The next USDA/DOJ public workshop on competition in the livestock industry is scheduled for next week in Ft. Collins, CO, and I will be attending. The session will be held on Friday and there will be a separate session the evening before hosted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Pork Producers Council which I will also be attending. …
Listening To Farmers Conservation Regulation Concerns
The Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, USDA, is Ann Mills. Ann oversees the Natural Resources Conservation Service. During lunch on the Conservation in Action Tour she spoke to us about several initiatives under her oversight. She talked about her goals of getting 100 percent participation from Chesapeake Bay area land owners to help with the watershed cleanup efforts. …
New USDA Blog
USDA announced a new blog today. USDA has just launched a newly revamped and refreshed Blog, bringing key enhancements to our previous offering. You will notice a new look and feel, enhanced search capabilities, easier navigation, categorization, and faster access to previous blog posts. For over a year, USDA has been sharing stories and information on a wide array of …
Media Frenzy Over USDA Blunder
I had to wonder while watching the live press conference of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s apology for firing an employee over apparently unfounded accusations of racism – how many of those mainstream media journalists had ever been inside the USDA? Were they just bored because the oil stopped gushing in the Gulf and Lindsay Lohan is in jail? …
USDA Says Ask The Expert
If you have questions, USDA has answers. They just launched a new portal to Ask The Expert. . . . a knowledge-based search engine that optimizes customer experience while conserving taxpayer dollars. This intuitive tool relies on self-service to deliver reliable and relevant information 24/7, greatly reducing wait time and USDA resources associated with the previous system.
USDA Planted Acres Report Lowers Corn
USDA’s new planted acreage report out this morning says corn acres are two percent higher than last year, but that is down a point from the March report with more acres are going to soybeans. Corn planted area for all purposes in 2010 is estimated at 87.9 million acres, up 2 percent from last year. Acreage is up in Illinois, …
Fluidigm Introduces First Reusable Bio-Chip
Fluidigm Corporation held a joint press conference this morning with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service to announce their new reusable bio-chip architecture which is a first for the commercial market. These reusable integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) will dramatically lower SNP genotyping costs and are designed to support accelerated sample throughput, while maintaining data quality of 99.75 percent or greater accuracy …
Wet Weather Slows Planting Progress
Cool, wet weather slowed down corn and soybean planting last week, but didn’t stop it. USDA reports that 38 percent of the soybean crop is now planted and 87 percent of the corn – which is way ahead of last year in both cases and a comfortable amount above normal. Both crops are emerging ahead of normal – corn at …
National Summit to Wrap Up Rural Tour
A national summit for rural America will be held in Missouri next month to wrap up the Obama administration’s Rural Tour. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host the day-long “National Summit of Rural America: A Dialogue for Renewing Promise” on June 3 on the campus of Jefferson College near St. Louis. “This Summit will be an opportunity for rural Americans …
USDA April Sense of Humor
USDA does have a sense of humor. At least Mary Ann Leonard at the National Agriculture Library does. Here’s her April Fool’s Day post on the NAL Blog. It’s so good I had to share it. The photo credit is, “by Extraterrestrial Farmers United Intergalactic rights reserved.” USDA, the “Every Day, Every Way” Department, made its play for the hearts …