Expert Says Being Proactive Key to Farm Succession

The main key to passing the family farm from one generation to the next is being proactive, according to Oklahoma State University professor, Dr. Shannon Ferrell. Ferrell is an attorney, associate professor, and agricultural law specialist at Oklahoma State University. This week he’s been the keynote speaker at a series of downstate Illinois meetings hosted by Farm Credit Illinois. Dr. …

Perdue Announces Farm Service Agency State Committee Appointees

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee Appointees. State committees are selected by the Secretary, serve at the pleasure of the Secretary, and are responsible for carrying out FSA farm programs within delegated authorities. “The State Committees will help to ensure USDA is providing our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural …

USDA Wants More Done to Combat Crop Insurance Fraud

The Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the Risk Management Agency hasn’t done enough to combat crop insurance fraud. Since 2001, the RMA has contracted with the Center for Agribusiness Excellence at Tarleton State University in Texas to collect data on producers who have unusual crop insurance claims that merit further review. Every year, the center produces …

Index Shows Farmer Optimism Increasing

A survey of farmers shows optimism is increasing in the Midwest farm country, despite continued low prices. The latest DTN/The Progressive Farmer Agricultural Confidence Index found increasing optimism, posting an overall score of 113, up 9 points from August and 15 points higher than the “Trump Bump” survey of a year ago. The so-called “Trump Bump” represented an increase in …

Investment Firms Once Again Purchasing Farmland

Wall Street investment firms are once again putting money into farmland. Institutional investors are buying up farmland as farmers, who would normally be competing for the land, are hanging on to their cash. This investment money can mean different things for local ag communities. Some institutions will purchase land and lease it back to a farmer, who can then continue …

United States Hogs and Pigs Inventory Up 2 Percent

As of December 1, there were 73.2 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up 2 percent from December 2016, but down slightly from September 1, 2017, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Other key findings in the report were: Of the 73.2 million hogs …

21 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas with Assistance to Producers in Georgia

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 21 counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by Hurricane Irma that occurred from Sept. 9, 2017, through Sept. 12, 2017. Those counties are: Baker Hamilton Polk Citrus Hernando Putnam Clay Lafayette St. Johns Columbia Levy Seminole Dixie Manatee Suwannee Duval Nassau Union Flagler Pasco …

USDA Seeks Applications for $10 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants

Funding is available in three focus areas, including grazing lands, organic systems and soil health USDA is offering grants for innovative ideas for conservation strategies and technologies. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to invest $10 million in the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, funding innovative conservation projects in three focus areas: grazing lands, organic systems and soil health. …