A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives would among other things, put a halt to step increases for federal employees through 2012. If passed, the bill — which has 29 co-sponsors — would take effect on the date of enactment until Dec. 31, 2012. Step increases are unaffected by the current federal pay freeze. Read more (Federal Daily).
Producers now have access to FSA information while on-the-go. The agency released a package of technology enhancements today that include Web access for handheld and smartphone users along with a more efficient and timely option for receiving news and critical program information. Users will have access to key features such as loan deficiency payment rates, posted county prices, FSA news releases and AskFSA, the agency’s online self-help knowledge base. Learn more.
Did you know that the number of farms in the United States peaked in 1935 at 6,812,350 operations when the average farm size was154.8 acres? In comparison, the 2007 Census of Agriculture counted2,204,792 farms with the average farm size of 418 acres. In celebration of 150 years of service to American agriculture, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in partnership with Cornell University’s Mann Library, are making these and many other historical facts available online. Read more (USDA Blog).
Isreal Gordon, Jr., (right) and FSA Farm Loan Officer Precilla Wade worked to make Gordon’s dream of being a successful farmer a reality.
by Latrice Hill, FSA Outreach program lead
With the help of the Farm Service Agency, young minority farmers like Isreal Gordon, Jr., have the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
“My grandfather and my daddy were farmers. So, farming is all that I know. Farming has been passed down from generation to generation in our family,” said Gordon.
Gordon is a third generation farmer in Marianna, Ark., who began his own farming operation in 2006 with financial assistance from the Farm Service Agency.
“Without FSA financing my operation, I would not have had this opportunity to do what I love,” said Gordon. “Through hard work and dedication I have been able to pay back FSA and all other debts for six years.”
Farmers across the county have received $9.1 billion so far from the crop insurance industry for losses experienced in 2011 — that is the highest on record in American history, according to charts released by the USDA Risk Management Agency. With only 81 percent of claims submitted, that number is expected to rise. Most of the payments were due to droughts in the Plains, flooding along the Mississippi River and freezes in the South. Review the charts or Read more (AgWeek).
Marshall County staff members include (from l to r): Angela Jones, program technician; Zachary Burns, county executive director and; Belinda Woods, program technician.
FSA disaster programs have played a large part in Marshall County, Ala., in the past two to three years. With drought, tornadoes and large amounts of rain, farmers and ranchers in the county have turned to FSA to help overcome these and other obstacles.
“The Marshall County staff and COC members consider it an honor to serve our nation, state, county and agriculture producers with our employment with USDA’s Farm Service Agency,” said County Executive Director Zachary Burns.
Scuse met with Governor Chris Christie and the New Jersey Board of Agriculture at the State Agricultural Convention. Christie spoke to the convention’s 600 attendees.
by Lynne Richmond and Tara Gruber, Farm Service Agency
USDA Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse recently listened to New Jersey farmers express opinions about crop insurance and risk management during the State Agricultural Convention in Atlantic City.
Scuse used the opportunity to lay out USDA’s 2011 accomplishments, including improved disaster assistance procedures in a year of severe weather. The under secretary reported that at the end of August, New Jersey producers suffered crop losses and farm damage caused by Hurricane Irene.
“We focused on getting money to producers fast,” said Scuse. To date, USDA has paid New Jersey producers $1.6 million for crop losses.
Wanda McLean (left) and Deena McDaniels display the poster used to convey the many skills and abilities needed on the farm and ranch.
Employees from the Natrona/Converse County Farm Service Agency in Wyoming volunteered during the annual Casper Ag Expo to show 750 third grade students the many jobs and responsibilities farmers and ranchers have in feeding local residents as well as the entire country.
FSA staff members Deena McDaniels and Wanda McLean set up an activity called “How Many Hats Does a Farmer/Rancher Wear?” giving students the chance to throw out ideas of what they thought a farmer did each day.
A new bill introduced in the Senate last week could extend the pay freeze imposed on federal employees and Congress through 2014. Cosponsors of the bill — which also aims to cut the federal workforce by 115,000 workers through attrition — said the extended freeze would help ease the billions of dollars in defense budget cuts. Last week the House of Representatives passed a similar bill extending the federal civilian pay freeze through 2013. Read more (Federal Daily).
More and more Americans are leaving the suburban life and headed to the countryside to begin life anew on the farm and the government is in full support of the trend. Aside from backing loans and offering workshops and seminars for beginning farmers, the USDA Farm Service Agency has launched a “Start2Farm” website, announced a new rule to expand loan opportunities and is expanding its program the guarantees farmland purchase contracts for beginning farmers and ranchers. Read more (Reuters).
