Author Archives: tanya brown

USDA Program to Create National Biofuels Industry

Posted on October 21, 2010 by tanya brown

A renewable energy program that will help create a national biofuels industry has received final approval and will support the Obama administration’s efforts to create jobs, mitigate the effects of climate change and promote production of fuel from renewable sources. … Continue reading →

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Three States Receive Additional Acreage for Conservation Efforts

Posted on October 21, 2010 by tanya brown

USDA has approved the addition of 95,000 acres for conservation projects in Idaho, Kansas and Washington. The acreage will be added through Conservation Reserve Program State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement. “These additional SAFE acres will provide new opportunities for state … Continue reading →

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Iowa Field Offers Hope to Afghan, Pakistani Farmers

Posted on October 20, 2010 by tanya brown

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hosted a meeting between the Afghan and Pakistani agriculture ministers and an Iowa family farmer to show how American farmers turn their land into income. Although it may be difficult to translate the American agricultural model … Continue reading →

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Q&A: Iowa FSA Travels Miles to Aid Amish Community

Posted on October 20, 2010 by tanya brown

 The Cerro Gordo County Farm Service Agency in Iowa services two Amish communities that are 30 miles apart and nearly 50 miles from the FSA county office. Like all Amish communities, modern amenities are non-existent. There is no electricity or phones, … Continue reading →

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Farmer Co-ops: Taking a Seat at Our Table

Posted on October 20, 2010 by tanya brown

For more than 100 years, farmer-owned cooperatives have provided individual farmers with a stake in the marketplace. Farmer co-ops are made up of thousands of individual farmers that work together to succeed in a global marketplace. Whether a farmer has 40 … Continue reading →

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USDA Settles Discrimination Lawsuit With Native American Farmers

Posted on October 19, 2010 by tanya brown

USDA has settled a class action lawsuit filed by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by the government agency. The settlement, announced today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder, ends litigation concerning discrimination complaints that stretch from1981 … Continue reading →

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FSA Committee Member Touts Farms, Ending Child Hunger on ‘Today Show’

Posted on October 19, 2010 by tanya brown

Adrienne Kravitz, a second generation cranberry grower and member of the Massachusetts Farm Service Agency Committee, joined Al Roker on Rockefeller Plaza this morning during the “Today Show” to promote an Ocean Spray campaign to eradicate childhood hunger by 2015. … Continue reading →

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Warning: U.S. Farmland Could Be Next Asset Bubble

Posted on October 19, 2010 by tanya brown

A leading regulator has warned that one of the next assets to bubble and possibly endanger the U.S. financial system is farm property. According to Sheila Bair, chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1,500 farm banks could be in … Continue reading →

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Beet Decision Could Cut Sugar Output by 20 Percent

Posted on October 19, 2010 by tanya brown

U.S. sugar output is expected to decrease by 20 percent next year if genetically modified beets cannot be planted, according to a court filing by USDA. A U.S. district judge ruled in August that the government agency had not considered … Continue reading →

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NASCAR to Lead E15 Migration

Posted on October 19, 2010 by tanya brown

NASCAR officials announced Saturday that it will utilize the 15 percent ethanol blend recently approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Beginning next season, Sunoco will provide E15 during NASCAR’s three national series — the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks. Aside … Continue reading →

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