AgNet Weekly: Rep John Duarte on the GATES Act

Sabrina Halvorson AgNet Weekly

The Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability (GATES) Act seeks to reduce barriers that producers face in accessing agricultural conservation programs. Congressman John Duarte, a farmer from California, is on the coalition behind the act. He says current adjusted gross income (AGI) limitations of $900,000 disproportionately limit producers with high input costs from participating in certain USDA conservation-focused programs. The congressman …

Report Reflects Continued Stress on U.S. Honeybee Colonies

Dan Agri-Business, Environment, Pollinators, This Land of Ours

Honeybee losses continue in the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A new USDA report on U.S. honeybee colonies shows continued high losses of those colonies. USDA’s Gary Crawford reports. It seems the nation’s honeybee colonies continue to be under siege. The latest USDA report shows the number of colonies is down from a year ago and the …

Seal of Cotton Turns 50

Dan Cotton, This Land of Ours

A familiar trademark is turning fifty. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Seal of Cotton trademark from Cotton Incorporated is turning 50 this year. It was created back in 1973 to show that a product contained cotton. Within the first year, about 18 percent of Americans could identify the trademark. By the 1980’s that number was up …

USDA Extends Application Deadline for Organic Dairy Program

Dan Dairy, Marketing, Organic, USDA-FSA

Organic dairy producers have more time to submit applications for the USDA’s Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The program was established to help mitigate several factors that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. The funds will assist with projected marketing costs in 2023, calculated using their marketing costs in 2022. “We made that available earlier in …

GATES Act Aims to Include Larger Farms in Conservation Programs

Dan Agri-Business, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Farm Bill, Funding, Legislative, Regulation, Specialty Crops, USDA-NRCS

The Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability (GATES) Act seeks to reduce barriers that producers face in accessing agricultural conservation programs. Congressman John Duarte, a farmer from California, is on the coalition behind the act. He says current adjusted gross income (AGI) limitations of $900,000 disproportionately limit producers with high input costs from participating in certain USDA conservation-focused programs.  “That sounds …

Biotechnology Organization Lists Farm Bill Priorities

Dan Agri-Business, Biotechnology, Farm Bill, Legislative, This Land of Ours

Farm Bill priorities for the biotech industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) says the next Farm Bill offers opportunities to invest in long-term food security, climate resiliency, and growing the national bio-economy. The group has submitted recommendations to the agriculture committees in both chambers of Congress as they work on writing the …

AgNet Weekly: Ethan Lane and Representative Victoria Spartz

Sabrina Halvorson AgNet Weekly

This week, Sabrina reported on a proposed amendment to the ag appropriations bill. The amendment states that none of the funds made available by the bill may be used to carry out commodity checkoff programs. Several industry groups came out against the amendment, and she spoke with a representative of one- Vice President of Government Affairs with the National Cattlemen’s …