Category Archives: News

Two agricultural groups have praised USDA for opening up the general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program for the first time since March 2006. Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever support the program — that allows farmers to donate land in … Continue reading →

Illinois farmers have launched a public relations campaign to improve their image among residents after research revealed doubts regarding modern farming methods. The research showed that consumers liked farmers, but they question large-scale production methods and use of genetically modified … Continue reading →

Producers interested in offering land in an effort to protect millions of acres of topsoil from erosion and improve the nation’s natural resources, have until next Friday, Aug. 27, to sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program. Producers who enroll … Continue reading →

A U.S. District Court judge has reversed the government’s approval of genetically modified sugar beets until a more thorough review has been completed. Judge Jeffery S. White’s ruling on Friday blocks farmers from planting the Roundup-resistant seed next spring but … Continue reading →

What once was a barren plot of soggy grass in front of a Brooklyn, N.Y., high school has been turned into a 10,000-square-foot vegetable farm that yields more than 500 pounds of organic produce each week. The principal of the … Continue reading →

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 11 new members to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee. The committee gives advice to the secretary on programs for beginning farmers and ranchers and also works to enhance and expand federal-state partnerships … Continue reading →

USDA will host three public meetings this month to discuss animal disease traceability. The agency is drafting regulations to implement a livestock tracking system that will help reduce disease outbreaks by allowing officials to trace the disease to a particular … Continue reading →

U.S. farmers are set to produce the largest corn and soybean crop in history, according to the USDA Crop Production report released today. As of Aug. 1, corn yields are expected to average a record-high 165 bushels per acre, which … Continue reading →

A biochemist at USDA has found a way to use butter to produce biodiesel fuel. The research, presented by Michael J. Haas and printed in the June issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, proved that butter alone … Continue reading →