USDA Seeks Nominees for American Egg Board

USDA Seeks Nominees for American Egg Board

Dan Industry News Release, Poultry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the American Egg Board for the 2018-2019 term. Any non-exempt egg producer within the 48 contiguous U.S. and the District of Columbia may be nominated. Egg producers owning 75,000 or fewer laying hens may request an exemption from participation in the egg …

database

USDA Removes Database on Animal Mistreatment

Dan Cattle, Industry News Release, Livestock

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture shut down a database that includes information about mistreated, injured, or killed farm animals. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service cited privacy concerns in taking down the website information. A CNN Dot Com article quotes an animal activist group saying the agency bowed to pressure from groups that don’t want the information …

Christmas tree farm

USDA Seeks Nominees for Christmas Tree Promotion Board

Dan Forestry, Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the Christmas Tree Promotion Board to fill six seats for members and an importer whose terms expire on Dec. 31, 2017. The 12-member board is composed of 11 producer members from three regions and one importer. Five producer members are from the Western region, four are from the Eastern region …

career

Funding to Support the Agricultural Sciences

Dan Education, Industry News Release

$1 Million to Support Agricultural Science Education for Insular Areas The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $1 million in available funding for projects to strengthen food and agricultural science education in insular areas of the United States. Funding is made through two NIFA programs, the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher …

Renewal Options Available for Expiring CSP Contracts

Dan Environment, USDA-NRCS

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners with existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts, the renewal sign-up deadline is coming up May 5. NRCS Acting Chief, Leonard Jordan, says participants with existing CSP contracts that expire on December 31 can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an option to renew their contracts for an …

African Swine Fever

USDA to Study Antibiotics Use in Pork operations

Dan Industry News Release, Pork

The Department of Agriculture will begin a four-month study in May on how antimicrobials are used in U.S. swine operations. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports the agency’s National Animal Health Monitoring System, along with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, is conducting a new data collection and reporting effort that will focus on antimicrobial use and stewardship practices on swine nursery …

secretary

Perdue Off to Work as USDA Secretary

Dan Industry News Release

Newly minted Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue ditched his coat and tie, and rolled up his sleeves Tuesday morning, getting to work at the Department of Agriculture during an address to USDA employees. Following Senate confirmation Monday, the former Georgia Governor was sworn in Tuesday morning by Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, also from Georgia. Perdue preached transparency, ethics and …

food safety

USDA Announces $4.8 Million Available to Support Food Safety Outreach Program

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $4.8 million in available funding to develop and implement food safety training, education, extension, outreach, and technical assistance projects. This funding, offered through the Food Safety Outreach Program and administered by NIFA, will address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning …

biotechnology

Funding to Educate the Future Agricultural Science Workforce

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $18 million in available funding to foster the next generation of agricultural science professionals. Funding is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “There is a significant shortfall in the number of qualified applicants for jobs in agriculture-related …

palmer amaranth

FSA and NRCS Officials Ask for Your Help in Controlling Palmer amaranth

Dan Industry News Release, USDA-NRCS

By Chris Beyerhelm, Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency and Leonard Jordan, Acting Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service USDA has learned that Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), an invasive weed, may have infested some newly-seeded (2016) conservation plantings across the upper Midwest. Palmer amaranth is highly competitive, and in fact, is the most competitive of the pigweed species. It grows rapidly and …