President Biden Issues Proclamation MARCH 22, 2021 On National Agriculture Day, we recognize the unique and irreplaceable value that farmers, ranchers, foresters, farmworkers, and other agricultural stewards have contributed to our Nation’s past and present. America’s agriculture sector safeguards our Nation’s lands through sustainable management; ensures the health and safety of animals, plants, and people; provides a safe and abundant food …
Rural Broadband AFBF President Zippy Duvall Advocates for Reliable Service
Internet broadband access continues to be a major concern for rural communities. It is a major point of focus for American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “Everything that we’re going to move forward to in agriculture is going to be based off the new technology that comes down the pipe to us. It’s going to be run by the …
QLA Deadline Extended: Applications Now Due April
WASHINGTON, March 5, 2021 – Vegetable and specialty crop producers in the Southeast that want to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program now have an extra month to submit an application. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for producers to apply, due to recent winter storms and some clarifications …
Cultivating a New Generation of Farmers
By Sarah Bostick Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts a census. The 2017 Census of Agriculture captured in numbers what we see happening all around us: Farming is changing. GREENER GROWERS One of the most notable changes is that a growing number of farms in America are run by new and beginner producers …
Imperfect Competition Yields Profitable Market Opportunities
By Kimberly L. Morgan and Jessica Ryals In nearly all introductory economics courses, the agricultural industry serves as the primary example of a “perfectly competitive” market structure. In theory, farmers are not able to set prices for their products, and instead “take the price” offered by market buyers. To achieve profitability, a grower works year-round to find ways to reduce …
Heliae® Agriculture Adds New Seed Treatment Product to Portfolio
GILBERT, AZ – Heliae® Agriculture is strengthening its product portfolio with the introduction of PhycoTerra® ST, a new seed treatment formulation specifically designed to supercharge the seed microbiome, improving the ability for soil to provide necessary water and nutrients to the developing seed and ultimately improving crop yield. PhycoTerra® ST has a unique formulation that allows growers to tap into the …
Enterprise Planning Budgets for Growers
By Kimberly L. Morgan and Tara Wade Wanna go fishin’? Have you ever wondered why we don’t ask who wants to go catching fish? Entrepreneurial adventures in farming may be compared to the distinction between fishing and catching any fish at all, regardless of hours spent throwing out a line, varying techniques, bait types, pole qualities and past experiences at …
Secretary Perdue Statement on H-2A Modernization
(Washington, D.C., January 15, 2021) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement today applauding the Department of Labor’s final rule modernizing the H-2A visa program: “This final rule streamlining and modernizing the H-2A visa process will go a long way in ensuring American farmers have access to a stable and skilled workforce, all while removing unnecessary bureaucratic processes. …
USDA Establishes Weekly Report to Highlight Seasonable, Perishable Product Trends
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a new data report, the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement Seasonal Perishable Products Weekly Update, prepared in close partnership with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce). The weekly report is based on data provided by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) …
Making Sense of Biologicals: Biologicals Meet Grower Needs
Sponsored Content The use of biological crop protection products or “biologicals” in vegetable and specialty crops is not a new idea, just one that is increasing in popularity. The name sells itself. Biologicals represent a group of products derived from living organisms. Growers utilize environmentally friendly biologicals in combination with appropriate chemical applications to provide added protection against pests, diseases …