Some Nuts May Have Less Calories Than Originally Thought

Posted on September 19, 2013 by tanya brown

There’s more good news about almonds and pistachios. Using an improved method for estimating calories, USDA researchers found that there are fewer calories in the nuts than previously thought. The new method, which is expected to work well with other foods, takes into consideration the fat in some hard foods that is not completely absorbed because it is difficult to digest the food’s cell walls. By measuring calories intake and foods’ excreted remains, scientists said the caloric value of pistachios has likely been overestimated by 5 percent. Read more.

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Americans Not Drinking Milk as Often as Their Parents

Posted on September 19, 2013 by tanya brown

Milk consumption in the U.S. is changing. A report from the USDA Economic Research Service states Americans of all ages are drinking less milk. Differences between generations along with eating and drinking habits contribute to the trend. According to the report, Americans born in the 1970s drank less milk in their teens, twenties and thirties than Americans born in the 1960s. Those born in the 1980s and 1990s appear to drink even less milk in their adulthood than those born in the 1970s. Wider beverage selection and the food environment in which one comes of age are factors in milk drinking variations. Review the study.

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Latest Crop Report Puts Corn at Record-Breaking Pace

Posted on September 12, 2013 by tanya brown

Corn may be headed for a record-breaking year based on this month’s USDA Crop Report. The report, released on Thursday, forecasts corn at 13.8 billion bushels, up less than1 percent from last month and 28 percent from 2012. If reached, corn production will be the highest on record for the United States. Yields are expected to average 155.3 bushels per acre, just slightly higher than last month’s forecast and 31.9 bushels above the 2012 average. Soybeans are set to produce 3.15 billion bushels, down 3 percent from August, but up 4 percent from last year. If met, this would be the fourth largest soybean production on record. Read the crop report.

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Study Shows USDA Program Does Work to Benefit the Land

Posted on September 12, 2013 by tanya brown

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is doing what it was designed to do — improve agricultural viability, encourage on-farm conservation and help farmers gain access to land — according to a study by the American Farmland Trust. FRPP supports agricultural viability by providing liquid capital to farmers to invest in their operations. The program also requires conservation plans be put in place for highly erodible land and certain forested parcels for on-farm conservation, and it helps finance land acquisitions and makes land more affordable for beginning farmers and those looking to expand. Review the study.

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Community Gets Buzzed Over Honeybee Tour

Posted on September 11, 2013 by tanya brown
Joaquin Llerenas shows visitors how bees make honey and attempts to locate the queen during one of Llerenas Apiaries bee farm tours.

Joaquin Llerenas shows visitors how bees make honey and attempts to locate the queen during one of Llerenas Apiaries bee farm tours.

It doesn’t take much to get up close and personal with thousands of honeybees in North Dakota. Just sign up to take a tour — a bee tour.

Hundreds of people are lining up to take a walk through Llerenas Apiaries bee farm to learn how bees operate, communicate and work together to make that sweet, sticky nectar.

“Most people see bees outside and on the roadside and they don’t think much about them,” said Joaquin Llerenas. “We do the tours to show people what bees are really like.” Continue reading →

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From Medicine to Agriculture: One Intern’s Six-Month Adventure at USDA

Posted on September 11, 2013 by tanya brown
Veteran LeRoy Robinson worked an outreach event during his six-month internship at USDA that allowed him to work at headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in a state office in Richmond, Va.

Veteran LeRoy Robinson worked an outreach event during his six-month internship at USDA that allowed him to work at headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in a state office in Richmond, Va.

By LeRoy Robinson

How does a guy with a medical background end up working in agriculture?

That was the question I asked myself after beginning a non-paid internship with USDA. The internship started in January after speaking with my rehabilitation counselor at the Department of Veterans Affairs. After working as a radiologic technologist for the Air Force, this was a 180 degree change. For some reason a personnel security position within the Farm Service Agency (FSA) stood out. I thought it would be interesting so I connected with FSA’s veteran program coordinator in Washington D.C. and set up an interview. Continue reading →

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Most Farm Households Rely on Off-Farm Income

Posted on September 11, 2013 by tanya brown

Most farm households earn all of their income from nonfarm sources, according to a USDA report released this month. Based on the broad definition of a farm, which includes several small operations that produce little or no agricultural commodities in a given year, many farm households rely solely on income made off the farm. Even those operating farms with substantial production have significant nonfarm income. The report stated that 91 percent of farm households have at least one family member working at an off-farm job. Of that number, 35.9 percent held professional and management positions. Learn more.

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28-Year-Old Farmer Makes a Living off of Unwanted Farmland

Posted on September 9, 2013 by tanya brown

John Shepherd is sort of a legend in Blackstone, Va. He is sought out for his expertise restoring poorly managed, eroded farmland and making it fertile and usable. He’s done it so many times that at age 28, he has used an FSA loans to purchase several acres of unwanted land and turn it into high yielding, high quality grain crops. “Virtually all of the land I farm is land that nobody else wanted. I haven’t taken any land from anybody who was taking care of the land and trying to make a living on it,” said Shepherd. In just six years, the young farmer has made a name for himself and won several awards. Read more (Southeast Farm Press).

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Organic Standards Board to Meet in October; Invites Public Comments

Posted on September 9, 2013 by tanya brown

The National Organic Standards Board is scheduled to meet Oct. 22-24 and is accepting public comments on topics and proposals on the agenda. The meeting — to be held in Louisville, Ky. — will address several petitions regarding changes to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, along with other topics. Written comments must be submitted by Oct. 1. Learn more or submit a comment

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Experimental Gel Coating May Protect Homes from Wildfires

Posted on September 4, 2013 by tanya brown

A temporary gel coating could save thousands of homes from being destroyed by wildfires. Created by USDA scientists, the experimental gel is made of bentonite clay, corn starch and water, and offers better, more affordable protection than other fire-retardant gels. In burn tests, siding coated with the gel took longer to reach 392 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which wood-based siding may begin to burn or char. In other tests, the gel kept its moisture longer, which is important for fire retardants. Learn more.

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