Category Archives: Atop the Fence Post

By Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialist Hank Schaardt grew up on his family’s cattle operation and feedyard in Pawnee County, Nebraska, where he dreamed to one day have a bigger hand in operations and to carry on his family’s … Continue reading →

By Cassie Bable, Farm Service Agency Public Affairs Specialist The Texas Panhandle, like the rest of the state, saw an increase in the number of acres planted to cotton this year due to the decline in grain prices. U.S. Department … Continue reading →

By Lauren Moore, Farm Service Agency Public Affairs Specialist Eric Grandon never thought he would be a farmer. After joining the Army at 19, he served in four peace-time missions in the Middle East and two combat missions, Operations Desert … Continue reading →

By Lynnette Wright, FSA Public Affairs Specialist, New York Challenging weather hit upstate New York hard in the summer of 2016. Extreme heat, coupled with one of the worst droughts in recorded history, brought many impacted producers to the Farm … Continue reading →

By Scott Whittington, USDA Farm Service Agency Thousands of veterans leave the military every year, but there’s a new “service” they can provide. Over the next few decades, the world will need to increase its food production to keep up … Continue reading →

By Cassie Bable, FSA Public Affairs Specialist John and Dorie Belisle own and operate BelleWood Acres in northwest Washington State, just outside of Bellingham, the last town from the Canadian border. The Belisles and their family planted their first apple … Continue reading →

  By Dana Rogge, Public Affairs Specialist His vision – build an egg empire. Aaron Muhammad, 15, of Dawson, Georgia, wasn’t raised on a farm and had no prior farm experience, but decided to try something new and discovered his … Continue reading →

By Cassie Bable, FSA Public Affairs Specialist Agricultural producers know that the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has programs to assist them when natural disasters strike and commodity prices decline; however, most producers take preventative measures to further protect their … Continue reading →

By Leila Naylor, Administrative Specialist, Rhode Island Farm Service Agency Lauri Roberts grew up in New York, having no farming background or farming experience. “I had previously worked for Green Peace in New York. Community gardens really impressed me while … Continue reading →

  by Dana Rogge, Public Affairs Specialist, Farm Service Agency David Hemme of Sweet Springs, Missouri, scrolls down through a German webpage on his smartphone. The insignia of “Hemme Milch” anchors the top of the page, a company owned and operated … Continue reading →