diseases in …

foreign

Strong Demand and Competitive Bidding Pushes Land Prices Higher

Dan Economy, Field Crops, Pasture

Interest in purchasing agricultural land has grown since a coronavirus pandemic-induced slowdown blanketed the land market last spring. Farmers are feeling more financially secure as strong commodity prices arrived on top of large government payments in 2020. This is propelling farmers to bid more aggressively for additional land than has been the case during the past six years, according to …

animals

Best Type of Hay to Buy Depends on the Animals Being Fed

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Livestock, Pasture, Sheep-Goats, This Land of Ours

The best type of hay to buy depending on the animals your feeding. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Animals can tolerate different types of hay. For example, Cattle vary a bit in what kind of hay they tolerate depending on their age. Lactating cows require high-protein hay. Younger calves might have a tough time with coarser hays, like …

alabama

Tips for Providing/Buying Quality Feed for Livestock

Dan Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Livestock, Pasture, Sheep-Goats, This Land of Ours

Some tips for providing/buying quality feed for your livestock. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Buying hay can be challenging. Especially if you’re buying from a seller online, sight unseen.  Here are some tips to help you what to look for. When it comes to color, the best quality hay will be a silver-green, while a deeper green will show that …

National Grazing Lands

Deadline Extended: Tell Your Land Stewardship Story

Dan Cattle, Livestock, Pasture

“Stewardship – Catch the Wave” is the theme of the Eighth National Grazing Lands Conference (8NGLC) and you are invited to participate in the conference hosted by the National Grazing Lands Coalition (NatGLC) and other sponsoring organizations. The conference provides an open discussion and exchange of information, technology transfer, identification of research and program needs, marketing of products, services, and other …

speaker

Agriculture Included in New COVID-19 Relief Package

Dan Alabama, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Coronavirus, Dairy, Economy, Equine, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, General, Georgia, Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pasture, Pecans, Pork, Poultry, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Trade, Vegetables

The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, known as “The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” is now official as President Biden signed the bill late last week. We’ve all heard how the package will include $1,400 stimulus checks for qualifying individuals, extends unemployment benefits, and more. But it also increases assistance through USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And according …

conservation

USDA Delays Signup for CRP Grasslands

Dan Cattle, Conservation, Dairy, Environment, Equine, Livestock, Pasture, Sheep-Goats, USDA-FSA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they are postponing the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup. While the original date to start this signup was mid-March, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will announce new signup dates in the coming weeks. The Biden Administration is currently evaluating the program and looking at ways to increase enrollment. CRP Grasslands was …

legume

Native Legume for Improving Pastures in the Southern U.S.

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Livestock, News from Our Sponsors, Pasture, Sheep-Goats, USDA-NRCS

Legumes are plants within the bean family capable of fixing nitrogen. Legumes can enhance conservation tillage systems, improve soil quality, reduce nitrogen requirements on row crops and pasture lands, enhance wildlife habitat, enhance pasture and hay land quality, and reduce soil erosion in cropland and critical areas.  Warm and cool-season legume species produce high-quality forage and seed throughout the year …