*UPDATED* with audio below Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a one week extension for producers to choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), the safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill. The final day to make the decision, update yield history or reallocate base acres will now be April 7, 2015. “This is an …
Undersecretary Michael Scuse Addresses Ag Day
The annual Celebration of Agriculture dinner at the USDA was an opportunity for many agricultural leaders and students to gather and hear about the work being done by the agency. Our keynote speaker, Michael Scuse, Undersecretary for Farm & Foreign Ag Services used the opportunity to highlight many of the accomplishments and programs of USDA The program also featured some …
USDA Census Highlights Family Farms
The family-owned label applies to the vast majority of farms in this country. The latest information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) agriculture census shows that these farms are the backbone of the ag industry, making up 97 of the farms in the U.S. “As we wrap up mining the 6 million data points from the latest Census of …
Ag Secretary and EPA Chief at NFU
The heads of both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency spoke to the National Farmers Union (NFU) convention in Wichita Monday. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $97 million in programs to support the continued development of farmers markets, farm to school efforts and rural economies and will also expand risk management tools for specialty crops and …
Letter Calls for USDA, HHS to Reject Dietary Report
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) joined 29 of her colleagues in objecting to a report on food guidelines that advises Americans to decrease consumption of red meat. In a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, the senators condemn the report’s conclusions, which ignore relevant scientific evidence on nutrition. Senator Fischer released the following statement regarding …
Farmland Partners Adds Former USDA Economist
After serving more than 30 years in the federal government, Dr. Joseph Glauber has been appointed as an independent director to ag real estate firm Farmland Partners Inc. Dr. Glauber has been active in the agricultural industry since the early 1980s and began working for the USDA in 1984. In addition, Dr. Glauber chaired the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board …
Former Ag Secretaries Urge Congress to Pass TPA
A bipartisan group of former U.S. Agriculture Secretaries, representing all past administrations since President Jimmy Carter, issued an open letter on Friday urging Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The former secretaries note that TPA has been given to all previous presidents since Gerald Ford and is critical for successfully negotiating new trade partnerships that boost exports and create …
Sec. Vilsack Addresses 2015 Commodity Classic
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spoke to over 7000 agricultural producers and industry members during his 6th appearance at Commodity Classic on Friday. Sec. Vilsack began by stating that he “was in the presence of greatness” and went on to thank farmers for all that they do on a daily basis. He also thanked farmers for their work on the …
USDA Gives $14 Million for Rural Economic Growth
Rural economies are getting a $14 million boost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This news release from the agency says the grants through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) are aimed at increasing prosperity in rural America through research, education, and extension programs focused on promoting rural community development, economic growth, and sustainability. “Nearly 60 million …
Ag Groups Comment on Proposed Dietary Guidelines
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee submitted their recommendations to the Health and Human Services Secretary Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA will consider this report, along with input from other federal agencies and comments from the public as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, to be released …