Senate Republicans from Iowa, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and Indiana’s Mike Braun introduced the Define WOTUS Act this week. The bill legislatively defines “waters of the United States,” and makes a definition of the term permanent. Grassley and Ernst recently sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to express concerns over the…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Drought Impacts City Farmers
According to the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, extreme drought is changing agriculture across California including urban farmers. UC ANR says many community farms and gardens cultivate land owned by city or county departments, schools and private landowners. Lucy Diekmann, a UC Cooperative Extension urban agriculture and food systems advisor in Santa…… MORE
National Pollinator Week
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Monday proclaimed this week as National Pollinator Week. Vilsack states of the proclamation, “The health of these agricultural contributors is critical to the vitality and sustainability of U.S. agriculture, food security, and our nation’s overall economy.” Pollinator species play an important role in producing more than 100 crops grown in…… MORE
USDA Considers Tougher Organic Livestock Rules
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the Biden Administration will reconsider the Trump Administration’s interpretation of the Organic Foods Production Act. The Trump administration said the Act doesn’t authorize USDA to regulate the practices that were the subject under the 2017 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule. “I have directed the National Organic Program…… MORE
Senate Ag Hearing on Cattle Markets
Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow says a hearing titled “Examining Markets, Transparency, and Prices from Cattle Producer to Consumer” will be held next week. The Michigan Democrat, along with the committee’s ranking Republican John Boozman of Arkansas, scheduled the hearing for the afternoon of Wednesday, June 23rd. Cattle market transparency is a priority…… MORE
Broccoli Is Favorite Vegetable
In a recent survey, broccoli secured the number one spot, yet again, as America’s favorite vegetable, followed by carrots and corn. Green Giant’s annual Favorite Veggie Survey polled more than 5,000 Americans. Although broccoli remains America’s favorite, the popularity of corn substantially increased over the past year. The survey found 100% of consumers surveyed…… MORE
USDA Offers More Help
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional aid intended for agricultural producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative. Earlier this year, the secretary announced plans to use available pandemic assistance funds to address a number of gaps and disparities in previous rounds of aid. As part of the Pandemic…… MORE
USDA Disaster Payments Start
The USDA is now issuing more than $1 billion in payments over the next several weeks. The funds are for agriculture producers with approved applications for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program and producers who have already received payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+). Producers weathered significant natural disasters during…… MORE
Judge Halts USDA Debt Relief Plan
A federal judge in Wisconsin ordered the USDA to at least temporarily stop $4 billion in loan debt relief payments intended for minority farmers. DTN says the move is in response to a lawsuit filed by white farmers who are not eligible for the same debt relief funds. That’s just one of five federal lawsuits…… MORE
EPA To Revise WOTUS
The Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency plans to repeal and rewrite the definition of water of the United States, or WOTUS. It means the EPA will repeal the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which replaced the Obama-era Waters of the U.S. rule. EPA Administrator Michael Regan states, “the EPA and Department of the Army…… MORE
