The U.S. Senate has formally confirmed the nomination of George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III to serve as the 31st Secretary of Agriculture. The final vote was 87 to 11. Agribusinessman, veterinarian, state legislator, and governor of Georgia, Perdue worked on the family farm in central Georgia andn will be only the fourth agriculture secretary who can claim to have been …
SMART Farmer Nancy Kavazanjian
This is episode number six of the USFRA SMART Farmer podcast and this one is with Nancy Kavazanjian, who served as the second chairperson of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. Nancy farms with her husband Charlie Hammer in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on land that has been in his family for 150 years. She grew up on Long Island, made …
Ethanol and Earth Day
Ethanol has a seat on the ground at one of the largest Earth Day events in the country this weekend – Earth Day Texas, which last year hosted over 130,000 attendees, over 700 exhibitors and more than 250 speakers. Even bigger and better this year, the event includes the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Day Odyssey where Renewable Fuels Association …
Bayer Bee Center Celebrates 10K Visitors
The Bee Care Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina celebrated its third anniversary this week by welcoming its 10,000th visitor. The Bee Care Program invited a group of fourth-graders from a local school to serve as the honorary “10,000th visitors” and everyone had a great time while learning about the role honey bees play in the environment through a …
Farm Foundation Reschedules NAFTA Forum
A Farm Foundation Forum on the Future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that was postponed last month due to a snowstorm has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 26. Invited to present perspectives on the issue are former American Farm Bureau president Bob Stallman, Melissa San Miguel with the Grocery Manufacturers Association; and Linda Dempsey, Vice President of …
Earth Day Science Resources from USFRA
Earth Day is joining the March for Science this year with a rally and teach-in on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Saturday to “defend the vital public service role science plays in our communities and our world,” with support from organizations like the American Chemical Society. The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has prepared a toolkit for farmers …
ASTA Pleased with New International Seed Standard
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased with the passage of a final International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) for Seed during the recent International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in Korea. American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Senior Director of Seed Health and Trade Ric Dunkle, who attended the IPPC, says ASTA has been advocating for a seed ISPM for …
USDA Gearing up for 2017 Census
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is gearing up for 2017 Census of Agriculture, which will be mailed to all known farmers and ranchers in the nation at the end of this year. The census is conducted every five years by and is a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches and those who operate them. “The Census of Agriculture remains …
Wet Weather Delays Corn Planting
Many planters around the Corn Belt were sitting idle last week as wet weather continued to delay planting progress at the start of the season, much to the dismay of farmers anxious to get into the fields. The latest crop progress report from USDA this week shows corn planting progress at six percent falling behind last year at this time …
Fluency Agent Advanced Helps Farmers CARE
The Bayer CARE initiative has been encouraging growers to be good stewards of the land for five years and now Bayer is making that goal more attainable with Fluency Agent Advanced, which was introduced by the company at Commodity Classic. The CARE acronym stands for: Communicate planting activities to neighboring beekeepers Be Aware of wind speed and direction during your …