LeRoy and Marlene Buchholz enrolled acres of their farm in FSA’s CRP 17 years ago.

By Bobbie Kriz-Wickham, Nebraska FSA Public Affairs and Outreach Coordinator

LeRoy and Marlene Buchholz have been farming together in Creighton, Nebraska, for nearly 60 years. Over the last two decades, the couple has worked to turn their former crop and livestock operation into a wildlife oasis. Located among abundant corn and soybean fields, the farm provides healthy habitat for the broader landscape.

Creating a Refuge

LeRoy and Marlene once raised cattle for beef and dairy, hogs, sheep, and crops as part of their farming operation.

As the two approached retirement age and began renting out their cropland, they knew they wanted to create a refuge for wildlife near their home – a place they have farmed together since 1959 and where Marlene has lived her entire life.

About 17 years ago, the Buchholzes turned to the folks at their USDA Service Center to enroll part of their farm in the Conservation Reserve Program, a program offered by the USDA Farm Service Agency. Continue reading →

David Bosselman grows peanuts, cotton, soybeans, corn and wheat on his Suffolk, Virginia, farm.

By Melanie Lassiter, Virginia FSA County Executive Director and Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialist

David Bosselman is a fourth-generation farmer. His sons, Brian and Hunter, are the fifth generation, growing peanuts, cotton, soybeans, corn and wheat on their family farm in Suffolk, Virginia.

“I started working with my daddy and granddaddy when I was about 10 years old. They started me out on a small tractor,” David said. “When I graduated from high school, I went to North Carolina State University for a semester and decided that I’d had enough of that. I came home, and I’ve been farming ever since.”

September 22 is the first day of fall, David’s favorite season. “I like to get out early, feel that air and start harvesting the crops.”

With harvest, comes the annual decision of where to take the crops – a decision driven in part by market prices and yield.  Farmers are faced with the dilemma of selling at harvest or storing in anticipation of improved prices. Many producers, like David, opt to invest in on-farm storage. Continue reading →

Debra Jantzi and her nine children own and operate Treasured Sunrise Acres, a raw goat dairy, in Parma, Idaho.

By: Kaylyn Franks, Idaho FSA

Debra Jantzi owns a raw and pasteurized goat dairy in the Treasure Valley of western Idaho. With faith and determination, she and her nine children established Treasured Sunrise Acres from the ground up.

From 4-H to Farming

Before the dairy, the Jantzi kids were involved with their local 4-H, where they learned first-hand about raising and marketing goats. Each one had their own small goat herd and were responsible for keeping the records on feeding, breeding, and marketing.

The oldest daughter came up with the idea to open their own certified raw goat dairy. To get them started, a retired dairyman leased his farm to the Jantzi family and took them under his wing. Treasured Sunrise Acres soon became the first certified Grade A raw goat dairy in Idaho. Continue reading →

Betty and Sean operate McCarthy Cattle Company, a commercial Angus operation where they background spring calves and raise sheep and goats.

By Jessica Claypole, Missouri FSA Public Affairs and Outreach Specialist

Cattle rancher. Cowboy poet. Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee chairperson. These are just a few of the hats Betty McCarthy wears daily, and they all fit nicely with her agricultural background.

Raised on a cattle ranch in eastern Montana, Betty became a veterinary technician after college and worked for a local veterinarian. But she soon felt called back to her true passion – ranching.

“I really always just wanted to raise livestock,” Betty said. Continue reading →

Byron Boettcher, a crop adjuster, and Deb Esselman, county executive director, head out on Mole Lake to look at the Sokaogon Chippewa Community’s wild rice.

By Kim Iczkowski, Wisconsin FSA Public Affairs and Outreach Coordinator

A thousand years ago, ancestors of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community migrated from eastern Canada to Forest County, Wisconsin.

Stories passed from one generation to the next, detailing how the tribe was led to the area by a vision of their journey ending in a land where the “food grows on water.” Today, the Sokaogon Ojibwe of Mole Lake continue to harvest that food, Manoomin, also known as wild rice, on one of the few remaining wild rice beds in the state of Wisconsin.

Manoomin is a priceless food source culturally linked to the communities past, present and future. As is true with many crops, wild rice is susceptible to extreme weather events. Average years are expected, while poor years can be devastating. To provide a safety net for their annual wild rice crop, the Sokaogon Chippewa Community enrolled in the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). Continue reading →

Westside Tilth Farm focused on improving the infrastructure of the farm with the help of USDA programs.

By: Lynnette Wright, FSA

Carrie Nader and Alexander Wadsworth own Westside Tilth Farm in Buffalo, New York. Their urban farm is situated on about three-fourths of an acre spanning a few lots on the corner of a block in the Lower West Side region of the city.  Nader and Wadsworth are committed to providing the community with a variety of produce.

A Perfect Blend

Prior to their partnership, Nader had been working the land since 2014. When she was growing up, she loved helping her grandfather tend his large garden. When she moved to the Lower West Side region she bought several city lots at reduced prices to start her urban farm. Continue reading →

Baylee believes in marketing her crops locally through farmers markets and her CSA.

Farmer Grows to Feed Her Community

 By Cassie Bable, FSA Public Affairs Specialist

This week, USDA celebrates National Farmers Market Week with farmers, like Baylee Drown, who supply fresh fruits and vegetables to their communities. Farmers markets give consumers access to locally-grown and farm-fresh products, while giving farmers the platform to grow and connect with their customer base.

Farm Kid to Farmer

Baylee grew up on a conventional dairy farm in Michigan. Like many farm kids, she participated in 4-H and FFA. In college, she followed her passion for agriculture by pursuing an animal science degree.

But a college class changed her perspective on agriculture and piqued her interest in growing vegetables.

Her first job out of college was working on a diversified organic farm in Vermont. The operation produced livestock and vegetables. This is where Baylee was exposed to small-scale organic and sustainable practices and fell in love with direct marketing and growing vegetables. Continue reading →

Last week, USDA began implementing the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP). Applications are being accepted now through Nov. 16, 2018, for 2017 WHIP to help agricultural producers recover from the devastation to crops, trees, bushes and vines due to  2017 wildfires and hurricanes.

2017 was a historic year for natural disasters and Congress appropriated more than $3 billion in disaster relief earlier this year through the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which includes 2017 WHIP.

Hear more about the 2017 WHIP program from Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Richard Fordyce and contact your local USDA Service Center today to set up an appointment. Office contact information and additional information on WHIP, including what documentation you may need, can be found at https://www.farmers.gov/recover/whip.