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Juan M. Garcia named Farm Service Agency Administrator

July 30, 2012

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the appointment of Juan M. Garcia as Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator, effective July 15, 2012. Garcia previously served as deputy administrator for Farm Programs where he managed all FSA programs under the Production Emergencies and Compliance Division, Conservation and Environmental Programs Division, and Price Support Division.

Vilsack designates 76 additional counties as disaster areas due to drought, heat

July 30, 2012

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack designated 76 additional counties in six states as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat. During the 2012 crop year, the USDA has designated 1,369 counties across 31 states as disaster areas – 1,234 due to drought – making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans. The additional counties designated last week are in the states of Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The U.S. Drought Monitor currently reports that two-thirds of the continental U.S. is in a moderate to exceptional drought.

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First Advanced Kentucky Grazing School explored forage topics in-depth

July 30, 2012

The first Advanced Kentucky Grazing School was held on July 10 at the C. Oran Little Research Center in Versailles, Kentucky.
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2012 Hay Bale Decorating Contest from Progressive Forage Grower

July 26, 2012

Lynn Olsen

We are hosting another hay bale decorating contest! (Click here to see the 2010 winners and here to see the 2011 winners)
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Simple steps can help prevent hay bale fires

July 26, 2012

Fires that damage or destroys hay and barns – resulting in building replacement, feed replacement and lost revenues – cost area farmers thousands of dollars each year.
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FG Poll: Forage yields so far this season

July 25, 2012

Lynn Olsen

In the most recent FG Poll, we asked readers how their total forage yields have been so far this season.
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Video: Field demonstrations at Farm Progress Hay Expo in Iowa

July 25, 2012

Lynn Olsen

The 26th annual Farm Progress Hay Expo was held June 20-21, 2012 at the 80-acre Farm Progress show site in Boone, Iowa.
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NAFA to add alfalfa to Field-to-Market Fieldprint Calculator

July 25, 2012

As a member of Field-to-Market, the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance (NAFA) has begun the process of adding alfalfa to Field-to-Market’s Fieldprint Calculator in an effort to help producers estimate and provide indicators to improve upon the environmental, economic, social and health outcomes of producing crops in the U.S. Field-to-Market (FTM) is a diverse alliance of organizations working together to create opportunities across the agricultural supply chain for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental quality and human well-being.
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USDA announces assistance for farmers hit by drought

July 25, 2012

On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new flexibility and assistance in the USDA's major conservation programs to get much-needed help to livestock producers as the most wide-spread drought in seven decades intensifies in the U.S. Vilsack also announced plans to encourage crop insurance companies to provide a short grace period for farmers on unpaid insurance premiums, as some farming families can be expected to struggle to make ends meet at the close of the crop year.
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Potassium fertility impacts hay and pasture performance during drought

July 24, 2012

Jim Isleib

Low soil potassium (K) levels reduce a plant’s ability to withstand stress from drought, disease, insects and winter damage. In hay and pasture, both grasses and legumes are negatively impacted by potassium deficiency.
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