President-elect Donald Trump has selected Brooke Rollins to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in his second term. Currently, Rollins serves as president and chief executive officer of the America First Policy Institute. Rollins was formerly director of the Domestic Policy Council and assistant to the president for Strategic Initiatives in the White House under President Donald Trump, where …
USDA’s Farm Service Agency to Host Nov. 25 Disaster Assistance Webinar for Florida Producers
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida invites farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who were impacted by recent hurricanes to participate in a webinar focused on available FSA disaster recovery resources. “The Farm Service Agency is here to help Florida agriculture recover from damages caused by hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton,” said Deborah …
USDA, Alabama Award $5.9 Million to Projects that Strengthen Food Supply Chain Infrastructure
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced it has partnered with Alabama to award $5.9 million for six projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems. “Projects funded through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program …
USDA Announces More Than $2 Billion to Strengthen Specialty Crops Sector
WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Tuesday the creation of new programs that will help farmers who grow fruits, vegetables and nuts overcome market barriers for their products, and help producers access necessary pre-market storage for their crops following severe weather events, including recent hurricanes. The new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative will provide $2 billion to …
USDA Announces $33.5 Million in Grant Awards to Expand Local and Regional Food Systems
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service has awarded more than $33.5 million for 113 grant projects in 43 states and territories to expand and strengthen local and regional food systems, while increasing the availability of locally grown agricultural products. The funding will be distributed through the Local Agriculture Market Program’s (LAMP) Farmers Market and Local …
USDA NASS Results: 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Data Now Available
WASHINGTON – There were 212,714 farms with 53.1 million irrigated acres, which included 81 million acre-feet of water applied in the United States, according to the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey results. The statistics were published last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In 2018, the irrigation survey results showed that there …
USDA to Issue More Than $235 Million to Farmers Hit by Natural Disasters, Including Hurricane Milton
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing payments this week to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, including $143 million in crop insurance indemnities for Florida producers impacted by Hurricane Milton and about $92 million for livestock producers, nationwide, who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses due to 2022 qualifying drought and …
USDA Under Secretary Moffitt Highlights Investments in Organic Agriculture
Portland, Ore. — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt attended the National Organic Standards Board fall meeting to highlight USDA’s investment in and support of the nation’s organic agricultural industry. USDA’s programs are opening new market opportunities for farmers, expanding consumer access to organic foods and helping producers take home a …
USDA Seeks Nominations for Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations to the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Members of this Committee advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the scope, timing and content of periodic agricultural censuses, as well as surveys of agriculture and other related industries. The committee also makes recommendations on the content of agricultural reports and represents …
USDA-NRCS Florida Expedites Disaster Assistance Signup Through Environmental Quality Incentives Program
GAINESVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida announced it will begin accepting applications for disaster assistance funding through Emergency Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide technical and financial assistance to agricultural landowners and producers in recovering from damages caused by hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. Approximately $26 million will be made available for …














