Author Archives: tanya brown

More States to Participate in Biomass Production Program

Posted on June 15, 2011 by tanya brown

Four more states will be added to the list of project areas under a Farm Service Agency program that encourages producers to establish unconventional crops to be used for biofuels. Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania were selected as part of … Continue reading →

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Young Farmer Realizes Dream of Owning a Dairy Operation

Posted on June 15, 2011 by tanya brown

Persistence and an FSA loan helped Matt Hartwig realize his dream of becoming a dairy farmer. “I never really wanted to do anything else but be a dairy farmer,” said Hartwig. But obtaining funding to purchase an operation or buy … Continue reading →

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Nomination Period for County Committee Elections is Now Open

Posted on June 15, 2011 by tanya brown

The nomination period for local Farm Service Agency county committees is now open. Farmers and ranchers can nominate themselves or others as candidates to sit on the local county committee and help make important agricultural decisions. Nominations will be accepted through Aug. … Continue reading →

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Indiana County FSA Office Expands Education Efforts Through People’s Garden

Posted on June 14, 2011 by tanya brown

 The Newton County Farm Service Agency in Morocco, Ind., expanded its People’s Garden this year to include three plots that will be used to educate elementary school children and participants in the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program. One plot … Continue reading →

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Missouri Flooding Destroys Farmland

Posted on June 14, 2011 by tanya brown

Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska are scared, according to John Berge, executive director of the National Food and Agriculture Council. Flooding from the Missouri River has corn and soybean fields under nearly four feet of water and levees eroding due … Continue reading →

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Reminder: Nomination Period for FSA County Committees Opens Tomorrow

Posted on June 14, 2011 by tanya brown

The Farm Service Agency will begin accepting nominations for local county committees beginning Wednesday, June 15. The nomination period — which runs through Aug. 1 — allows farmers and ranchers to nominate themselves or others as candidates to sit on … Continue reading →

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USDA Expands Recreational Fishing, Hunting Opportunities in Rural America

Posted on June 13, 2011 by tanya brown

The Farm Service Agency is expanding its efforts to encourage owners of privately held farm, ranch and forest land in eight additional states to voluntarily open the land for public recreational use. The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program … Continue reading →

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USDA Preserves 2.8 Million Acres to Benefit Environment, Wildlife

Posted on June 13, 2011 by tanya brown

USDA took another step toward improving the environment by enrolling more than 2.8 million acres during the Conservation Reserve Program’s 41st sign-up period. This is the second consecutive year that USDA has offered a general sign-up, and with more than … Continue reading →

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FSA Youth Loan Turns Business Plan Into Reality

Posted on June 13, 2011 by tanya brown

Andrew Erickson of Funk, Neb., began his farming career as a freshman in high school. With the use of a Farm Service Agency Youth Operating Loan, he was able to grow and expand his vegetable garden into six greenhouses on … Continue reading →

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39 Percent of California FSA Loans Made to Minorities

Posted on June 10, 2011 by tanya brown

The USDA Farm Service Agency in California is meeting the needs of minority farmers. Last year 39.7 percent of approved loans were made to minority of socially disadvantaged applicants and the agency continues to reach out for more participation. “In … Continue reading →

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