Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today pledged an additional $10 million to assist California agricultural producers struggling to cope with three years of drought-related conditions. “With the challenges to California farmers caused by three years of drought, we are making available much-needed assistance to some of the hardest hit producers,” said Dave White, chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, who made the announcement on Vilsack’s behalf during a visit to California. “This funding will help farmers deal with the current conditions, such as preventing dust and wind erosion in fallowed areas and keeping trees and vines alive.” Read more.

The Northeastern part of the country along with the Midwest and Great Plains could see more snow this month as meteorologists predict a much stormier and cooler March than normal. A high pressure system off the Canadian coast is keeping colder air over land, causing more wintery weather and delaying farmers access to their fields. Wet weather in the Southern Corn Belt and melting snow in the Western Corn Belt is expected to bring spring flooding, which could further delay planting.

Crop losses due to freezing conditions followed by excessive snow has moved USDA to designate Deuel County in Nebraska a natural disaster area. Several other counties in Nebraska and Colorado that are contiguous to Deuel also qualify for natural disaster assistance. Farmers and ranchers in these areas are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Learn more.

More tests are needed before the Environmental Protection Agency can agree to allow more ethanol in gasoline, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Speaking before a Senate panel on Tuesday, Vilsack said the EPA is awaiting more tests to see how engines in older vehicles as well as new one’s accept the 15 percent ethanol blend. The move to E-15 could have a major impact on corn growers, ethanol producers and motorists. (USDA Daily Radio News).

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USDA has designated Yellowstone and Stillwater Counties in Montana as natural disaster areas due to heavy freeze conditions that occurred last October. Eight other counties in Montana that are contiguous to Stillwater and Yellowstone also are considered disaster areas and qualify for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Learn more.

Five Nevada counties along with Carson City have been designated a natural disaster area due to drought conditions that occurred throughout 2009. Several other counties in Nevada and California also qualify because they are contiguous. Farmers and ranchers in this area are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Learn more.

A nonprofit organization in California wants to ensure the future of family Farming. FarmLink connects aspiring, young farmers with those who are ready to retire, but want the family farm to remain in operation. According to the 2007 USDA census, one in four farmers is age 65 or older, a 22 percent increase from 2002. American farmers younger than 45 make up 22 percent of the population, a 14 percent decrease from the same period. (Mercury News). Read more or view the 2007 USDA census.

Although details for the 2010 general signup for the Conservation Reserve Program — the first general signup offered in four years — have not been released, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs Lynn Tjeerdsma said one goal of the program is to enroll quality acreage that will provide the cleanest water and best habitat. (USDA Daily Radio News).

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