20 States Now Affected by Pig Virus

Posted on December 19, 2013 by tanya brown

A deadly pig virus first reported in North America in May has now affected 20 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nebraska became the latest hit by the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) that causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in pigs. Piglets are more susceptible to the disease than older pigs. More than 1,500 cases have been reported across the Hog Belt, including Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota and Oklahoma. The trucking industry that transports livestock is a possible source for the transmission of the disease. Biosecurity guidelines have been issued urging transporters to clean and disinfect vehicles used to carry livestock. Read more (Reuters).

Posted in News | Tagged , | Comments Off on 20 States Now Affected by Pig Virus

USDA Grant Puts Agriculture Courses Online

Posted on December 19, 2013 by tanya brown

A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is putting agriculture courses online. Five public universities in Missouri are collaborating to start online courses that are specific to their strength and expertise. One facility will focus on beef production and grape research while another will teach on cotton and rice. Other topics include dairy and poultry production. The collaboration is funded with a $570,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Read more (News-Leader).

Posted in News | Tagged , | Comments Off on USDA Grant Puts Agriculture Courses Online

StrikeForce helps farmers and ranchers provide communities with local produce

Posted on December 13, 2013 by tanya brown
Millie Titla, NRCS district conservationist in San Carlos, Ariz., and Noah Titla, San Carlos 4-H Garden Club at the club’s community garden.

Millie Titla, NRCS district conservationist in San Carlos, Ariz., and Noah Titla, San Carlos 4-H Garden Club at the club’s community garden.

By Beverly Moseley, NRCS

An Apache youth, Noah Titla, 13, has chosen to follow in the footsteps of generations of San Carlos Apaches by growing and harvesting his own food. His passion for reconnecting growing food with tribal traditions has been a catalyst for increasing awareness of the benefits and availability of fresh food on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in southeastern Arizona.  Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Tagged , , | Comments Off on StrikeForce helps farmers and ranchers provide communities with local produce

USDA Providing $1 Million to Jump Start Citrus Response Framework

Posted on December 13, 2013 by tanya brown

Citrus growers now have multiple agencies working together to help combat the threat of Huanglongbing (HLB), a serious disease affecting citrus crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday a multi-agency emergency response group that will provide a framework to better coordinate resources, share information and develop strategies to maximize the effectiveness of combating HLB. The newly formed group will provide the citrus industry with a single contact for all federal and state entities that work on citrus issues and better enable a collaboration on policy decisions, establish priorities, allocate critical resources, and collect, analyze, and disseminate information. Learn more.

Posted in News | Tagged , | Comments Off on USDA Providing $1 Million to Jump Start Citrus Response Framework

Crop Report Shows Decrease in Cotton and Oranges

Posted on December 13, 2013 by tanya brown

The latest crop production report released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows cotton production slightly down from last month and 25 percent lower than last year. Yield is expected to average 806 pounds per acre, down 81 pounds from last year. The U.S. orange forecast for the 2013-14 season is 7.78 million tons, down 2 percent from the previous forecast and down 7 percent from the 2012-13 final production. Review the crop report.

Posted in News | Tagged | Comments Off on Crop Report Shows Decrease in Cotton and Oranges

Newly Released Ballots Extend County Committee Voting Deadlines

Posted on December 6, 2013 by tanya brown

Producers can expect to see new 2013 County Committee Election ballots in their mailboxes this month.

Due to a printing error on the original ballots mailed in November, new ballots will be sent to eligible producers beginning Dec. 20. The deadline to return ballots has been extended to Jan. 17, 2014.

Producers who may have completed and returned the original ballot, mailed Nov. 4 must vote again and resubmit the new ballot. Any original ballots already submitted by producers to county offices will remain unopened and will be destroyed to ensure the secrecy of their vote. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Newly Released Ballots Extend County Committee Voting Deadlines

S.C. StrikeForce Meeting Reaches More Than 100 Producers

Posted on December 5, 2013 by tanya brown

By Amy Melissa Overstreet, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist and SC StrikeForce Coordinator

It was a collaborative effort to bring more than 100 producers and seven U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies together in one StrikeForce county in South Carolina to reach farmers and ranchers who may not know about the services each agency has to help producers.

“Assessing the needs of our clients is top priority,” said Ann English, South Carolina NRCS State Conservationist. “Our goal is to extend our outreach beyond our traditional client base and reach those potential customers that perhaps we have not made contact with before.” Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on S.C. StrikeForce Meeting Reaches More Than 100 Producers

Modern-Day Land Grab: Expiring CRP Contracts Create Opportunity For Fledgling Farmers

Posted on December 4, 2013 by tanya brown
130725TurnerCRP-117

Michael, Cali and Carmen Van Voast and Kelli, Tyson and Colter Cederberg represent a fresh start for the aging community of Turner.

Courtesy Martha Mintz, John Deere’s THE FURROW Magazine,

There was no shotgun start or race to stake a claim, but when Conservation Reserve Program contracts started expiring, a good old-fashioned land rush kicked off in Blaine County, Mont.

“Ten years ago there wasn’t any land to buy,” says newly minted Turner, Mont., farmer Michael Van Voast. “Expiring CRP contracts changed that, creating new opportunities for guys like me that want to come back to the area and give my kids the same opportunities and experiences I had.”

In the past six years, 9.7 million acres of CRP contracts across the United States expired and were not renewed. Thirty-year-old Van Voast and his wife, Carmen, snapped up 2,200 of the 1.47 million acres of well-rested land that came available. Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Modern-Day Land Grab: Expiring CRP Contracts Create Opportunity For Fledgling Farmers

One Day of Gleaning Brings Joy to Thousands of Children

Posted on December 3, 2013 by tanya brown
Children from Emerson Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., were treated to their own pumpkin, compliments of the New Mexico Farm Service Agency. More than 8,500 pumpkins were donated to schools, children’s hospitals and local food banks.

Children from Emerson Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., were treated to their own pumpkin, compliments of the New Mexico Farm Service Agency. More than 8,500 pumpkins were donated to schools, children’s hospitals and local food banks.

What started out with just a handful of FSA employees trying to do the right thing has turned into an annual event that spans six New Mexico counties.

Ten years ago John Perea, county executive director for Torrance County, N.M., started a project to glean pumpkins from farmers John and Dianne Aday.

“We started it as an effort to take pumpkins that were left in the field and still in good shape, and try to get them to needy children,” said Perea, who along with other FSA employees coordinates the event each year. “We try to find schools in areas, which demographically have families that are lower income and in neighborhoods with a history of drug abuse and various social problems.” Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

USDA Conducting Irrigation Survey as Part of Census of Agriculture

Posted on December 3, 2013 by tanya brown

USDA is conducting a survey to gain a better understanding of irrigation practices. The 2013 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey is conducted every five years and is a supplement to the USDA Census of Agriculture and that producers were asked to complete earlier this year. Although irrigation questions were asked on the Census form, this survey delves into more critical information about irrigation practices and helps USDA publish comprehensive information. Because this survey is part of the Census of Agriculture, U.S. law requires all those who receive it to respond by the Feb. 10, 2014, deadline. Learn more.

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on USDA Conducting Irrigation Survey as Part of Census of Agriculture