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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.
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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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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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Short course Aug. 17: Winter Pastures for Central and East Texas

July 19, 2012

071912_pasturePlanting winter pastures this fall might not save livestock producers’ bacon but it could certainly help them save what hay they have if there’s another drought next summer, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

“Normally, people plant winter pastures to defray winter feeding costs,” said Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Overton. “But hay stocks are certainly not up to sufficient levels, and by reducing winter feeding they can certainly hang onto more of the stocks they have.”


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U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance looking for 'ambassadors of agriculture'

July 19, 2012
When it comes to today’s agriculture, there are many examples of great farmers and ranchers all over the country doing wonderful things to bring food to the table for those around the world. But few of those farmers and ranchers are recognizable by consumers, mainstream media and influencers.

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) wants to change that. The organization is looking for the “Faces of Farming and Ranching” to help put a real face on agriculture and shine a light on the heart, personalities and values that are behind today’s food.
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Corn producers are considering turning drought-damaged crop into silage

July 19, 2012

The dry summer has many corn producers concerned that their corn crop may not meet their production expectations, according to Tim Schnakenberg, an agronomy specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

“The corn crop is deteriorating rapidly in areas that have missed key rains and producers are looking at alternatives, especially for their later planted corn,” said Schnakenberg.

Chopping the crop for silage is one way to retain some value of the crop before it wilts down in the drought, even though the dry matter tonnage produced may be 10-50 percent lower in a drought compared to normal corn silage.

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Scientists wrestle with weed control in organic alfalfa

July 18, 2012

During the 2000s, organic milk production was one of the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the U.S., according to a USDA Economic Research Service publication "Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming." In 2008, about 3 percent of the nation's cows were managed organically. Among the conditions necessary for a cow to produce organic milk, she must eat only organic feed or browse on organic pasture for at least the previous 36 months. However, dairy producers have found that producing or sourcing organic feed – which must be grown without synthetic fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides – is challenging.
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Farmers are invited to share their stories on website

July 17, 2012

The Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage website tells the stories of America’s farm and ranch families and how century farms (in operation by the same family for more than 100 years) have helped shaped our nation’s history. Century farm families can nominate their farms for a feature on the website. (Click here then go to “Submit your own profile.”)
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