Colony Collapse Disorder? Don’t Worry, RoboBee is Here

Posted on May 31, 2013 by tanya brown

Photo courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong Chirarattananon

After 12 years in development, RoboBee has taken flight. The quarter-sized, flying robot was developed by researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as a way to possibly help with disaster relief and colony collapse — a disorder in which worker bees disappear or die in great numbers. In theory, researchers believe RoboBee could help pollinate crops if there is a diminishing bee supply, but the 80-milligram robot could be used in search and rescue efforts as well; however, more research and development is needed before going into commercial use. Read more (FastCompany Co.Exist).

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Rep. Terri Sewell Promotes USDA StrikeForce Initiative in Alabama

Posted on May 31, 2013 by tanya brown

Rep. Terry A. Sewell address attendees during a StrikeForce meeting held in Alabama.

By Vicki Lane, Public Affairs Specialist, Alabama Farm Service Agency

U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Ala.),  joined USDA agency leaders and others at a meeting of the StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity in Alabama this month.

Approximately 90 citizens and community-based organization representatives participated in a StrikeForce informational meeting held at the Central Farmers Co-op in Selma, Ala.  Currently, 90 percent of America’s persistent poverty counties are in rural America.  The primary goal of the StrikeForce initiative is to partner with local and state governments and community-based organizations on projects that promote economic development and job creation in rural communities. Continue reading →

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OPM Releases Apps for Operating Status & Job Seekers

Posted on May 29, 2013 by tanya brown

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management released a free app to provide a real-time look at the current operating status of the federal government in the Washington, D.C. area. iPhone and Android users can view the current and active operating status and sign up for status change notifications. Previous updates also are available along with OPM’s dismissal and closure procedures. An android app also is available for USAjobs, the official website for jobs in the federal government. The USAjobs app for iPhone has been available since 2010. Users can search more than 30,000 federal job opportunities, refine searches by location and occupation, and save job opportunities. Download the operating status app or download the USAjobs app.

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Join the Challenge to Reduce, Recover, Recycle Food Waste

Posted on May 28, 2013 by tanya brown

Join USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as they launch the U.S. Food Waste Challenge on June 4. By recycling food waste into animal feed, compost or energy generation, resources are freed up for other uses to help improve the nation’s soil and carbon stock. Participants in the challenge will list activities they will take on to help reduce, recover or recycle food waste. During the launch, participants will announce their commitment and invite other to join. Join the challenge.

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Only 1 Week Left for Producers to Sign Up for ACRE

Posted on May 27, 2013 by tanya brown

One week remains for producers to sign up for the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE). Changes to this year’s program allow producers to choose to enroll in either ACRE or the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Program (DCP). Originally, producers who signed up for ACRE could not move out of the program for at least five years. With the extension of the 2008 Farm Bill, those rules have changed, giving farmers an option to move out of ACRE into DCP or move from DCP into ACRE. Producers must contact their county office by June 3 to enroll in ACRE. The deadline to enroll in DCP is August 2.  Read more about DCP and ACRE or contact a local county office to sign up.

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USDA to Survey Producers for Crop Production, Livestock Inventory

Posted on May 23, 2013 by tanya brown

Farmers and ranchers can expect to receive survey forms from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) next month, as the agency gathers information about this season’s crop production, livestock inventory and grain in storage. The first two weeks of June, producers can expect to receive a survey form or be interviewed by an enumerator. “As we move into the crop production season there is still a sense of uncertainty about how it is shaping up across the country. Responses to the June surveys will help ensure that decisions affecting producers and their operations are based on the facts, straight from the source.” Learn more.

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Goat Causes 4 Car Accidents Escaping from Slaughterhouse

Posted on May 23, 2013 by tanya brown

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Delinquent Youth Now ‘A Treasure’ in Ag Community

Posted on May 22, 2013 by tanya brown

Windy City Harvest Graduate Aaron Serrano shows NIFA National Program Leader Siva Sureshwaran seedlings in the Daley City College greenhouse. (Photo: Alexandra Wilson)

By Alexandra Wilson, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Aaron Serrano was 15 years-old when he was charged with a felony and sentenced as an adult to two years in a Chicago-area prison. Today, at age 18, he has a full-time job at FarmedHere, an aquaponics agricultural producer in Chicago, where his boss calls him “a treasure.”

Serrano’s transformation from a troubled teenager into a well-trained agricultural professional wouldn’t have been possible without the opportunities given to him by the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest, which runs a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) project funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Read more (USDA blog).

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Aging Farmers Force Families to Deal with Succession Planning

Posted on May 22, 2013 by tanya brown

As the age of most farmers continues to climb, the number of younger farmers to replace them continues to decline, placing a strain on family-owned farms to decide what to do with the operation. Although most succession planning is done privately with lawyers and accountants, several farming organizations have focused their efforts on training programs after realizing many farmers aren’t doing enough. The programs provide training materials to accountants, extension agents and others who work directly with producers. One particular program provides advisers to work with landowners and farmers to put a succession plan in place. Read more (USA Today).

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USDA Seeks Nominations for Minority Farmers Advisory Committee

Posted on May 22, 2013 by tanya brown

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking for members to serve on the Minority Farmers Advisory Committee to provide direction to the Secretary on issue affecting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The committee considers strategies, policies, and programs that enhance USDA’s goals for assisting minority farming and ranching operations. Members also consider goals and objectives necessary to implement their recommendations, as well as methodologies that maximize participation of minority farmers in USDA programs. Nomination forms are available online and must be submitted by May 31. Learn more or download the nomination form.

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