Author Archives: tanya brown

Flooding Closes Missouri County FSA Office

Posted on May 3, 2011 by tanya brown

 The Pemiscot County, Mo., Farm Service Agency office closed yesterday due to flooding that has plagued the eastern part of Missouri and threatens to spread through eastern Arkansas and the Tennessee and Ohio valleys. According to County Executive Director Michael … Continue reading →

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Federal Cutbacks to Affect Farm Subsidies

Posted on May 2, 2011 by tanya brown

Rob Reuteman reported yesterday at CNBC Online that, “Farm subsidies, including billions in direct payments that go to many farmers annually regardless of need, are on everyone’s federal budget chopping block this year. Learn more (FarmPolicy.com)

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Commodity Credit Corporation Releases Lending Rates for May

Posted on May 2, 2011 by tanya brown

The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for May 2011. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.250, which is unchanged from April 2011, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year … Continue reading →

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Wet Fields Create Anxiety in Midwest

Posted on May 2, 2011 by tanya brown

Muddy fields and a never-ending winter have farmers in the Midwest concerned that they may not get their corn and soybean crops planted in time. One agriculture economist said it is too early to worry, but farmers are sweating as … Continue reading →

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Iowa Farmer Uses FSA to Teach, Prepare for Future

Posted on April 29, 2011 by tanya brown

Monty Collins (left) talks to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson about conservation efforts happening on his farm. Monty Collins thinks, breathes, eats and teaches agriculture. He lives on a century farm passed down from … Continue reading →

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Unlikely City Steers H.S. Kids to Agriculture

Posted on April 29, 2011 by tanya brown

One of farming’s largest organizations is located in Philadelphia. A Future Farmers of America chapter at a Philadelphia high school is bringing youths to the farm to lead them to careers in agriculture. (America’s Heartland)

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Reminder: Disaster Assistance Available for Producers

Posted on April 28, 2011 by tanya brown

Programs to assist crop and livestock producers who have suffered damage due to flooding, wildfires and tornadoes are available through the Farm Service Agency. “We encourage all who have suffered a disaster due to the recent severe weather conditions to … Continue reading →

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Report: Rice Growers Break Crop-Growing Record in 2010

Posted on April 27, 2011 by tanya brown

Rice growers produced 23.2 billion pounds of rice last year, breaking the overall crop-growing record. According to a report by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, growers surpassed the previous record of 23.2 billion pounds set in 2004. The U.S. … Continue reading →

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FSA: Lender of First Opportunity for Beginning Farmers

Posted on April 26, 2011 by tanya brown

At the age of 26, after working several years on his family farm, Tom Grzadzieleski, Jr., stepped out on his own with the help of the Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer Loan Program. For the past two years, Grzadzieleski rented … Continue reading →

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Plastic Tubes Invaluable During Farm Emergency

Posted on April 25, 2011 by tanya brown

Black plastic cylinders hanging from utility poles could soon be the norm in rural America. The tubes were distributed free to farmers in Illinois and contain detailed computer-generated maps of each farm, the precise locations for flammable chemicals and fuels, … Continue reading →

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