USDA Gives $17 Mil for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

John Davis

usda-krystaMore than $17 million in grants to help America’s beginning farmers and ranchers is being given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This news release from the agency says the awards are through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

“When new farmers and ranchers start their operations, the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program can help them implement tested strategies and new ideas that in turn benefit all of us by reducing food insecurity, growing economic opportunities, and building communities,” said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. “Today, we are partnering with organizations who recognize that an investment in our beginning farmers and ranchers is also an investment in our future.”

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program was first established by the 2008 Farm Bill and was continued in the 2014 Farm Bill. The program provides support to those who have farmed or ranched for less than 10 years. NIFA awards grants to organizations throughout the United States that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers, which may take place through workshops, educational teams, training, or technical assistance.

The 2014 Farm Bill mandated that at least five percent of BFRDP funding must support veterans and socially disadvantaged farmers. This year, 10 percent of the funding supports veterans and farming, while about 50 percent of the funding will serve socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

You can read the entire list of grant recipients here.

USDA

Farm Bureau: Take Advantage of Fall Beauty for Photo Contest!

John Davis

farmbureauThis is truly the most beautiful time of the year, and the American Farm Bureau Federation is reminding you not to let it go by without snapping some great pictures. And while you’ve got those great pics, you might as well enter them in the Farm Bureau Photo Contest, open to all state and county Farm Bureau members and staff above 18 years of age at the time of entry, including professional photographers.

“Fall is a great time to take photos of farmers and ranchers working safely during harvest, birthing calves, or even working at agri-tourism events such as pumpkin patches and corn mazes” said Kim Baker, AFBF’s assistant director, creative services. “The changing leaves in the fall offer a beautiful backdrop for agriculture-related pictures.”

Photo submissions will be used to accurately portray today’s agriculture and the safe practices of farmers and ranchers. Additionally, submissions will also be used for future publications, promotions and social media by AFBF and related companies. All photos submitted must exemplify safe practices on the farm or ranch.

The contest is open for submissions until March 31, 2016. Photos may be entered in four categories: Farm Families, Farm Labor, Technology and Consumer Outreach. Monetary prizes will be awarded to the top three placing photos from each category. First place winners will be awarded $150, second place $100 and third place $75.

Contest winners will be announced April 15, 2016, on Farm Bureau’s social media platforms and website.

Uncategorized

USDA Breaks Down Benefits of TPP for Each State

John Davis

USDAThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making its case on how the newly reached Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will benefit ag operations across the country. This news release says the USDA is releasing a series of fact sheets put together by the agency’s Foreign Agricultural Service that show how TPP will boost the U.S. agriculture industry, supporting more American jobs and driving the nation’s rural economy, state-by-state and commodity-by-commodity.

Trade ministers from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam concluded TPP negotiations on Oct. 5 in Atlanta, Ga. Trade with these countries accounted for 42 percent of U.S. agricultural exports in 2014, contributing $63 billion to the U.S. economy.

“Increased demand for American agricultural products and expanded agricultural exports as a result of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement will support stronger commodity prices and increase farm income. Increased exports will support more good paying export-related jobs, further strengthening the rural economy,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “All of this activity benefits rural communities and keeps American agriculture on the cutting edge of global commerce. The TPP agreement will contribute to the future strength of American agriculture and helps to ensure that the historic agricultural trade gains achieved under President Obama since 2009 will continue.”

The United States runs an agricultural trade surplus which benefits farmers, ranchers, and all those who live, work and raise families in rural America. Agricultural trade supports more than one million American jobs. TPP will remove unfair trade barriers and help further the global expansion of American agricultural exports, particularly exports of meat, poultry, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products.

More information on TPP benefits is available here.

