AgrAbility e-Note

January 2017

Other News

Determined Military Vet Uses FSA to Get Back to the Farm

"By forming partnerships and developing outreach efforts to restore trust and improve relationships, USDA has seen a 12% increase in black farmers and a 21% increase in Hispanic farmers."
AGFAX

USDA expands advocacy office

"the Office of the Ombudsperson is helping women and Hispanic farmers and ranchers with accessing Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development (RD) programs."
MorningAgClips

Farmers concerned over labor source

"Farmers want to educate Trump on the labor it takes to feed the country"
MorningAgClips

Transfer of farmland just got easier

"Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Lanon Baccam announced that beginning Jan. 9, 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will offer an early termination opportunity for certain Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, making it easier to transfer property to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, including family members."
MorningAgClips

New program to foster organic growth

"...the Organic Trade Association (OTA) announced a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help guide farmers transitioning into certified organic agricultural production...This will help ease the transition process to organic, allow farmers to sell their products as certified transitional at a premium price, and help encourage more organic production."
MorningAgClips

A game-changer for crop protection

"Researchers...have developed a revolutionary new crop protection technique which offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to genetically-modified crops and chemical pesticides."
MorningAgClips

Rural development funds aid N.M. town

"A northern New Mexico village is a model for accessing federal funding, leading to new jobs along with a grocery co-op, vineyard and one of the nation’s top libraries."
MorningAgClips

Farm Bureau sends message to Congress

"American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and thousands of Farm Bureau members ... asked Congress to pass sweeping reform of regulations that burden the lives of farmers and ranchers."
MorningAgClips

Federal waters to open for fish farming

"New technologies are being developed for open-ocean aquaculture, and many U.S. companies are sending their crews overseas to farm..."
MorningAgClips

Grants to support local food sector

"... (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced the availability of $27 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed to strengthen market opportunities for local and regional food producers and businesses."
MorningAgClips