“Meet Me at the Market” – The Evolution of a Farmers Market

Posted on August 8, 2013 by tanya brown

The Romanesque Revival market house, pictured above, was built in 1889. Today, Central Market is home to many families that have been coming to the market for generations. Photo courtesy Lancaster Central Market.

What better time than National Farmers Market Week to explore the history of farmers markets in the United States?  Farmers markets are a critical ingredient to our nation’s food system, and date back to 1730 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the United States.

“Meet me at the Market” has for decades been a phrase commonly heard by Lancaster citizens.  In 1730, when city planners designed the city they designated a 120 square foot lot in the center of town as a public market place giving birth to the Lancaster Central Market. Read more (USDA Blog).

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Report: 96 Percent of Farms are Family Owned

Posted on August 7, 2013 by tanya brown

A report released this month by the USDA Economic Research Service shows that 96 percent of U.S. farms with crop production are family owned. The report, Farm Size and the Organization of U.S. Crop Farming, stated that businesses owned and operated by family groups continue to dominate agricultural production, providing 87 percent of the value of crop production. Family farm is defined as one in which the principal operator, and people related to the principal operator by blood or marriage, own more than half of the farm business. The report also highlights the change in cropland and farms, indicating that mid-size crop farms have declined while farm numbers at the extremes (large and small) are growing. Read the report.

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USDA Provides Additional Assistance to Ranchers Impacted by Drought

Posted on August 6, 2013 by tanya brown

Livestock producers in areas impacted by drought may find some relief as the USDA Farm Service Agency approved the opening of additional Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for haying or grazing. “States must adhere to specific guidelines to ensure that additional haying and grazing still maintains the important environmental and wildlife benefits of CRP,” said FSA Administrator Juan Garcia. With some states facing a multi-year drought, forage for livestock has been significantly reduced. This action allows land that is typically not eligible for emergency haying and grazing to be used while still protecting the environmental benefits of CRP. CRP is a voluntary program that provides producers annual rental payments on their land in exchange for planting resource-conserving vegetation on cropland to help prevent erosion, provide wildlife habitat and improve the environment.

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Hey NY Times, USDA Conservation Programs Do Work

Posted on August 6, 2013 by tanya brown

An article published this week in The Pueblo Chieftain challenges an article that ran in the New York Times that discussed the necessity of conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to be a part of the next farm bill. The article, which supports USDA’s conservation efforts and touts them as an important tool for farmers and ranchers, states that without USDA programs, U.S. land would be facing conditions similar to those of the 1930’s Dust Bowl. Read the article.

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Number of Farmers Markets Surpass 8,100 Nationwide

Posted on August 5, 2013 by tanya brown

Farmers markets are booming. With 8,144 now registered with the USDA National Farmers Market Directory, these markets are becoming one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture. “Farmers markets are an important public face for agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “They provide benefits not only to the farmers looking for important income opportunities, but also help fill a growing consumer demand for fresh, healthy foods.” Vilsack made the announcement as a kick off to National Farmers Market Week, held Aug. 4-10. The department also unveiled its newly revamped farmers market directory that allows customers to easily navigate through data. Read more or visit the USDA National Farmers Market Directory.

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WTO Sides With U.S. Over Exports of Chicken to China

Posted on August 5, 2013 by tanya brown

The U.S. has won its case over China, proving that the country’s imposition of higher duties on chicken “broiler products” is unjustified under international trade rules. The World Trade Organization found that China violated numerous WTO obligations while conducting an investigation that China imposed anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on chicken imports from the United States. Enforcement of the duties created an 80 percent drop in American broiler chicken exports to China. This is the second of three recent WTO disputes in which the United States has challenged flaws in China’s administration of antidumping and countervailing duty measures. The United States was successful in the first two disputes and is actively litigating the third. Learn more.

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Producing 200 Bushels of Corn With 12 Inches of Water

Posted on July 5, 2013 by tanya brown

A demonstration project in Texas is showing producers how to use less irrigation water and still produce the same amount of crops. After three years of drought and a depleted aquifer, the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District started the project to teach farmers to use methods like planting in dry ground verses prewatered ground, leaving larger spaces between plants and keeping old stalks on the field as new plants emerge to hold the earth’s moisture longer. The overall goal is to have farmers produce 200 bushels of corn per acre with only 12 inches of water. Read more (The New York Times).

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Study Shows Crop Yields Not on Pace to Meet Future Demand

Posted on July 5, 2013 by tanya brown

Crop yields are increasing at a rate that won’t meet demand by the year 2050, according to a study published in the PLOS One journal. The study compiled agricultural data for maize, rice, wheat and soybeans and determined that yields need to increase by 2.4 percent per year to double global production and meet the 2050 demand projected from a rising population, diet shifts and biofuels. Based on the research, yields for maize, rice, wheat and soybeans are increasing at 1.6, 1.0, 0.9 and 1.3 percent, respectively, which is not fast enough; however, opportunities are available to improve yields through more efficient use of arable lands, spreading best management practices and reducing food waste. Review the study.

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Chemical Could Make Plants Resistant to Drought

Posted on July 5, 2013 by tanya brown

A new chemical discovery by the University of California could help make plants resistant to drought. Researchers found that quinabactin, when sprayed on plants, mimics the hormone that makes the plant conserve water. The study, published in this month’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, The study showed soybeans sprayed with quinabactin and left unwatered for eight days remained in good health while the control plant wilted. Although more research is needed, scientists say the chemical could help make plants drought-resistant through traditional breeding or genetic modification. Read more (UT San Diego) or review the abstract.

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Wisconsin to Host Statewide County Committee Open House

Posted on July 5, 2013 by tanya brown

All Wisconsin Farm Service Agency county offices throughout the state will host an open house to share information on the FSA County Committee Election process. The open house — held Wed., July 10 from 1-3 p.m. — is an opportunity for producers and landowners to visit their county office and find out how serving on a county committee can make a difference. County committee members help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level and work to ensure the programs meet the needs of local producers. The nomination period for this year’s election runs from June 15 to Aug. 1. Learn more.

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