Reminder: USDA Hosting Webinar to Help Vets Start Agriculture Careers

Posted on November 16, 2012 by tanya brown

The USDA Risk Management Agency along with the Center for Rural Affairs will cosponsor a webinar to help veterans start a career in agriculture. The “Farm Training Webinar” will be held Friday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., CST, and will include information on financing, land access options, disability assistance and USDA Farm Service Agency loan programs. The free, 90-minute webinar was developed to allow all interested veterans an opportunity to learn about farming and agriculture wherever they are located, including those deployed overseas. To access the webinar visit  https://connect.cis.ksu.edu/veteranfarmer and log in as a guest. No registration is not required. Learn more.

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Delaware Celebrates 4 Farms that Reached Century Mark

Posted on November 16, 2012 by tanya brown

Pictured from l to r: State Rep. Harvey Kenton, USDA Farm Service Agency State Director Bob Walls, State Rep. John Atkins, State Rep. David L. Wilson and his wife, Carolyn, and State Rep. Bobby Outten, celebrate the Wilsons’ induction into the Delaware Century Farm Program. It was purchased in 1907 by Charles Wilson, grandfather of the current owner. Over the years it has produced corn, soybeans, strawberries and cucumbers.

Delaware has added four new farms to a growing list of farmland that have hit the 100 year mark. The four farms were inducted into Delaware’s Century Farm Program, which brings the total number to 121 statewide. “These families who farm generation after generation show a deep dedication and a love for the land,” said Gov. Jack Markell, who recognized the families during a ceremony honoring Delaware’s long agricultural heritage and historic roots. The families honored:

The Pepper Family (Thomas and Elizabeth Pepper), who own two farms from both sides of the family. The Pepper Farm is 34 acres and has been in the family since 1879. The Wilson Farm is 53 acres near and has been in the family since 1876. Both farms produce corn and soybeans. Continue reading →

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Producers Can Expect 2012 Census Forms Next Month

Posted on November 15, 2012 by tanya brown

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing for the 2012 Census of Agriculture next month and respondents can expect to find a few expanded sections included. The surveys, which are expected to reach farmers and ranchers by mid-December, will have lengthier sections on equine, forestry and regional ag production. All census forms should be completed by Feb. 4, 2013, but according to Renee Picanso of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service the final collection may be completed in May. Once the data is collected, the final publication is expected to be out in February 2014. Read more (Farm Futures).

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USDA Provides $4.5 Million to Connect Schools to Local Farms

Posted on November 15, 2012 by tanya brown

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided $4.5 million in grants to connect school cafeterias with local agricultural producers. The first ever Farm to School grants will fund 68 projects in 37 states and the District of Columbia, with a goal of serving 3,200 schools and 1.75 million students. “When schools buy food from nearby producers, their purchasing power helps create local jobs and economic benefits, particularly in rural agricultural communities,” said Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. The grants will increase market opportunities for producers and support educational efforts like field trips to local farms and school gardens. Learn more.

 

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USDA Hosts Webinar to Help Vets Start Agriculture Careers

Posted on November 14, 2012 by tanya brown

The USDA Risk Management Agency along with the Center for Rural Affairs will cosponsor a webinar to help veterans start a career in agriculture. The “Farm Training Webinar” will be held Friday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., CST, and will include information on financing, land access options, disability assistance and USDA Farm Service Agency loan programs. The free, 90-minute webinar was developed to allow all interested veterans an opportunity to learn about farming and agriculture wherever they are located, including those deployed overseas. To access the webinar visit  https://connect.cis.ksu.edu/veteranfarmer and log in as a guest. No registration is not required. Learn more.

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USDA Little-Known Factoid

Posted on November 14, 2012 by tanya brown

In 1900, 38.8 percent of U.S. Labor was on farms, in 1990 that figure dropped to 1.7 percent of the US Labor force working on farms. This decrease is due to mechanization, economic conditions, and the western expansion of agriculture coming to an end.

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USDA holds Spanish-Language Webinars on Agricultural Resources

Posted on November 13, 2012 by tanya brown

A webinar next Thursday will show Spanish-language producers how to get pricing, shipping, volume and other detailed information for hundreds of commodities. Photo courtesy Marty Ringlein

This month, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is holding a webinar about agency services and programs in Spanish.  The webinar, entitled, An Introduction to USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Market News, will be Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time.  The webinar will provide insight and information on using the Market News portal.  Through the portal, users can generate free, customized reports on pricing, shipping, volume and other detailed information for hundreds of agricultural commodities at domestic and international wholesale markets, production areas and ports of entry.  Dr. Luis Fernando Palmer, AMS Fruit and Vegetable Market News international reports branch chief, will explain how the portal works and how your business can benefit from the information. Continue reading →

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Usted ha hablado. . . Nosotros escuchamos – USDA mantiene seminarios web en español sobre recursos agrícolas

Posted on November 13, 2012 by tanya brown

Frutas en cajones. Un seminario para el próximo jueves mostrará a los productores de habla hispana, cómo obtener precios, embarques, volumen y otra información detallada para cientos de productos básicos.

Este mes, el Servicio de Comercialización Agrícola (AMS) está llevando a cabo un seminario sobre los servicios y programas de  la agencia en español. El seminario titulado, Una introducción a las Noticias de Mercado de Frutas y Hortalizas del USDA, será el jueves 15 de Noviembre desde las 14:00 a las 15:00 hora del este. El seminario proporcionará información sobre cómo utilizar el portal de Noticias de Mercado. A  través del portal, los usuarios pueden generar informes gratis, modificados para sus requisitos particulares sobre precios, embarques, volumen y otra información detallada sobre cientos de productos agrícolas en mercados mayoristas nacionales e internacionales, áreas de producción y puertos de entrada. Dr. Luis Fernando Palmer, Jefe de la Sección de Reportes Internacionales de Noticias de Mercado de Frutas y Hortalizas del AMS, les explicará cómo funciona el portal y cómo su empresa u organización puede beneficiarse de la información. Continue reading →

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North Dakota Farmers Vote for Right to Farm

Posted on November 9, 2012 by tanya brown

North Dakota farmers are making it difficult for outsiders to tell them how to farm. On Tuesday, the majority voted for the right to farm to become a permanent part of the state’s constitution. The amendment gives farmers the right to engage in modern agriculture and bars laws limiting their right “to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production and ranching practices.” The North Dakota Farm Bureau pushed to have the amendment put on the ballot after the Humane Society of the United States attempted to abolish fenced hunting preserves in the state. Read more (Associated Press).

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University Offers Course to Keep Young People on the Farm

Posted on November 9, 2012 by tanya brown

A new course offered at the University of Missouri is encouraging more young people to consider farming as a career. “Returning to the Farm,” taught by Kevin Moore, associate professor of agricultural economics, helps students overcome financial and personal obstacles of becoming a farmer. Based on a USDA survey, the average age of the U.S. farmer is 57 and rising, while the next generation of young people is eagerly leaving the farm to pursue careers in urban areas. Read more (Southwest Farm Press).

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