Category Archives: News

USDA has awarded a more than $400,000 grant to native villages in rural Alaska to help them grow their own food. The grant, given to the Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension, will help residents of remote communities grow food for themselves … Continue reading →

The number of Pennsylvania dairy farms dropped 14 percent between 2006 and 2009, according to a report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The number of operations, including milking farms dropped from 8,610 in 2006 to 7,400 in 2009. … Continue reading →

Researchers from the USDA Agriculture Research Service have found an alternative way to produce fish feed to meet the increasing demand by consumers to have a healthier diet. Traditionally, fishmeal comes from small, boney fish like menhaden, herring and capelin, … Continue reading →

Agricultural productivity is not on par to keep up with population demand, according to The Global Harvest Initiative 2010 GAP Report. The report — compiled by the Farm Foundation and the USDA Economics Research Service — states that the world … Continue reading →

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce that it will allow ethanol levels in gas used by newer cars to increase to 15 percent. The new E15 will be used by cars made since 2007. Additional research must be conducted … Continue reading →

 The anaerobic digester is supplied with liquid cow manure from the nearby dairy lagoon.  Pipes transfer the raw materials to the digester inside the building. USDA officials visited a Vermont dairy farm this week to see one of the state’s … Continue reading →

A study by the USDA Agriculture Research Service found that consistently good yields of winter canola can be obtained by varying planting dates, planting rates and other establishment techniques. Generally used to control weeds, supplement animal feed and produce biodiesel, … Continue reading →

For more than 100 years and three generations, the Rohe dairy farm has been a fixture in Onondaga, N.Y. As of last week, the 800-acre dairy operation closed down. Citing low milk prices that make it difficult to earn a … Continue reading →

Penn State researchers have grown and tested an experimental sugar beet that can be used to produce ethanol. Known as the “energy beet,” the root crop is showing potential to boost a $93 million ethanol plant proposed for Rapho Township … Continue reading →

Soybean production is expected to hit record levels according to a USDA Crop Production report released today. Based on the report, soybean yield is expected to average 44.4 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushels from 2009. If the estimate is … Continue reading →