Vilsack Announces USDA Streamlining at AFBF Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack revealed a plan for streamlining operations and cutting costs at USDA during an address to the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting on Monday. “The USDA, like families and businesses across the country, cannot continue to operate like we did 50 years ago,” said Vilsack. “We must innovate, modernize, and be better stewards of the taxpayers’ …

AFBF, Audio, USDA

Farm Program Atlas

Chuck Zimmerman

The USDA Economic Research Service has a Farm Program Atlas online for your searching pleasure. The Farm Program Atlas is a web-based interactive mapping tool that displays payment and participation data on major farm programs and covered commodities at the county level — to visualize how these Federal farm programs vary across the United States. Users can select maps displaying …

USDA

Secretary Vilsack Visits NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack once again paid a visit to the nation’s farm broadcasters at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting in Kansas City where he commmented on a number of issues important to farmers and ranchers. The secretary led with USDA’s announcement today on record growth of U.S. agricultural exports in 2011. “I’m pleased to report that …

Audio, NAFB, USDA

What Affects Fall Leaf Color

Chuck Zimmerman

I think the fall colors are fading here in mid Missouri. We have had some real contrasts this year and it seemed to me like the trees turned color in a couple of waves instead of all at once. Here’s our maple tree when it was in full color. So, have you wondered about the science behind leaf changing? Then …

USDA

Vilsack Talks Farm Bill at John Deere

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack chose the John Deere Des Moines Works facility to talk about his priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill, which he says is really a misnomer. “After all, for decades this bill has been about a whole lot more than just farming. It’s been about energy, it’s been about nutrition, it’s been about jobs. Now, some may …

Farm Bill, Farm Policy, John Deere, USDA

USDA-NASS Proposes Program Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

It would be nice to see all government agencies take a look at some programs that might be able to be cut to save tax dollars, like USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has done. In light of funding reductions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and the likelihood of additional reductions in FY 2012, NASS conducted deliberate reviews of all programs …

USDA

New USDA-NASS Farm Computer Usage/Ownership Report

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s time to analyze some new data about farm computer use and ownership. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistic Service has released a new report, “Farm Computer Usage and Ownership, August 2011.” Here’s the opening summary. It’s interesting to see that dialup access has dropped in half since the last report in 2009. Also note how high the percentages get as you …

Farming, Internet, USDA

USDA May Get Precision Ag Data

Chuck Zimmerman

I have now moved from Nebraska to Illinois for the 2011 InfoAg Conference. This is all about precision agriculture so most of our coverage will be found on Precision Pays. Thanks to Cindy we have coverage already started since I was a little slow moving this morning. Here’s her report on the opening session: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Acreage …

Audio, Precision Agriculture, USDA

USDA Replaces Pyramid with Plate

Cindy Zimmerman

Nutrition has a newer, rounder shape. Fruits and vegetables should make up half of our plates under the more user-friendly nutrition image released today by First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. USDA is ditching the long-used food pyramid for a plate. “I can already tell you how much this is going to help parents across the country,” …

USDA

Waiting for GIPSA

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s been 11 months since it was first published and six months since the comment period ended, but it will be several more months yet before USDA makes a decision on the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule. “There were 66,000 comments, about 30,000 of which are unique,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told an agriculture committee meeting …

Beef, GIPSA, NCBA, NPPC, USDA