USDA
Does rising rural poverty signal a longer-term decline?
One-third of rural counties have a poverty rate above 20 percent, a dramatic increase since 2000 that is unlikely to cured by the slow, post-recession economic recovery, says a report by the Carsey School of Public Policy. "The consistent increases in poverty rates in rural counties suggest that rural areas are facing a longer-term decline in economic conditions."
What beginning farmers want from the USDA
In a survey, beginning farmers say some of their biggest headaches are USDA paperwork and uncooperative staff at their local USDA office. "These challenges are solvable," said the National Young Farmers Coalition, which recommends USDA train some of the county office staff in dealing with new farmers and also asks USDA to "go small" in fitting its programs to the needs of young farmers, who usually have small operations.
Senate confirms Ibach as USDA undersecretary for marketing
On a voice vote, the Senate confirmed Gregory Ibach, the state agriculture director in Nebraska, as agriculture undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. Ibach is the third member of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's executive team approved to take office; five slots remain empty.
Iowa offers incentive to farmers who plant cover crops
Iowa, which has been embroiled in controversies over agricultural runoff and water-quality issues, has announced a novel program to give farmers who plant cover crops a $5-per-acre discount on their crop insurance over the next three years, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
California congressman backs organic-ag research bill
Congressman Doug LaMalfa, a Republican representing Northern California's first district, joined a bipartisan effort to increase funding for the USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). The bill, originally sponsored by Reps. Chellie Pingree of Maine, Dan Newhouse of Washington, and Jimmy Panetta of California, seeks to renew OREI and increase its funding to $50 million per year.
A road bump, maybe a roadblock, for USDA reorganization
Some of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's sweeping changes to USDA's organizational chart will need a congressional green light, the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee said in a letter asserting the Senate's advise-and-consent role in federal appointments. The committee leaders said Perdue cannot change the duties of his senior policymakers until Congress passes a law that codifies their new titles and responsibilities.
USDA starts and once again stops entry to long-term Conservation Reserve
With the start of the new fiscal year, the USDA said it will accept most of the pending applications to enroll land in the Conservation Reserve, the first time in five months that land has been accepted under the so-called continuous enrollment option. At the same time, the Farm Service Agency said it suspended work on applications submitted after Sept. 30 "until later in the 2018 fiscal year" so it does not exceed the 24 million-acre limit for the land-idling program.
Low commodity prices spur Senate interest in idling cropland
Senators from the Plains and Upper Midwest pressed for expansion of the Conservation Reserve Program during a friendly confirmation hearing for Bill Northey, the USDA nominee who would run the program as agriculture undersecretary.
Senate confirms Censky and McKinney as senior USDA executives
Ag panel clears two USDA nominees for Senate vote; first Trump appointees since Perdue
The Senate could vote as early as this week to confirm Steven Censky as deputy agriculture secretary and Ted McKinney as undersecretary for trade. They are the first Trump nominees for USDA to be cleared for a floor vote by the Senate Agriculture Committee since March 30, when the nomination of Secretary Sonny Perdue was advanced to the floor.
House bill would give USDA big boost to oversee organic food
Congress would double the USDA’s annual funding to oversee the booming organic agriculture sector and would provide an additional $5 million to prevent fraudulent organic imports under a bill filed by six U.S. representatives. An industry trade group said the bill would help the National Organic Program (NOP) keep pace with ever-increasing production and rapidly rising consumer demand for organics.
Coalition asks for farm bill rule: Practice stewardship to get U.S. benefits
The 2014 farm law reforged the link between federally subsidized crop insurance and land stewardship. With the 2018 farm bill on the legislative horizon, two dozen farm, wildlife, environmental, and conservation groups urged Congress to “maintain existing conservation compliance requirements as a prerequisite to receiving crop insurance, conservation and commodity program subsidies, and other farm bill benefits.”
Shorthanded USDA lax on enforcing law on farmland ownership by foreigners
Since 1978, foreign entities and individuals have been required to report it to the USDA if they have at least a 10 percent interest in parcels of U.S. farmland totaling 10 acres or more. Yet the USDA does not review the reports for accuracy or completeness and, for lack of resources, does not even investigate if foreign investors are filing the required reports, says the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting.
Obese children live in less-advantageous settings
Household characteristics and food environments may have the strongest influence on children's weight, says a USDA report, although no single factor has been identified as the leading contributor to childhood obesity. Obesity rates among U.S. children more than doubled over the past three decades, says the USDA report by economist Young.
Big gains in number of U.S. organic farms, value of organic sales
At a time when U.S. farm numbers are stagnant, the organic sector continues to grow, said a recent report by the USDA. There were 14,217 certified organic farms that sold $7.55 billion worth of organic commodities last year. The number of farms was up 11 percent from the previous year, and total sales were up 23 percent, according to the agency’s Certified Organic Survey.
Half of early crop political appointees at USDA worked on Trump campaign
"Most of that group also lack experience working in agriculture. The 42 appointees include a number who do have farm-policy chops — but none of those tout time on the Trump campaign," said Politico in its Morning Ag newsletter. "Among this crop of appointees are a former cabana boy, a truck driver, an AT&T cellular phone salesman and the owner of a scented-candle company."
Organic food industry sues USDA over slowdown of livestock welfare rules
In a challenge to the Trump administration's drive to erase Obama-era regulations, the organic food industry accused USDA of unlawfully delaying animal welfare rules that give livestock on organic farms more elbow room than allowed at conventional operations. Livestock groups and their allies in Congress have alternated between ridiculing the organic livestock rule and trying to scrap it.
USDA forecasts mammoth cotton crop before full impact of hurricanes
Cotton growers are headed for the largest cotton harvest in 12 years, said USDA's monthly crop report, although officials acknowledged they don't have a full picture of damage from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which struck much of the Cotton Belt. The USDA said it would conduct special surveys in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina to assess how much of the cotton, rice, peanut and soybean crops were harvested.
Ten RECs get $4.4 billion in New ERA clean energy funding
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $4.37 billion in grants and loans to 10 rural electric cooperatives on Thursday for clean energy projects that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.1 million tons a year. With the awards, the USDA has allocated nearly $9 billion of the $9.7 billion available in the Empowering Rural America program.