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The USDA is increasing efforts to improve forest resiliency through a variety of programs and approaches. "At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we believe that with innovate policies and incentives, climate smart reforestation and forest management can be a meaningful tool to increasing forest health," said Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. ...

Local USDA farm service agency service areas now are accepting nominations for FSA county committee members. "We have an election every year; consists of a nominee period; the nomination period runs till August 1st," said FSA Deputy Administrator Marcus Graham.  He...

Crop producers have until July 15th to submit their crop acreage report to their local USDA Farm Agency office.  And as Farm Service Agency Deputy Administrator Scott Marlow noted, there is also a new option available for producers to access their farm records and acreage maps. ...

Over the objections of most Republicans, the House approved a USDA special investigator to monitor meat industry competition.  During last week’s 221-204 seven Republicans backed and four Democrats opposed a USDA special investigator to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act, the anchor for a package of Ag bills. “Crack...

The public comment period has been extended for USDA's look at competition, supply chain concerns and capacity expansion within the nation's fertilizer industry.  With comment accepted now until July 15th. "This extension of time under the RFI, we think, is going to be helpful to really highlight and facilitate additional comments regarding that capacity expansion," said AMS' Andy Green

Ukraine's farmers are desperately trying to get what's left of last year's crops moved into export and to find room for the upcoming harvest, while also fighting a war. During a recent meeting at the UN, leaders from a variety of nations held a round table meeting on the Ukraine situation...

On Thursday, the Washington state Department of Agriculture announced that nearly $3 million is on the table for farm to school efforts.  The hope is to get more locally grown food on the lunch trays of schools across the state.  WSDA is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023.  Applica...

At any point, spring wheat growers could be finished with nationwide planting.  When the week started, growers were 88% done as we started the week and a little heat helped push emergence rates up to 89% nationally. As to condition, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says it's improving. ...

New data released by USDA’s Economic Research Service this week shows the number farms nationwide continues to decline slowly.  After peaking at 6.8 million farms in 1935, the number of U.S. farms and ranches fell sharply through the early 1970s.  Rapidly falli...

From past surveys of farmers, we know what conservation practices growers are using and the effects of those practices on the environment, "but the next logical step is to understand why producers are adopting or not adopting conservation practices..."....