highlands county

Highlands County Ranch Preserved through Florida’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has announced the preservation of more Florida farmland through their Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP). The Bar Rocking C Ranch, a 1,070-acre cattle operation in Highlands County, is being preserved through a rural lands protection easement for $4,300,000. Bar Rocking C Ranch is a cattle ranch in western Highlands County, approximately 8.3 miles …

USDA Provides Additional Flexibilities to Respond to 2024 Hurricanes

Expedites Emergency Conservation and Disaster Recovery Payments for Producers in Nine States Impacted by Hurricanes in 2016 to 2023 (USDA-FSA/WASHINGTON/Dec. 5, 2024) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is taking steps to streamline and provide flexibilities for environmental compliance requirements for 2024 hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton allowing the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to expedite approval of payments …

Florida

Public Input Needed on How to Improve Conservation Practice Standards

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently seeking public input on how to improve conservation practice standards.  NRCS is looking to maximize climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits, as supported by peer-reviewed scientific literature. Conservation practices providing climate benefits are delivered through existing conservation programs. This includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership …

Feeding America

Hunger Crisis in America: Feeding America CEO Urges Action

The United States is facing its highest levels of food insecurity since the 2008-2009 economic downturn, according to Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. In a recent interview, Babineaux-Fontenot revealed that nearly 50 million Americans, including 14 million children, are experiencing hunger. These statistics, she emphasized, are a stark reminder of the growing crisis. Babineaux-Fontenot noted that while food insecurity …

farmers

Farm Service Agency Stresses Support for Farmers Amid Disasters

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is working to assist farmers facing natural disasters, particularly in the Southeast and California. In an interview with AgNet Media, Administrator Zach Ducheneaux highlighted the agency’s efforts to provide relief to producers who have suffered devastating losses due to recent hurricanes in the southeast and the extremes of flooding and drought …

projects

USDA Seeks Public Input on Climate Benefits of Conservation Practice Standards

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input on how to improve conservation practice standards to maximize climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits, as supported by peer-reviewed scientific literature. Conservation practices providing climate benefits are delivered through existing USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs popular with producers, like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional …

pre-election

Pre-Election Farmer Sentiment Bounces Back

October (.pdf) provided a surprising pre-election bounce in farmer sentiment as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed to 115, 27 points above the September index. The biggest driver of the sentiment improvement was an increase in producers’ confidence in the future. The Future Expectations Index jumped 30 points to 124. The Current Conditions Index also rose in October …

Corn growers

Corn Farmers Facing Worst Year Since 2007

Corn farmers could be in for their worst year in close to two decades, economists say, as the Federal Reserve reports that crop prices remain “unprofitably low” in its latest assessment of economic conditions.  Last week’s Federal Reserve Beige Book largely “confirmed things we were already thinking,” Michael Langemeir, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, told Agriculture Dive, …

florida

USDA Undersecretary Tours Hurricane Damage in Florida

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been busy working with agricultural producers and landowners affected by the recent hurricanes.  USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie has been across the Southeast and is spending time touring some of the areas of Florida yesterday and today that were affected by Hurricane Milton. He talked to Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman about the damage he has seen …

automation

Automation Takes Center Stage at FIRA USA Event

The FIRA USA conference is an annual event focused on agricultural robotics and automation, bringing together experts, growers, and tech innovators to explore the latest advancements in ag tech. Held this year at the Yolo County Fairgrounds near Sacramento, California, the event highlights solutions designed to improve efficiency and sustainability, particularly for specialty crop production. Paul Welbig, Director of Precision …