U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Steve Censky announced two new efforts to provide states and school districts with additional flexibility and support to operate more efficient school meal programs. Censky made the announcement during a speech at the School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Child Nutrition Hiring Flexibility Rule In 2015, USDA established education and …
USDA Helps Cotton Producers Maintain, Expand Domestic Market
It was officially announced this past weekend that cotton producers will get a little bit of financial help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Gary Crawford has the story. Perdue Announces Renewal of Cotton Gin Cost Share Program-1 Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was in Memphis Saturday explaining why the Cotton Ginning Cost Share (CGCS) announcement was delayed. Perdue Announces …
Confirmation of Northey for USDA Applauded
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the Senate’s long-awaited confirmation of Bill Northey to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Northey will serve as Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service (FFAS)*. Perdue issued the following statement: “I applaud Bill Northey’s patience over these many months, which demonstrates what a strong leader he …
USDA Announces Program to Secure China Soybean Market
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is busy preparing what it calls a “major initiative” regarding American shipments of soybeans to China. The USDA will ask soybean farmers to adopt new farming practices to minimize the amount of foreign material that gets harvested with their crops and can end up in exports to China. A program like this will depend …
USDA Talks to Grocers About the “Harvest Box”
The USDA public relations campaign surrounding the harvest box idea has gone before a group of the nation’s biggest grocery suppliers. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says they’re talking with grocers about their role in a proposal to replace some food stamp allocations with prepackaged boxes of groceries. Perdue told reporters last week that grocers are already adding the delivery service …
Perdue Promotes “Harvest Box”
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue wants people who don’t like the idea of “America’s Harvest Box” to know that they are very serious about the idea. He says House Ag Committee Chair Mike Conaway is open to considering a small-scale pilot program in the 2018 Farm Bill. The Secretary has faced a lot of criticism since the proposal came out last …
USDA Seeks Ideas to Help SNAP Participants Become Independent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is looking for innovative ideas to promote work and self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults participating in the department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The public is invited to provide input through a notice in the Federal Register. Comments can be submitted on the web through the Federal Register tomorrow. USDA intends to use …
USDA Opens New Office in Vietnam to Help Facilitate Increasing Agricultural Trade
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently celebrated the opening of its new office in Hanoi, Vietnam. The office will play a vital role in helping expand the United States’ $2.5 billion-dollar agricultural export market in Vietnam. “Growing agricultural trade between the United States and Vietnam means new opportunities for American producers,” said Greg …
USDA Seeking Dismissal of OTA Lawsuit
The Department of Agriculture wants a federal district court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the department’s delay of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule. USDA claims it’s challenger, the Organic Trade Association, “lacks standing because it pleads no facts” in showing the delay has resulted in the suffering of its members because of the USDA action, according to …
Total Number of U.S. Farms Down In 2017
USDA’s latest look at how many farms were in our country reveals a decrease from the previous year. Rod Bain has the details. Total Number of U.S. Farms Down In 2017