bonnie

Bonnie: Conservation Efforts Will Remain Voluntary

Dan Conservation, Environment

With the Biden Administration’s deep focus on conservation and the environment, some agriculture groups and individual farmers are worried about mandatory conservation efforts. However, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie said conservation efforts by farmers will remain voluntary. “You’re not going to adopt soil health practices at the end of a gun barrel,” Bonnie said while speaking …

atypical

Atypical BSE Case Detected in South Carolina

Dan Beef, Cattle, USDA-APHIS

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) last week announced the finding of an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). The approximately five-year-old or older beef cow tested positive following routine surveillance protocols at a slaughterhouse in South Carolina. The animal possessed a radio frequency identification tag associated with a herd in Tennessee. USDA APHIS and state animal …

bill

Bill Incentivizes Use of Cover Crops

Dan Cover Crops, Legislative, Regulation, This Land of Ours

A new bill would give farmers more incentive to use cover crops. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and several state representatives introduced bipartisan legislation to incentivize farmers to plant cover crops to help boost environmental conservation. The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act would provide farmers who plant cover crops …

mango industry

Mango Industry Seeing Unprecedented Growth

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Big growth in the mango industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The mango industry is having record volume of high-quality fruit arriving in the U.S. this year. Mango volume for the past three weeks has topped the charts at 4.4M, 5.1M and 4.6M boxes per week. The National Mango Board has engaged its growers, importers, and retailers …

AgNet Weekly: Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack

Sabrina Halvorson AgNet Weekly

The Biden Administration this week announced the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loan opportunities to help rural energy and utility providers. They say the funding will help bring affordable, reliable, clean energy to communities across the country. Sabrina Halvorson talks with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to get more details. Each week we highlight essential legislative and …

food spending

Food Spending Decreased Unevenly Across States in 2020

Dan Economy, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

Trends in food spending across the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States disrupted the food industry in 2020, according to fresh data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Inflation-adjusted total U.S. food expenditures were 6.6 percent lower in 2020 than in 2019. However, individual states experienced varying degrees of food …

socially disadvantaged

Socially Disadvantaged Farms Concentrated in South and West

Dan Economy, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

Some areas of the nation are more likely than others to have socially disadvantaged farms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers tend to be more concentrated in southern and western regions of the country. USDA defines socially disadvantaged farmers as those belonging to groups subject …

usda

Rodale Institute Applauds USDA Investments in Organic Farmers

Dan Organic, This Land of Ours, USDA, USDA-AMS, USDA-FSA

The USDA gets a pat on the back for its investments in organic farming. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding opportunities for organic farmers, a welcome investment, according to the Rodale Institute. USDA announced the expanded opportunities last week. Through the newly-established Organic Market Development Grant Program (OMDGP), USDA’s Agricultural Marketing …

radio

More Elected Officials Concerned About Lack of AM Radio in New Cars

Dan This Land of Ours

Concern about the lack of AM radio in new vehicles continues to grow. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Representatives Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey sent a bipartisan letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the future of AM radio in new vehicles. They expressed concerns over automakers’ decision to drop …