USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been assisting urban farmers for over 10 years. Since 2010, NRCS state offices have provided more than $18 million to 130 entities in the form of grants and agreements to support urban agriculture and conservation projects. From 2014 to 2019, NRCS completed more than 18,000 conservation practices totaling $41 million on urban farms …
Estimating Crop Yield With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
A researcher at the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) in Greece is using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to estimate crop yield. “Crop yield is the most important piece of information for crop management in precision agriculture. Early crop yield estimations allow farmers to optimize farm operation scheduling, field management and product marketing decisions,” said AUA associate professor Spyros Fountas. Fountas …
Florida Right to Farm Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature
Just hours after the Florida House gave final approval Thursday, a bill that would expand legal protections for farmers was sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to the News Service of Florida, the House voted 110-7 to support expanding the state’s “Right to Farm” law, a top priority of Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby. The Senate passed the bill (SB …
Agriculture Included in New COVID-19 Relief Package
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 …
Alabama Hemp Industry Still Growing
While the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is still in the process of approving applications for the 2021 hemp growing season, early reports show an increase in the number of growers interested in hemp production in Alabama. But according to an article from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), Katelyn Kesheimer, Extension entomologist and leader of the hemp …
Virtual Commodity Classic Coming in March
The 2021 Special Edition of Commodity Classic will be delivered digitally March 2-5, 2021, and during this special event, three Executive Roundtables will be held. Some of the top executives in agribusiness will discuss what the next 20 years will look like in American agriculture. The first roundtable will take place on March 3 and will feature top executives from …
Farmers Gain Improved Access to Small Business Support as PPP Reopens
(NMPF) — The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is pleased that farmers who run their operations as sole proprietors, independent contractors, or otherwise self-employed individuals will have newly expanded access as soon as today to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under changes made in the COVID stimulus package Congress approved last month. Producers who were denied PPP loans or whose …
UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Virtual Workshop Available
(UF/IFAS) — The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Program launched a virtual workshop with research and program updates, available online beginning January 11 for $40. The workshop consists of a collection of pre-recorded lectures and prepared documents available for on-demand viewing. In addition to the virtual delivery, there are opportunities to engage with experts from UF/IFAS. As the two-year pilot project …
Hemp Program Lighting Up Florida Agriculture
(NSF) — Hemp is blazing among Florida’s agriculture inventory in the seven months since it was first allowed to be legally grown in the Sunshine State, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried told business leaders Tuesday. Fried said 22,078 acres are currently licensed for hemp, nearly equal to the acreage in Florida of tomatoes, watermelon and snap peas, and double the …
NIHC Officially Recognized by USDA Foreign Ag Service
The National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) announced it received $200,000 in funds from the USDA’s Market Access Program. Those funds will support export market development for industrial hemp. “We are grateful for the USDA confidence and the recognition of NIHC as the industry leader in industrial hemp trade and marketing,” says Kevin Latner, Senior Vice President for Trade and Marketing. …