The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting nominations for county committee members. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for members. LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. This may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area.
Read MoreAgriculture producers who did not receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture and do not receive other USDA surveys or censuses have until June 30 to sign up to receive the 2022 Census of Agriculture at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will mail ag census survey codes for responding securely online to every known U.S. producer this November. Hard copy questionnaires will follow in December.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for June 2022, which are effective June 1, 2022. 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 Morehe American Soybean Association (ASA) recently led an analysis of federal conservation programs to determine which programs were the most beneficial to farmers and led to greater adoption of conservation practices.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is warning vendors who wish to participate in USDA food purchase programs of a possible phishing scheme. The fake emails look like they are solicitations for bids sent by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which manages USDA’s food purchase programs.
One version of the phony email has the subject line “IFB 1336358510” and the body of the email refers to a “bid for the supply of products and services for the Department of Agriculture Projects. While you consider a response, please take note that bids will be submitted electronically after you login our procurement system. Bids are due in our office no later than 3/10/2022 @ 3pm.” The email goes on to say “Documents and Invitation can be accessed via the following link…”
Read MoreRepublican senators slammed the Biden administration on Thursday for high inflation nationwide and said the USDA should free American farmers to plant as much land as they want to avert a potential food crisis. “We’re all hammered with” inflation, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Read MoreToday, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee held a hearing on Opportunities and Challenges Facing Farmers, Families, and Rural Communities where Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified and responded to questions on a litany of issues.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants who are in the final year of their CRP contract to request voluntary termination of their CRP contract following the end of the primary nesting season for fiscal year 2022. Participants approved for this one-time, voluntary termination will not have to repay rental payments, a flexibility implemented this year to help mitigate the global food supply challenges caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors. Today, USDA also announced additional flexibilities for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
Read MoreFarm Labor: Number of workers, Hours Worked, and Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Delta Region and United States: 2017 - 2022
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Department is investing $770 million to help create new and better market opportunities for rural businesses and people in 36 states and Puerto Rico.
The investments include $640 million for 122 projects to help people living in socially vulnerable communities.
Read MorePhysical loss loans can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees and harvested or stored crops and hay.
Read MoreTwo USDA programs were announced that it is helping farmers make a move to organic farming. The Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) will help with the costs of transitioning to organic processes for up to $750.
Read MoreDuring the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a 30-day extension to the public comment period to identify the impacts of concentration and competition challenges in seed, fertilizer, other agricultural inputs, and retail markets. The new deadline is June 15, 2022.
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