(NAFB) — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee held a historic hearing Thursday reviewing the state of Black farmers in the United States. The hearing detailed decades of systemic racism and discrimination against Black Farmers by the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told lawmakers, “We will over the next four years do everything we can to root out whatever …
Florida Senate Proposes Money for Everglades, Sea Level Rise
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis would get more than he requested for Everglades restoration and water projects in the coming year under an initial Senate budget proposal that also would set up a grant program to address sea-level rise. In addition, the Senate is proposing an increase in money for the state’s springs, a reduction to the Florida Forever conservation …
USDA Announces ‘Pandemic Assistance for Producers’ to Distribute Resources More Equitably
USDA Reopens Program Sign-Up to a Larger Share of Producers with Plans to Expand Outreach and New Programming (USDA) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader …
USDA Announces Intent to Pursue Rulemaking on RFID Use in Animal Disease Traceability
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) announced Tuesday that after reviewing 944 public comments on a July 2020 notice that proposed to approve Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) as the official ear tag for use in the interstate movement of cattle, RFID for efficient tracking, they have decided to use the rulemaking process for future activities related to this …
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on Passage of the American Rescue Plan Act
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today on the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act by the U.S. Congress. The bill now goes to President Biden for his signature. For a detailed review, see the USDA fact sheet (see below). “President Biden wasted no time fulfilling his pledge to the American people to bring substantial financial relief within …
USDA Seeks Public Comment on Revised Conservation Practice Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to 23 national conservation practice standards through a posting in the Federal Register. The proposed revisions were published March 9 and comments are due April 8. Proposed revisions to the national conservation practice standards include: Stream Crossing– modification to allow vented fords as an …
USDA to Investigate COVID-19 Spread in Meat Processing Facilities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is initiating an audit of USDA actions that may have contributed to the spread of the COVID-19 in meat processing facilities. The USDA OIG initiated the audit in response to Colorado Senator Michael Bennet’s request last August for an investigation. Bennet says high infection rates early in the …
Citrus Showcase Speaker Predicts Trade War Ahead
Geopolitical expert Peter Zeihan was the keynote speaker for the recent California Citrus Mutual Showcase. The showcase was presented on March 4 online. Zeihan said he believes North America will recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 this year, but the rest of the world will not. That, along with other factors, leads him to predict a trade war is inevitable, …
USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted in Alabama
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, …
CFAP Application Deadline Extended
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it has extended the deadline to apply for the latest round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The original deadline was today, Feb. 26. But according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the new deadline will extend 30 days after USDA completes a review of the program. USDA had suspended processing and payments …