Federal Program Protects Public Safety While forecasters are predicting an active hurricane season this year, workers are finishing repairs from Hurricane Matthew. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, (NRCS) has provided $1,487,887 for Putnam, Volusia, and Seminole counties to remove debris in canals, ditches, and streams to prevent flooding homes, businesses, roads, and utilities. Another $769,523 will fund stabilizing streambanks in …
Duvall Praises Selection of Hazlett for Rural Development
The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Anne Hazlett brings a depth of experience on rural development issues that should benefit American farmers and ranchers and strengthen the rural communities they call home. Her background in rural issues in Indiana and her background in agricultural policy make her an ideal candidate to lead USDA’s …
Withdraw ‘GIPSA’ Rule, Say NPPC, Pork Producers
The National Pork Producers Council in comments submitted again urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to withdraw a regulation related to the buying and selling of livestock. It also delivered to the agency comments from 630 pork producers and others in the pork industry, opposing the regulation and asking that it be withdrawn. The comments were on an interim final …
Meat Production Forecast Lowered
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report was released last Friday, and in the Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy section, the forecast for total meat production for 2017 was lowered from last month but is raised for 2018. Beef production for 2017 was lowered primarily on lighter carcass weights which more than offsets higher …
Pig Pens: A Look at Mirrors and Mats
by USDA Agricultural Research Service What a pig sees when it looks into a mirror may help Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists improve livestock housing. Studying livestock behavior, stress and other well-being and production factors is the job of animal scientist Jeremy Marchant-Forde and his colleagues at the ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana. Improving an animal’s environment …
USDA Announces Farm to School Grant Awards
Projects Nationwide Chosen The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the projects selected to receive the USDA’s annual farm to school grants designed to increase the number of local foods served in schools. Sixty-five projects were chosen nationwide. “Increasing the number of local foods in America’s schools is a win-win for everyone,” said Cindy Long, Deputy Administrator for Child Nutrition Programs …
USDA Releases Latest WASDE Report
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report released Friday offered no changes to U.S. corn ending stocks and increased the ending stocks estimate for soybeans. USDA increased soybean ending stocks for new crop soybeans to 495 million bushels, up from 480 million last month, and left new-crop corn ending stocks unchanged at 2.1 billion …
USDA Seeks Nominees to the National Dairy Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Nominations must be submitted by July 10, 2017. The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint 12 dairy producers and one importer to serve 3-year terms beginning Nov. 1, 2017, and end Oct. 31, 2020. The selected representatives will replace board members whose terms expire …
USDA Announces More than $22 Million in Conservation Innovation
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the agency will award more than $22.6 million to drive public and private sector innovation in resource conservation. The agency is investing in 33 projects nationwide through its competitive Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, which helps develop the tools, technologies, and strategies to support next-generation conservation efforts on working lands and …
Critical Agricultural Research and Extension Projects Gains Support
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced $4.8 million to support 17 research and extension grants that address critically important problems in U.S. agriculture. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “America’s agricultural systems are constantly exposed to biological …