Urban ag proposals: The USDA would spend up to $20 million a year to protect urban land for food production and provide small-scale loans and grants for urban agriculture micro-enterprises under a bill filed by three House Democrats. (Rep. Rush)
Farmland rents surge: After holding steady for a couple of years, rental rates for cropland in the Farm Belt could surge by 10-15 percent in 2022, say farm managers. (Farm Progress)
Putting down roots: As water tables sink in the central and southern Plains, farmers are looking for crops that need less irrigation, switching to livestock on pasture land, or “returning land to its literal roots,” by planting hardy native grasses that hold soil in place during dry spells. (Associated Press)
Pond-scum fertilizers: Scientists have found the good side of pond scum – it acts as a natural fertilizer, replenishes organic matter in soil and can bind soil particles together so they resist erosion. (Agricultural Research Service)