Articles tagged under: USDA
USDA Offers New Fertilizer Grants
Published September 29, 2022
The USDA is offering $500 million in grants to try and increase domestic fertilizer production. In Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s address to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Vilsack said the agency is now accepting applications by independent…USDA Under Secretary for Trade Gets Hearing
Published September 26, 2022
The nominee for USDA Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Ag Affairs Alexis Taylor had a confirmation hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee last week. During Thursday’s hearing, lawmakers asked Taylor about new and existing trade deals. Minnesota Senator Amy…Housing Options Shouldn’t Be a Limiting Factor in Rural America
Published September 23, 2022
Attracting and keeping good help on the farm can be a challenge. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith says the lack of housing options should not add to the difficulty. "For many years, USDA helped provide low interest mortgages for rental apartments…Vilsack Responds
Published September 15, 2022
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the tentative agreement between rail companies and union leaders is "a win for American workers, farmers, ranchers and consumers." Rail workers will receive more pay and an enhanced benefit package. Rail movement will continue. "As…USDA Invests in Climate SMART Projects
Published September 14, 2022
USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion for 70 projects in the first Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities funding pool. Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Agriculture’s Regenerative Transformation) projects include a market-based program with Truterra to increase adoption of climate-smart…Biotech Executive Order
Published September 13, 2022
President Joe Biden issued an executive order asking agencies and departments to increase the use of bio-based products and identify barriers to ag tech. USDA, the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have 180 days to identify areas…Soybeans Steal the Show
Published September 12, 2022
The September USDA report was friendly for the soybeans, neutral for corn and wheat markets. USDA is forecasting the U.S. soybean yield at 50.5 bushels per acre, a decline from the August estimate of 51.9 bushels per acre. That sent…Weekly Export Sales Data Resumes Thursday
Published September 9, 2022
USDA will release four weeks of weekly export sales data on Thursday. The August 18 and 25 data will be combined in a single report. USDA says separate reports will be released for the reporting periods ending September 1 and…A Sneak Peek: USDA Support for Climate Smart Funding
Published August 31, 2022
Climate-smart agriculture is front-and-center at the USDA. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told attendees at the Farm Progress Show USDA initially planned to use $1 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to invest in climate-smart pilot projects. "We asked farmers, agribusinesses…