Trade, USDA

Kings and Queens of the Butterflies

Melissa Sandfort

20150927_185525Today Aunt Jeanette writes:

“This looks like a 5-star place to spend the night.”
“It is quiet, our sleep won’t be disrupted, and we can get a good night’s rest.”
“There will be a continental breakfast buffet on the deck (and the roadside ditch) in the morning.”
“The pond across the road has an abundance of drinking water.”
“I will give our traveling companions a heads-up.”

As I was putting grass clippings in the north windbreak yesterday I was surprised, and rather startled, by a sudden flurry of wings fluttering from the trees. Looking more closely, I saw that I had disturbed hundreds of monarch butterflies. They quickly and quietly settled back into the trees while I stood and watched, fascinated by this phenomenon. As I reluctantly walked back to my house, not wanting to leave this wonder of nature, I imagined the above conversation among these butterflies that had chosen our windbreak as a rest stop before resuming their migratory flight to their winter home in Mexico.

When I was teaching, a favorite fall science project (and reading, writing, and art – not in the textbook!) was finding a monarch caterpillar (or if you are very lucky like our youngest son, Jeff, finding some eggs on a milkweed leaf), feeding it milkweed, watching it grow at an amazingly fast rate, seeing the beautiful green and gold chrysalis, and waiting patiently until the monarch butterfly finally hatched. For an eight-year-old it seemed like an eternity – waiting those two long weeks until the monarch finally emerged from its chrysalis, its wings visible through the transparent, gold-flecked case. It was always a rather sad day when we released the butterfly and let nature take its course. But, oh, the stories we wrote and the pictures we drew!

I love seeing cornfields being picked, trees showing the first tell-tale signs of changing color, bean fields being harvested, the clear, bright blue fall skies, goldenrod blooming by the roads, and yes, the gathering of monarch butterflies. Take time from your busy schedules to go for a walk and enjoy autumn. I guarantee you will see something unexpected and awesome!

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

American Agri-Women Celebrate 40 Years

Kelly Marshall

American Agri-WomenThe American Agri-Women (AAW) have been celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and the festivities will culminate with the national convention in Portland, Maine November 5-7.

The convention’s theme will be “Harvesting for the Future.”  The Maine Agri-Women are hosting the convention and the state is also the home of AAW President Sue McCrum, who is finishing her final year in the position.  In addition to speakers, attendees will also have the opportunity to tour  a 5,000 working farm and educational center, a potato,corn, and grass farm, a farm specializing in fresh-cut vegetables, an original Belgian-style brewery, and an animal healthcare company.

“It’s such an honor to celebrate all that we’ve achieved in our first 40 years in my home state and to plan for a future where we’ll continue being a force for truth for American agriculture,” says President Sue McCrum.

Speakers include:

· Walter Whitcomb, Commissioner of Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation
· Ann LePage, First Lady of Maine
· Karen Worester of Worcester Wreaths and executive director of Wreaths Across America
· Marge Kilkelly, senior policy advisor for U.S. Senator Angus King
· John Rebar, executive director of the Maine Extension Service
· Kathy Day, a nurse and patient safety activist and advocate

Ag Groups, Events

Ag Co-ops Set New Income Records

Cindy Zimmerman

coop-month-2015October is National Cooperative Month and USDA traditionally releases its annual report on cooperatives to coincide with the observance.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the nation’s farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives posted record income and revenue in 2014, previewing a USDA report to be released later this month that shows cooperatives earned $6.5 billion in net income and generated $246.7 billion in total revenue last year. Net income increased 16.5 percent while revenue rose 0.4 percent from 2013. Co-ops set records for income and revenue in 2014 for the fourth year in a row.

“The nation’s co-ops are essential to the U.S. economy and to rural America,” Vilsack said. “The income they generate is reinvested or returned to members who spend it in their local communities. USDA is proud to continue its support of the cooperative movement.”

USDA also released the latest top 100 ag cooperative rankings in terms of business and assets. According to the rankings, Minnesota-based CHS Inc. remains the nation’s largest cooperative posting $43 billion in revenue in 2014. Kansas City-based Dairy Farmers of America, with $18 billion in total revenue, moved up from number three to number two this year while Land O’Lakes in St. Paul dropped to third place with $15 billion in revenue.

