Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to FFA members in attendance for one of the opening sessions at the 87th National FFA Convention & Expo this morning. He speaks at many different venues, but said this audience is the hardest because he is following young people who are very well spoken, don’t use any notes and never skip a beat. “This …
New USDA Ag Census Maps App Puts Info in Farmers’ Hands
A new tool offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will let producers see and analyze more data. The agency’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now offering the Ag Census Web Maps application, a dynamic online tool that gives users rapid access to Census of Agriculture maps and data about crops and plants, livestock and animals, economics, farms, and …
Corn Growers Part of White House Women in Ag Event
A Past President of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) was part of a White House ceremony last week recognizing women is agriculture. Pam Johnson joined U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden for the Dialogue on Women Leaders in Agriculture, along with more than thirty participants representing ag associations, businesses and higher education, including …
USDA Seeks to Move New Products Into BioPreferred Program
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to move some new products into a preferred procurement initiative for federal agencies. USDA is using the 2014 Farm Bill to justify making available some new, biobased forest products in the BioPreferred® program, along with some other traditional biobased products and other mature market products, which have been produced in innovative ways. “Today, …
Top 100 Ag Cooperatives
It’s still National Cooperative Month, which is when USDA traditionally releases its top 100 list of agricultural cooperatives. According to USDA, Iowa has the most agricultural cooperatives of any state at 16, up from 11 a decade ago. Minnesota ranks second among the states, with 13. It is followed by Nebraska with nine, Illinois and Wisconsin with five each, then …
USDA Announces New Farm Bill Program
USDA is making plans to launch new Farm Bill program to help provide relief to farmers impacted by severe weather, including drought. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion, available nationwide for farmers of select crops starting next spring, allows eligible producers who have been hit with severe weather to receive a higher approved …
USDA Forecasts More Corn and Soybeans
The harvest may be running a little slow right now, but USDA expects a bit more corn and beans in the bins than they did a month ago, adding to the already record forecasts. Corn production is now forecast at 14.5 billion bushels, up almost one percent from the previous forecast and four percent more than last year. Corn yields …
USDA Spotlights Emerging Bioeconomy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new report, “Why Biobased?” outlining current literature that explores opportunities in the emerging biobased economy. The report is a precursor for a more comprehensive economic study planned for release by the USDA BioPreferred program and will focus on the economic impacts of the biobased products industry. “This new report presents the …
Vilsack Spotlights Ag Innovation
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spotlighted agricultural innovations during an appearance at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Monday. Vilsack stressed the importance of global cooperation in biotechnology innovations. “It’s in our long term best interest as a global community that we encourage appropriate science, that we encourage biotechnology, ways to grow crops with less water, less pesticides, less chemicals,” he …
Vilsack Gaining on Glickman in Office
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is within two weeks of serving longer in that position than Dan Glickman under President Clinton. “In about 15 days he will beat my record, because I was in office about 5 years and 11 months,” said Glickman during his introduction of Vilsack at a Chicago Council on Global Affairs event on Monday. “He’s doing this …