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A multi-state focus on specialty crops
Applications are now being accepted for grants from USDA's Specialty Crop Multi-State Program, which is designed to address various concerns and efforts within the specialty crop industry. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Deputy Administrator Tricia Kovacs provides more details about the program. Kovacs explains the concerns in the industry that will be focused on, from plant pest and disease research to marketing and promotion. Kovacs expands on the scope of the program. That was USDA...
AFBF: Congress needs to pass a new farm bill this year
Members of the American Farm Bureau Federation are asking Congress to pass the farm bill this year. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says it’s critical that Congress finishes a farm bill in 2024. Duvall said Farm Bureau members are sending a...
USMEF pursuing opportunities for U.S. beef in Angola
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is leading a trade mission to Angola this week, and with the support of the Beef Checkoff Program, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Africa Representative Matt Copeland is participating. Copeland said that there are...
Ethanol powering America and helping to save farms
The National Ethanol Conference was held in San Diego last week and it provided a morale boost to the ethanol industry. That’s Renewable Fuels Association Chair Erik Huschitt who wasn’t alone in praising the corn powered fuel’s achievements since the 1980s and those...
Waste in EPA environmental justice grant spending
Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says millions of taxpayer dollars funneled through the Environmental Protection Agency’s grant programs weren’t used correctly. While the funds were used to cover recipient organizations’ overhead costs and operating expenses,...
NASDA Members make trade trip to Cuba
As we look to open up new trade options around the globe, we are also looking at opening doors with former trade partners that have been estranged for political reasons for some time. Recently a delegation from the National Association of State Departments of...
EPA’s E15 final decision welcome, but some questions remain
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted the request from eight Midwestern states, including Iowa, to sell year-round E15 beginning in 2025. The EPA approved the long-delayed petitions from eight Midwest governors to allow summertime sales of E15 in these...
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More Ag News
Small businesses seeing excellent growth across the country
Small businesses are the backbone of agriculture and local rural economies, as they create jobs and keep money local while adapting to the needs of consumers. Over the past several years, there’s been an even greater shift towards supporting small businesses over...
Ag chemical price transparency report helps farmers find savings
Farmers Business Network is celebrating its tenth year in 2024 and as a network of farmers it is always striving to help farmers work together. One of the ways in which FBN helps farmers each year is with its ag chemical price transparency report that allows farmers...
Rural America can be tough for allergy sufferers
Approximately 81 million Americans are diagnosed with seasonal allergies or hay fever, which affects 26 percent of adults and 19 percent of children. In many rural areas across America, there are three waves of pollen allergy triggers throughout the growing season....
Liver flukes becoming a bigger problem in cattle
Previously an issue only cattle producers in the wet regions of the Gulf and Pacific Coasts had to deal with, liver flukes have become a worsening problem for beef herds across the country. Dr. Jody Wade, professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim,...
Farm land values up five percent
USDA says the value of all farm real estate increased five percent compared to last year. The average price is $4,170 per acre, and that includes buildings and other facilities. Cropland values increased to $5,570 per acre from last year. That’s a jump of $350 per...
