A new online resource is available to farmers with expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts and beginning farmers interested in obtaining land.
TIP Net is a website sponsored by the USDA Farm Service Agency designed to assist those who are interested in the Transition Incentives Program (TIP). The site serves as a matchmaker to link farmers with expiring CRP contracts to beginning farmers and ranchers who are interested in bringing the land into production.
The final in a series of joint antitrust workshops sponsored by USDA and the Department of Justice was held today to explore and discuss margins at various levels of the agriculture supply chain. "Today's open and transparent dialogue with farmers, ranchers, industry and academics is resulting in a clearer understanding of the complex competitive issues facing American agriculture," said Secretary Vilsack. "A fair and competitive marketplace is important not only for producers, but also for consumers." The workshops are the first-ever to be held by the Department of Justice and USDA to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue and foster learning with a diverse group of stakeholders regarding the agricultural marketplace. Read more.
Producers may be seeing more invasive weeds in the coming years as temperatures and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to increase. According to Lewis Ziska, a crop systems and global change specialist with USDA Agricultural Research Service, temperature increases along with elevated carbon dioxide levels will cause invasive weed populations to change. “Carbon dioxide is not a smart molecule — it can’t distinguish between crops and weeds. So with increased growth of crops comes increased growth of weeds as well,” said Ziska. (Southeast Farm Press) Read more.
Jonnalee Henderson is proof that great things do come in small packages.
In her short 28 years, Jonnalee has achieved great success. From serving as an officer with the Future Farmers of America at the California state and national levels, to direct marketing peaches from a shared four-acre operation, to her recent accomplishment as a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Jonnalee has accomplished a lot.
A judge’s ruling to uproot genetically modified sugar beet plants has been postponed by the U.S. Court of Appeals. The ruling allows the plants, which will be used to produce seeds for the 2012 sugar beet crop, to remain in the ground while USDA seeks to overturn U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White’s Dec. 6 order to uproot the plants. White’s ruling stated that the plants pose a risk for environmental harm. (Dow Jones Newswire) Read more.
Price volatility and farmer profitability will be discussed during the upcoming public meetings of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee. The meetings — which will be held Dec. 14-16 and Jan.11-12 at the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. — will help members finalize the report to the Secretary. Written comments should be submitted prior to the meetings. Registration is required. Learn more, view the Federal Register notice or submit a comment.
Grayson County FSA staff delivered more than 7,100 tons of food to those in need. Pictured from l to r: James Thomason, Molly Terry, Barbara Meredith, Sandra Childress and Meghan Edwards.
More than 7,100 pounds of non-perishable food was collected and delivered to a Kentucky food bank last month as part of the Grayson County USDA Harvest of the Heart Food Drive.
USDA Farm Service Agency along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Grayson County Conservation District and Rural Development, partnered with about 23 community churches and CoreMark International for the 14th annual food drive.
All proceeds were delivered to the Community Food Pantry, which serves more than 900 Grayson County families each month. The annual food drive is one of the significant efforts to replenish the shelves at the food pantry.
— by Winnie Breeding, public affairs specialist, KY FSA
Dairy farmer Luke Brubaker has managed risks well enough to establish a long history of successful and environmentally friendly farming. At age 67, however, he recognizes that now is the riskiest time he has seen.
“Our costs to produce corn are now about as high as our gross revenue per acre was just three or four years ago,” said Brubaker. ”The price of corn has doubled, but so have the costs. Our net profit is about the same as it was.” (USDA Blog).
For more than 100 family farms in the upper Midwest, Farm Rescue has been a lifesaver. Built on the premise of farmers helping farmers, Farm Rescue provides assistance to producers who have experienced illness, injury or the effects of a natural disaster. The non-profit organization helps with planting and harvesting and strives to keep the land operational until the family can get back on its feet. (Farm Rescue).
The Farm Service Agency's Campbellsville Service Center in Kentucky is temporarily closed due to a fire. All Campbellsville customers should contact or go to the Greensburg Service Center for assistance. The Greensburg Service Center is located at 101 Industrial Park, Suite 2. The phone number is 270-932-4961.
