Finding the right risk management fit for your farm can feel overwhelming, especially for specialty crop and small-scale farmers and ranchers. That’s why the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) created a new searchable directory of crop insurance agents who have experience selling Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and Micro Farm policies.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest about $138 million of financial assistance from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—in 138 new climate-smart conservation easements, through which farmers and ranchers are conserving wetlands, grasslands and prime farmlands. These selected Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) projects are part of a broad investment in climate-smart agriculture and forestry as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Read MoreAt this time of year, most Louisianans are used to gathering with family and friends to enjoy steaming trays of boiled crawfish. But this year, with the harvest devastated by drought, crawfish are hard to find and costly, putting a damper on our seasonal festivities.
While consumers lament the high prices, the impact on crawfish farmers is downright dire. The fallout from searing temperatures and dry weather in August is being felt in all parts of the state, producing fewer and smaller-than-usual mudbugs this year.
Read MoreIriel Edwards is a first-generation farmer from Louisiana. In her short tenure as a farmer, Edwards, 25, has already seen extreme drought, freezes, flooding and excessive heat.
Edwards, along with thousands of other growers across the country, faces a conundrum nearly every growing season: how to stay afloat when shifting weather patterns caused by climate change keep wrecking their crops?
Read MoreThe USDA has finalized its new Product of the U.S.A. labeling rule for meat, poultry, and eggs.
Joe Maxwell, co-founder of Farm Action, says the rule is good news for America’s farmers and ranchers. “It was a great day to be in the room when the Secretary announced that America’s farmers and ranchers can be assured that only their meat products, those born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States, will bear that American flag and that proud name Product of the USA,” he says.
Read MoreAt the National Farmers Union Annual Convention, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the finalization of a rule to align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. Secretary Vilsack also announced USDA is awarding $9.5 million to 42 projects through the Local Meat Capacity grant program to expand processing options for the meat and poultry industry and new actions to ensure transparency and a fair and competitive market in the U.S seed industry.
Read MoreAgricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year have until March 15, 2024, to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provide vital income support to farmers who experience substantial declines in crop prices or revenues for the 2024 crop year.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board to succeed 35 members with terms that expire in March 2025.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the finalization of Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act.
The final rule will be effective 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. The final rule Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act (the Inclusive Competition Rule) establishes clearer, more effective standards under the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act for prohibited practices relating to discrimination, retaliation and deception in contracting.
Read MoreOn February 29th, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy introduced the crawfish recovery assistance from weather disasters and droughts act. The CRAWDAD act would support Louisiana's crawfish jobs, providing farmers with federal aid in order to sustain their business during difficult conditions.
The bill would provide emergency livestock aid due to drought, something that is currently not in effect.
Read MoreAs part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s PowerXchange annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas that USDA is moving forward on clean energy investments in 23 states to reduce pollution and strengthen rural America’s power grid. The announcement includes the first five awards totaling $139 million under the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program.
Electric infrastructure projects will benefit rural business owners, families and individuals in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Texas and Wisconsin.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin signing up for the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) starting March 4 and running through March 29, 2024. This conservation opportunity gives producers tools to conserve wildlife habitat while achieving other conservation benefits, including sequestering carbon and improving water quality and soil health.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development is providing a grant worth $166,668 to the University of Louisiana Lafayette through the Rural Energy of America Program to assist small business owners in rural areas across Louisiana looking to invest in energy efficient measures.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for March 2024, which are effective March 1, 2024. 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 MoreSen. John Kennedy (R-La), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Crawfish Recovery Assistance from Weather Disasters and Droughts (CRAWDAD) Act. The bill would support Louisiana’s crawfish jobs as droughts and severe weather have put strain on the industry.
“Louisiana’s crawfish farmers have worked hard to weather a bad freeze and devastating drought. My CRAWDAD Act would give mudbug farmers the help they need to keep delivering quality Louisiana fare to crawfish lovers everywhere,” said Kennedy.
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