Could we see lower food prices next year? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The all-items Consumer Price Index increased 1.4 percent from May to June and is 9.1 percent higher than in June of last year. USDA once again raised its consumer food price inflation forecast from 8.5 percent to 9.5 percent for 2022. In their first …
Conservation Grants Available
Funding for more conservation programs in agriculture. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The USDA this week announced it’s investing $25 million this year for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials program. This year’s funding priorities are climate-smart agricultural solutions, irrigation water management, nutrient management, and soil health. Through CIG, partners work to address our …
USDA Helps Schools and Childcare Providers Deal with Rising Food Costs
Helping schools manage rising food costs. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The USDA announced an increase in funding to help schools continue to serve healthy meals this coming school year and provided financial relief for schools and childcare providers. The reimbursement schools will get for each meal served will increase by 68 cents per free or reduced-price …
New Ag Coalition Focuses on Bioeconomy
A new coalition of agriculture groups with a new focus. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Several industry associations launched the Ag Bioeconomy Coalition just days ago, to advance federal policy initiatives that foster growth toward a circular economy based on innovative products derived from agricultural commodities. Encompassing a broad range of technologies, the ag bioeconomy uses renewable, …
“Rock the Crop” Sweepstakes Deadline Approaching
A country star is partnering up for a concert for farmers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Firestone Ag is partnering with country music star Dillon Carmichael to celebrate U.S. agriculture with its second annual Rock the Crop Concert Sweepstakes. U.S. farmers and ranchers must enter by July 25 for a chance to win a private, on-farm concert …
Borlaug Fellows Announced
A new team of fellows is advancing agricultural research. That’s today’s This Land of Ours. USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has announced the 2022 Borlaug Fellows. Since 2004, the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program has promoted agricultural productivity, food security, trade, and economic growth. Since the program’s inception, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has …
Improving E. Coli Tracking
Working toward better traceability during foodborne illness outbreaks. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, or ARS, is working to improve traceability during foodborne illness outbreaks. Scientists want to enhance the capacity of regulatory agencies to trace E. coli back to its source by studying how the DNA of a specific population of this …
Popcorn’s Effects on Gut Microbiomes
Eating popcorn may be good for your digestive health. That’s today’s This Land of Ours. A new study, published in the leading journal Frontiers in Microbiology, focuses on how popcorn can impact our personal microbiome. Americans eat more than 13 billion quarts of popcorn a year; an average of about 40 quarts per person. Nate Korth, a Ph.D. student at …
Family Farm Living Expenses
Inflation is hitting everyone, but what does it mean for the farm family? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A study by the Kansas Farm Management Association shows that farm family living expenses jumped 14 percent higher last year to an average of $82,000. It’s significantly higher than the previous high of $74,000 in 2014 and the largest …
USDA Helping Issue Child Food Benefits for Summer
Helping keep kids fed during summer. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The USDA is partnering with states and territories across the country to work with urgency to provide food benefits for the summer months to eligible children. As of July 8, 27 states and territories, including Puerto Rico, are set up to provide these benefits to an …