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 …

Chores Needing to Be Done in the Garden in March

Dan Nursery Crops, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

The chores you should be doing in your garden this month. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Here are some of the common regional gardening chores to tackle during the month of March. Spring is well underway in the Southeast and if all danger of frost has passed you should be fertilizing your lawn, roses, and perennials. Warm-season …

When Will It Be Safe to Start Planting Plants and Seed Outside

Dan Field Crops, Fruits, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Seeds, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

When it’s safe to start planting outside. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. When the minutes of daylight starts to increase in winter, so does the yearning to get outside in the garden again. But don’t let a couple of warm days in early spring fool you into setting out your homegrown seedlings or new plant babies from …

USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted in Alabama

Dan Alabama, Economy, Specialty Crops, USDA

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has announced they are accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets in the state. The application deadline for these grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is May 3, 2021. Specialty crops are defined by USDA as fruits and vegetables, …

Edible Plants You Can Grow in Bog or Marshy Soil

Dan Field Crops, Nursery Crops, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Edible plants you can grow in a bog or marshy soil. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. When you have a sunken, wet area on your property. Plant edible bog plants instead of those that prefer drier soils. Try to plant species indigenous to your area whenever possible. One of the most popular edible bog plants is cranberries. It’s …

Alabama Hemp Industry Still Growing

Clint Thompson Alabama, Hemp

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 …

AFBF President Testifies Before House Agriculture Committee

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Environment, Field Crops, Forestry, Fruits, Legislative, Livestock, Marketing, Nursery Crops, Organic, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall provided testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Climate Change and the U.S. Agriculture and Forestry Sectors. Here is his written testimony: Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, my name is Zippy Duvall. I am a third-generation farmer and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and I am pleased to offer this …