Landowners and agricultural producers currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) now have a wider opportunity to enroll in a 30-year contract through the Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative, called CLEAR30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding CLEAR30 — a water-quality focused option available through CRP — to be nationwide now.
Read MoreAgricultural producers who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office before the applicable deadline. July 15 is a major deadline for most crops, but acreage reporting deadlines vary by county and by crop.
“USDA offers a lot of programs to assist producers, but in order to receive many of these program benefits, you must file an accurate crop acreage report,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Once planting is complete, call your local FSA county office to make an appointment.”
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has set a July 23, 2021, deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup.
Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency will accept applications for CRP Grasslands from July 12 to August 20. This year, USDA updated both signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase its conservation benefits, including reducing the impacts of climate change.
Read MoreAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today additional aid to agricultural producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Earlier this year, Secretary Vilsack announced plans to use available pandemic assistance funds to address a number of gaps and disparities in previous rounds of aid. As part of the Pandemic Assistance initiative announced in March, USDA pledged to continue Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments and to provide aid to producers and businesses left behind. Implementation of the assistance announced today will continue within 60 days to include support to timber harvesters, biofuels, dairy farmers and processors, livestock farmers and contract growers of poultry, assistance for organic cost share, and grants for PPE.
Read MoreMore than $1 billion in payments will be released over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers with approved applications for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program and for producers who have already received payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+).
Read MoreFor years milk has been a staple for many families when they are looking something delicious and nutritious. But now there’s even more good news to share about real dairy milk.
New information based on updated U.S. Department of Agriculture databases shows milk packs 13 essential nutrients in every serving, including zinc, selenium, iodine and potassium, plus nine more vitamins and minerals contributing to health, immune function, and strong bones and muscles.
Read MoreDid you plant a cover crop and also have crop insurance coverage for your spring crops this year?
If so, you may be eligible for a premium benefit through the new Pandemic Cover Crop Program. To receive this benefit, you must file a Report of Acreage (FSA578) by June 15, 2021.
Read MorePlease complete your June Agricultural and Area surveys. The information you provide is a critical foundation for understanding U.S. agricultural activities, land uses, crop acreage, production and stocks. Fill out your surveys online at http://agcounts.usda.gov
Read MoreBetty Chenier, aged 60, grows potatoes, watermelon, kale, collards, and other vegetables, and raises chickens, hogs and cattle on her 50-acre farm, selling her produce at a farmer’s market in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Betty and her husband, John, bought their current farm in Opelousas, Louisiana roughly 30 years ago, but the couple has been farming far longer, John since childhood. While roughly 33,000 farmers receive a loan from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency each year, Betty and John have never received a loan from the USDA. It’s not for lack of trying. When Chenier Farms applied for a USDA loan to purchase a water well, “they wanted us to mortgage 50 acres for a loan of $10,000.” That didn’t feel fair to Betty – in Louisiana, an acre of farmland is worth roughly $1,000 – so they looked for a private loan instead.
Read MoreProducers who have crop insurance coverage may qualify for premium support up to $5 per acre in a new USDA assistance program if they planted cover crops for the 2021 crop year.
The Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday some cover crop acreage could be eligible for the Pandemic Cover Crop Program offered by USDA's Risk Management Agency.
Qualifying cover crops include cereals, grasses, legumes, brassicas, non-legume broadleaves, and mixes of two or more cover crop species planted at the same time.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced loan interest rates for June 2021, which are effective June 1. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of up to $4 million for grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Office) is accepting proposals for planning and innovation projects, and these grants are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture.
USDA will accept applications on Grants.gov until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 30, 2021.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly agricultural trade forecast projects fiscal year 2021 U.S. farm exports at $164 billion — the highest total on record.
The projections represents an increase of $28 billion, or 21 percent, from last fiscal year’s total, and a $7-billion increase from USDA’s previous FY 2021 forecast published in February. The previous annual export record of $152.3 billion was set in FY 2014.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. This multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions to address climate change.
Read MoreRepublicans on the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday proposed a three-year program with $7.35 billion in funding to bring broadband access to rural America. The bill would focus on the most remote and least served areas.
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