Author Archives: tanya brown

FSA Youth Loan Program Builds Boy from Teen to Young Adult Cattle Operator

Posted on August 4, 2010 by tanya brown

At age 26, Ray Robroker is a veteran in his industry. At age 16 — with some encouragement from his father — Robroker turned to the Farm Service Agency’s Youth Loan Program to help him obtain his first herd of … Continue reading →

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Farm Production Expenses Fall for First Time in Nearly 25 Years

Posted on August 4, 2010 by tanya brown

U.S. farm production expenditures decreased by nearly $20 billion in 2009, after setting a record high in 2008. This is the first major decline in nearly a quarter century, according to the "Farm Production Expenditures 2009" summary released by the … Continue reading →

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Deadline Announced for SURE Program Payment Applications

Posted on August 3, 2010 by tanya brown

Producers in need of financial assistance for crop production or quality losses due to a natural disaster have until Sept. 30 to submit an application for the 2008 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program. The Farm Service Agency began accepting … Continue reading →

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Maine FSA Donates 40 Pounds of People’s Garden Veggies to Local Food Pantry

Posted on August 3, 2010 by tanya brown

Nearly 40 pounds of produce from the People’s Garden at the Maine Farm Service Agency state office have been donated to a food pantry in Bangor, Maine. This is the third donation the state office has made to the Manna … Continue reading →

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Commodity Credit Corporation Releases Lending Rates for August

Posted on August 3, 2010 by tanya brown

The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for August. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.250, down from 0.375 in July, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year commodity and … Continue reading →

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Nation’s Oldest Family-Run Farm For Sale

Posted on August 2, 2010 by tanya brown

After 11 generations and 378 years, the nation’s oldest family farm is going up for sale. The 138-acre Tuttle farm in Dover, N.H., was named after John Tuttle, who arrived from England in 1632. With a small land grant from … Continue reading →

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General Sign-Up for Conservation Reserve Program Opens Today

Posted on August 2, 2010 by tanya brown

USDA launched a general sign-up today that will allow farmers and ranchers to offer their land in an effort to protect millions of acres of topsoil from erosion and improve the nation’s natural resources. Producers who enroll in the Conservation … Continue reading →

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National Farmers Market Week Kicks Off Monday

Posted on July 30, 2010 by tanya brown

An entire week that pays homage to American farmers markets kicks off on Monday. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has declared Aug. 1-7 as National Farmers Market Week, giving further awareness to the contributions farmers make in the day-to-day lives of … Continue reading →

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FSA Employees Harvest More Than 4,900 Ears of Corn from People’s Garden

Posted on July 30, 2010 by tanya brown

  Pictured l to r: Jay Gould, Adams County FSA; Joyce Bolinger, Kosciusko County FSA; Jennifer Walker, Allen County FSA; Stacey Thrush, DeKalb County FSA; Katrina Wangler, Jay County FSA; Anya Pinkerton, Randolph County FSA; Scott Mynsberge, Jay County NRCS; … Continue reading →

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Bill to Give Overtime Pay to Calif. Farmworkers Vetoed

Posted on July 30, 2010 by tanya brown

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have given farmworkers overtime pay just like other hourly employees in California. Currently, farmworkers earn time-and-a-half after working 10 hours. The bill would have allowed the workers to receive overtime pay after … Continue reading →

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