USDA Partners with FarmRaise to Offer Educational Tools and Resources to Promote Financial Access and Equity for Agricultural Producers
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled a new, online Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool and farm loan resources available to agricultural producers and cooperators who help producers access USDA disaster assistance, farm loans and other federal farm programs. The new LIP tool and the farm loan informational video resources were developed in partnership with FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). These tools are now available at www.farmraise.com/usda-fsa.
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USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Veterans Webinar Series
Register for a free webinar series for military veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses on how to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare for a career in agriculture. This webinar series is designed to provide information about USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs and resources for the military community.
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Dairy Producers in Louisiana Reminded to Enroll in 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage by April 29
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging dairy producers to enroll by April 29, 2024, for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began Feb. 28, 2024, and payments, retroactive to January, began in March 2024. So far, DMC payments triggered in January and February of 2024 at margins of $8.48 and $9.44 respectively.
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USDA Invites Applications For Grants To Strengthen Rural Cooperatives That Serve Socially Disadvantaged Groups
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden today announced that USDA is inviting applications for grants to strengthen rural cooperatives that serve and are made up of people who are part of socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas.
USDA is making the $3 million in grants available under the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program to help new and existing cooperatives strengthen their hands-on assistance, like leadership training and strategic planning, to small business owners and agricultural producers.
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USDA Forest Service Invests Over $1M To Support Schools, Roads & Other Services As Part of Investing In America Agenda
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced it is issuing more than $232 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services through the agency’s Secure Rural Schools program. The program was reauthorized for fiscal years 2021 through 2023 through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Fiscal year 2023 funds will be paid to 745 eligible counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico.
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USDA Seeking Partners For Summer Food Service Program
For many families whose children receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch during the school year, summer can be a time of food insecurity. To combat this problem, each year the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) participates in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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Cattle Producers Lose Industry Insight As USDA Cancels July Inventory Report
An extension livestock economist says the UDSA’s decision to cancel the July Cattle Inventory Report is a huge loss for the industry. Oklahoma State University’s Derrell Peel says this is a problematic time to lose access to data. “Given where we are right now, we’re in a cyclical low in numbers and we’re really concerned right now about sort of the process of stopping liquidation, stabilizing the beef cow herd,” he says. “And beginning that process of rebuilding.”
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Vermilion Parish FSA Office Is Hiring
The Vermilion Parish Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Abbeville is hiring a full time Program Technician (PT). The deadline to apply is April 12, 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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Congresswoman Letlow Makes Efforts to Expand Emergency Relief Benefits
Congresswoman Julia Letlow questioned the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the steps his department was making to provide assistance for Louisiana farmers during a hearing on March 22.
During the hearing with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Congresswoman Julia Letlow mentioned challenges that some Louisiana farmers are facing due to a drought in 2023. The USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsack agreed to partner with Congresswoman Letlow on steps moving forward to assist Louisiana farmers who have faced challenges from the drought of 2023.
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Shellfish Crop Insurance Program Offers Oyster Producers Needed Protection from Environmental Challenges and More
The new Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program, offered through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), offers you, as an oyster producer, needed protection from environmental challenges and it also allows you to insure for a higher price based on your personal sales records. You are now eligible for protection against losses due to named storms, excessive heat during a low tide event, freeze during a low tide event, or low salinity due to excessive rainfall.
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USDA Designates 62 Parishes As A Primary Natural Disaster Area
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.
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USDA Makes $1.5 Billion Available to Help Farmers Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of an historic $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to invest in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
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Developing Talent Pipeline Crucial To Tackling Agriculture's Biggest Challenges
With farming communities across America facing challenges ranging from the economic to the environmental, developing a talent pipeline of young people interested in solving these problems is critical to the future of agriculture.
That was the message Xochitl Torres Small, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shared when she visited the LSU campus
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USDA Announces April '24 Lending Rates For Agricultural Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for April 2024, which are effective April 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.
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Feral Swine: Managing an Invasive Species
Feral swine—also known as wild pigs, wild boars, wild hogs, and razorbacks—are descendants of escaped or released pigs first brought to the United States by Europeans as a food source. They are a dangerous and destructive invasive species, and their populations have expanded across the country. Help us manage their damage.
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