WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated two Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Baldwin and Mobile counties who suffered losses due to recent drought, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering …
Trump Administration Invests More Than $12.5 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Georgia
CARES Act ReConnect Funding to Connect 2,779 Rural Households to High-Speed Broadband United States Department of Agriculture WASHINGTON, June 25, 2020 – The Trump Administration announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $12.5 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Georgia. This investment is part of the $100 …
Judge Rules Glyphosate Doesn’t Require Cancer Warning
A federal judge this week sided with an agriculture coalition issuing a permanent injunction against the California warning requirement of Proposition 65 for glyphosate. The ruling removes the cancer warning on glyphosate. The judge in the case says providing misleading or false labels to consumers “undermines California’s interest in accurately informing its citizens of health risks.” Two years ago, the …
Georgia Produce Safety Program Inspections Underway Again
During COVID-19, the Georgia Produce Safety Program, through the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), suspended many of its normal activities. But according to Education and Outreach Associate, Elizabeth Danforth, some of those have started back up again. In following Governor Kemp’s guidelines, Danforth said that as of last week they started doing inspections again. And Elizabeth notes they’ve also started …
Farmworkers: DeSantis’ Remarks ‘Shameful’
(NSF) – Farm workers are pushing back after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said clusters of “overwhelmingly Hispanic” day laborers and agriculture workers are the source for Florida’s recent surge in coronavirus cases. The Republican governor told reporters on Tuesday that migrant workers and Hispanic construction workers have been testing positive for COVID-19, in part, because of cramped living and working …
USDA Expands Farmers.gov Features to Manage Conservation Activities
New self-service features on farmers.gov will help farmers and ranchers manage their conservation activities online and request assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Producers can access these conservation features by desktop computer, tablet or phone. They can now: View, download and e-sign documents; Request conservation assistance; Reference technical terms and submit questions; Access information …
Farmworkers: DeSantis’ Remarks ‘Shameful’
Farm workers are pushing back after Gov. Ron DeSantis said clusters of “overwhelmingly Hispanic” day laborers and agriculture workers are the source for Florida’s recent surge in coronavirus cases. The Republican governor told reporters on Tuesday that migrant workers and Hispanic construction workers have been testing positive for COVID-19, in part, because of cramped living and working conditions. “Some of …
Secretary Perdue Announces Modernization Blueprint for the USDA Forest Service
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a memorandum to Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen providing direction that will serve as a blueprint to help modernize the agency’s systems and approaches to ensure national forests and grasslands continue to meet the needs of the American people. “Under this administration, the Forest Service has sold more timber than …
Growing Climate Solutions Act Promotes Farmer Engagement with Carbon Market
The bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act that was recently introduced is aimed at addressing climate change concerns by supporting more participation in carbon markets. The bill would establish a certification program to be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide more efficiency and transparency to the process of carbon trading. Several agricultural industry groups including the American …
Commissioner Fried Applauds Cabinet Approval of Conservation and Aquaculture Projects
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Florida Cabinet approved a Florida Forever land acquisition project in Franklin County and Wakulla County and an aquaculture lease project in Gulf County. These projects will help support Florida’s aquaculture industry, which has suffered massive sales decreases due to COVID-19, and will provide important conservation protections for natural lands and wildlife in the Panhandle area. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is the state’s lead …