Growers intend to plant 10.7 million acres of all cotton across the United States, which is up 4 percent from the previous year. Cotton producers in Georgia expect to plant an estimated 1.1 million acres, down 1 percent from the previous year. Alabama forecasts a 13 percent increase in planting this year at 430,000 acres of cotton. In Florida, the cotton planting …
Applications for USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants are Due April 9
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for grants to support urban agriculture and innovative production. Applications for USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants are due April 9, 2024, via grants.gov. “This grant program has proven very popular and impactful in recent years, and we look forward to partnering with more communities nationwide to strengthen local food systems …
USDA Grants to Improve Organic Market
USDA is working to help organic growers keep up with market demand. Consumer demand for domestic organic products is on the rise, said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Program Jenny Lester Moffitt as she highlighted the Organic Market Development Grant (OMDG) program. “It’s an opportunity for producers to be able to capture a price premium. It’s a market …
NPPC Pleased with USDA Purchase of Pork for Nutrition Programs
Using funds from its Commodity Credit Corporation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is purchasing an additional 33.5 million pounds of pork. The more than $78.6 million buy is for pork products for distribution to various food nutrition and assistance programs. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauded the USDA purchase and says the organization will continue working with the …
How USDA Supports U.S. Biomanufacturing Sector
The Agriculture Department supports development of our nation’s biomanufacturing sector. Rod Bain tells us how in today’s This Land of Ours report. Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land Of Ours program here. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024
USDA-NRCS Seeks Proposals from Conservation Minded Partners in Georgia
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia (NRCS-GA) is requesting proposals to assist with implementing some key priorities. The objective of this Notice of Funding is to obtain Technical Services and Projects to enhance Conservation Technical Assistance and Farm Bill Program Delivery across Georgia. But, proposals for this funding are due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on March 23, 2024. Conservation minded …
USDA-NRCS Investing in Climate-Smart Easements
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced an investment of about $138 million in Climate-Smart Easements through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The funding, from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, is the largest climate investment in history. The selected ACEP projects are part of a broad investment in climate-smart agriculture and forestry. Carrie Lindig, NRCS Easement Program Division Director, explains how the Southeast can be an …
USDA Finalizes Product of USA Label Rule
The USDA finalized a rule to align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the rule Monday at the National Farmer’s Union annual convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We are now on record as being for the utilization of that label only, only, when the animal was …
USDA: Expiring Estate Tax Provisions Would Increase Taxes for Farm Estates
An expiring estate tax could be very costly for farm estates. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly changed federal individual income and estate tax policies, though some were temporary. In 2018, the legislation increased the estate tax exemption amount from $5.49 million to $11.18 million. This increase expires at the …
USDA Announced Bobwhite Pilot Project, General CRP Signup
A new conservation initiative from NRCS. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching a new conservation initiative, the Working Lands for Wildlife’s Northern Bobwhite Pilot Project. NRCS has also announced the signup dates for USDA’s General Enrollment signup in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which opens March 4. Both conservation opportunities give …