The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made $21 million available to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products. The funds can also be allocated to train the next generation of bio-scientists. The funding is offered through the AFRI Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts challenge area designed to create or sustain jobs by improving existing food …
ITC Study Predicts #TPP Benefits for Farmers
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) this week released a report on the expected impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on various industries and agriculture fares especially well. The report finds that, “Among broad sectors of the U.S. economy, agriculture and food would see the greatest percentage gain relative to the baseline projections, output would be $10.0 billion, or 0.5 …
USDA Announces $130 K for Research, Education, Extension
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has made $130 million available for research, education, and extension projects to support sustainable, productive and economically viable plant and animal production systems, including organic production. Funding comes through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational Program and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “Investing in agricultural research ensures that our …
Workshop Explores Changing Dynamics of Ag Finance
Farm Foundation, NFP, along with USDA’s Economic Research Service and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, has organized a workshop that intends to explore the implications of the evolving trends regarding non-farmer investor interest in agricultural resources and the use of more diverse business organization tools by farm landowners. The workshop will be held June 6-7, 2016, at the Brown Hotel, …
USDA Unveils New Urban Agriculture Toolkit
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently unveiled the USDA Urban Agriculture Toolkit, a new resource created by USDA’s Know Your Farmer team that intends to help entrepreneurs and community leaders use urban agriculture to successfully create jobs and increase access to healthy food in their communities. The announcement was made during the opening of a new school community garden at Frederick …
#Plant16 Progress Surges
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that corn planting continues to be ahead of the five-year average. Last week results showed 30 percent of the total corn acres have been planted, numbers that exceed the average by 14 percentage points and ten percentage points ahead of where growers were just the week before. Missouri leads the way in corn planing, surpassing …
Vilsack Traveling to Japan, Vietnam
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has made plans to attend the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Niigata, Japan. Following the meeting he will then travel to Vietnam to highlight the agricultural relationship between the two countries and point out the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the each as well. At the G7 meeting, Vilsack and other participating ministers will discuss …
#Plant16 Already on a Roll
The #Plant16 hash tag has been burning up Twitter in the past week as corn planting jumped up to 13% compared to the five year average of eight percent. According to USDA, planting progress is now ahead of average by 37 percentage points in Missouri, which at 58% planted nearly a quarter of its crop last week. Iowa, Kansas and …
Corn Prices Projected to Decrease
While optimists hoped the increased demand for ethanol would help drive corn prices, the USDA reports say it won’t be enough to off-set other factors. Demand estimates are lower by 24 million bushels of corn, and ending stocks are higher by 25 million bushels. Production estimates remain unchanged from March. “U.S. corn farmers have indicated their intention to grow another …
USDA Offers Grants for Value-Added Products
The Value-Added Producer Grant program is gaining $44 million to help farmers, ranchers and businesses develop bio-based products and expand existing markets. The USDA made the announcement just last week, and hope to help with grants to veterans, members of socially disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, and operators of small and medium sized family farms and ranches. “America’s farmers, …