This report includes Number of Workers, Hours Worked, and Wage Rates by Type of Worker…
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Thirty-nine percent of the 880 million acres of U.S. farmland in 2022 was rented or leased, a similar rate to that in 2017, according to new data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating $300 million to 66 U.S. organizations, under the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), to build demand for American food and farm exports in high-potential markets around the globe.
Secretary Vilsack launched RAPP in October 2023, authorizing $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond traditional and established markets, focusing on regions such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia, where consumer demand and purchasing power are growing.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct the Soybean Request for Referendum May 6 through May 31, 2024, in county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices.
The Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act requires USDA to conduct a Request for Referendum every five years to determine if producers want to vote on continuation of the Soybean Checkoff Program. The last Request for Referendum was conducted in 2019.
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The efficacy of 3 adjuvants combined with a standard rate of insecticide applied for sugarcane borer (SCB) control was compared with untreated controls in second ratoon sugarcane (HoCP 00-950) in 2023 at the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit Ardoyne Farm in Schriever, Louisiana. Plots consisted of 3, 60-ft rows, with 4 replications assigned using a RCBD. All insecticide applications used the insecticide Vantacor (FMC) at a rate of 1.2 fl oz/acre and were applied when the infestation reached the threshold level (3% of stalks with SCB larvae present in leaf sheaths) on 29 June 2023.
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Agricultural producers and handlers who are certified organic, along with producers and handlers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which help producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are both due October 31, 2022.
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Public and private cost-share programs give farmers the option to test new technology and conservation practices with lower financial risk before footing the bill of whole-scale implementation.
For the Wiggers Farm Partnership in Winnsboro, La., utilizing cost-share programs available through NRCS, especially the Conservation Stewardship Program, has enabled them to make compounding changes to irrigation equipment, soil improvements and more.
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Trinity Waguespack is an 11-year-old urban farmer in Lafayette, Louisiana. When she’s not tackling her schoolwork, Trinity is busy growing lettuce in her three hydroponic garden towers. Through precision agriculture and artificial intelligence technology, the towers notify her when the lettuce needs water, even when she’s at swim practice.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture expanded emergency assistance to crawfish farmers who suffered from weather issues last summer.
USDA changed regulations of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish, called ELAP, to include crawfish farmers in the federal grants for disasters.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) strongly encourages eligible conservation partners to submit proposals for $10 million in available funds to research the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) environmental benefits and outcomes. CRP is one of the world’s largest voluntary conservation programs with an established track record of preserving topsoil, sequestering carbon, reducing nitrogen runoff and providing healthy wildlife habitat.
Funding this research with partners outside of USDA will enable USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) — the agency responsible for administering CRP — to best focus the program’s future functionality and goals based on the collective research results.
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According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Louisiana, there were 3.2 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, May 5, 2024. Topsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 6 percent short, 63 percent adequate, and 31 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 6 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 20 percent surplus.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for four positions on the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. USDA will accept nominations from May 7, 2024, to July 7, 2024. The 12-member Committee, which first convened in March 2022, is part of USDA’s efforts to increase support for urban agriculture and innovative production. Members of the Committee provide input on policy development and help identify barriers to urban agriculture as USDA works to promote urban farming and the economic opportunities it provides in cities across the country.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced approximately $22.3 million available to community-based and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and Tribal entities that help underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers own and operate successful farms. Funding is made through USDA’s 2501 Program. This program is administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE).
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The St. Landry Parish Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Opelousas is hiring a full time Program Technician (PT). The deadline to apply is May 15, 2024.
Duties include general office activities supporting FSA programs administered at the field level. Successful applicants must be reliable, have a professional attitude and enjoy working with the public.
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Deidre Deculus Robert was promoted to Director of State Operations for Rural Development.
Most recently, Deculus Robert served as State Director of Rural Development in Louisiana. There, she worked to support rural communities across Louisiana by administering programs for affordable housing, community facilities, and the business industry. Before that, she was Executive Counsel and General Counsel for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and the Southern University and A&M College System respectively.
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