Illinois-based GROWMARK retained its fourth place ranking for 2014 with $10.4 billion in revenue and Ag Processing Inc. of Omaha rounded out the top five with $5.2 billion.

Agribusiness, Cooperatives, USDA

Case IH Supporting Canadian Ag Journalists

Chuck Zimmerman

Case IHMy online coverage of the 2015 Canadian Farm Writers Federation Annual Meeting was sponsored by Case IH. Attending for the company was Dan Danford.

We had a great time, especially supper at Fort Calgary. Sponsored by Case IH!

Before the end of the conference I visited with Dan to find out why Case IH supports CFWF. We also talked about the similarities and differences in agricultural journalism between the United States and Canada.

Listen to my interview with Dan here: Dan Danford - Case IH

2015 CFWF Annual Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2015 Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2015 Conference is sponsored by Case IH
Audio, Case IH

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • RFD-TV News announced that Market Day Report – its daily live news program devoted exclusively to the agriculture industry – is the winner of the 2015 Cablefax Award in the news category for “Best Show or Series.”
  • Representatives from the Vermont Agencies of Agriculture, Education, & Health will join state legislators, Burlington schools superintendent, local school board members, farm to school network leaders, and a 4th/5th grade garden club to celebrate Farm to School Awareness Month at Sustainability Academy in Burlington on Tuesday October 7, 2015.
  • The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) announced the official contest rules and opened registration on their website today for the inaugural year of the National Wheat Yeild Contest.
Zimfo Bytes

Brownfield’s Steever Interviews President Obama

Cindy Zimmerman

tom-steeverBrownfield Ag News anchor and former NAFB president Tom Steever got a 20 minute interview with President Obama this week on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal and what it means for agriculture.

“So this is really a big deal,” the President told Brownfield Ag News Tuesday, “and the key to getting it passed is just making sure that people are informed about how this creates a level playing field and making sure that members of Congress who represent rural and agricultural districts understand the benefits.”

The President says the TPP will be a boon to U.S. farmers over the next two decades. And even though China is not part of the agreement, President Obama says the deal may have a positive impact on the U.S. trading relationship with China.

“As we are able to sell more and more products in the countries that are part of TPP,” he said, “then you start establishing principles whereby China is adapting to our rules as opposed to us always adapting to theirs.”
Click here to read Tom’s story and listen to the interview.

Trade

Growers Adopting Enogen Corn for Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

Growers are adopting Enogen corn for ethanol production and acres are expected to exceed 400,000 in 2016. Syngenta said there were 225,000 acres in production during the 2015 growing season and with the expected expansion and 16 ethanol plants utilizing the biotech corn designed specifically to enhance ethanol production, 1 billion gallons of ethanol per year will be produced.

Enogen logo“This breakthrough viscosity reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased throughput and yield, as well as critical cost savings from reduced natural gas, energy, water and chemical usage in ethanol plants,” said Jack Bernens, head of Enogen for Syngenta. “Growers who plant Enogen corn benefit as well – they earn an average premium of 40 cents per bushel.”

Syngenta says Enogen is growing in popularity because of the value it delivers and the opportunity it provides corn growers to be enzyme suppliers for their local ethanol plants. Assuming an average yield of 165 bushels an acre, Enogen corn is expected to generate approximately $26 million of additional revenue for local growers in 2016 through per-bushel premiums. Numerous trials have shown that Enogen hybrids perform equal to or better than other high-performing corn hybrids.

“The agreements we have in place with a steadily increasing number of plants will enable them to source alpha amylase directly from growers and keep enzyme dollars in those local communities,” added Bernens. “This is what truly sets Enogen corn apart from other technologies designed to enhance ethanol production. It adds significant incremental value at the local level for communities that rely on their ethanol plant’s success.”

Agribusiness, Corn, Ethanol