(USDA/WASHINGTON/April 18, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is welcoming new and modified proposals from conservation partners for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) focused on effectively managing wildlife habitat. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has expanded available practices under this initiative in response to feedback from partners. “We …
USDA Releases Equity Action Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made its Equity Action Plan (PDF, 500 KB) publicly available. The plan outlines actions USDA will take to advance programmatic equity to improve access to programs and services for underserved stakeholders and communities. All too often in the past, USDA programs and services were designed to benefit those with land, experience, money, and education while …
USDA in Georgia Seeks Additional Proposals from Conservation Minded Partners
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia had previously requested proposals to assist with the technical aspects of implementing key priorities in the state. Now, they’ve announced an additional opportunity to partner with likeminded natural resource conservation partners in Georgia to help provide outreach and education on USDA-NRCS programs. Conservation minded organizations who wish to apply should demonstrate …
SW GA Farm Credit Makes USDA Loans Available
SW GA Farm Credit, based in Bainbridge, GA, in the Tri-State area, is pleased to announce they will work with elgible barrowers throughout the food supply chain to provide loans through the USDA new Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program. Tyron Spearman offers details about this new loan program and what it means for producers. Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New …
USDA Researcher’s Role in Cacao
There are many roles in agriculture. Hear how one researcher found her path to working on saving chocolate. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. USDA researcher Doctor Alina Puig is working on the early detection of diseases in cacao, from which chocolate is made. She explains how she got into such a unique agricultural role. “I started working …
USDA-NRCS Program Working with Urban Agricultural Producers
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working to assist urban agricultural producers through their Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production (UAIP) projects under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). It offers producers technical and financial assistance to address resource concerns on their land. NRCS serves all agriculture, large to small, conventional to organic, rural to urban. As American agriculture continues to grow in …
USDA Publishes Origin of Livestock Final Rule for Organic Dairy
(Release No. 0069.22/USDA/AMS/WASHINGTON, Mar. 29, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture published the highly anticipated Origin of Livestock (OOL) final rule for organic dairy. This change to the USDA organic regulations will promote a fairer and more competitive market for all organic dairy producers, by making sure that certified USDA organic dairy products are produced to the same consistent standard. “This …
Programs Announced by USDA to Increase and Expand Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity
Technical Assistance Now Available to Processors; $23.6 Million Available for Meat, Poultry Readiness Grant program (USDA/WASHINGTON, March 25, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) to provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Processors and applicants involved with the Meat and …
Conservation Trends Highlight New USDA Report
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report shows use of no-till, crop rotations, more efficient irrigation methods and advanced technologies have climbed in recent years. The report, “Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland: A Comparison of CEAP I and CEAP II Survey Data and Modeling”, is from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It demonstrates progress made through voluntary conservation over a …
USDA Designates 17 Florida Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of …