2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum - Panel Discussion on Innovation, Biotechnology and Big Data

From USDA:

Posted by Ed Avalos, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, on January 21, 2015 at 12:30 PM

Innovation, biotechnology and big data are changing the way we produce, distribute and even consume food. From using innovative approaches to improve food safety to sharing market data to assist producers in reaching larger markets, big data and new technologies continue to change the face of agriculture.  USDA strives to meet these evolving challenges and will be discussing these issues through the lens of agriculture at the 2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum on Feb. 19-20 in Arlington, Virginia.

Big data isn’t just massive amounts of numbers and codes for scientists, researchers and marketers.  That information, when interpreted and applied, can help people understand – and change – the world around them.  We are discussing how data helps producers of agricultural commodities in adapting their strategies to meet changing consumer demands, marketing practices and technologies.

At the Forum, Secretary Tom Vilsack will moderate a panel “Discussion on Innovation, Biotechnology, and Big Data” within agriculture.  Joining him will be an esteemed group of panelists bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise including:  Cory J. Reed, Senior Vice President, Intelligent Solutions Group, John Deere and Company; Dr. Robert T. Fraley, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto; Mary Kay Thatcher, Senior Director, Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation; and Dr. Robert Sutor, Vice President, Mobile, Solutions, and Mathematical Sciences, IBM Corporation.

After the plenary panel wraps up, several breakout sessions will explore how big data and analytics are creating new opportunities for farmers and ranchers to improve the efficiency and resilience of their operations.  We will also look at the challenge of collecting, processing, and packaging data in a way that transforms data into practical tools for use by farmers and ranchers.

Topics will showcase innovative examples of how new tools using big data will help producers. This spans from using remote sensing and risk-management tools, the use of localized and global weather resources, how Market News and other reports enhance decision making, and how producers can adapt production and marketing strategies to meet changing consumer demands, marketing practices and technologies.

Please visit Forum Web site for session descriptions and to register:  http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/.

Spraying Smarter Strengthens Strawberry Production

From USDA:

Posted by Amanda M. Hils, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, on January 6, 2015 at 10:00 AM

Thanks to a USDA NIFA grant, strawberry growers in Florida are benefiting from a smart system that helps them time spraying to prevent diseases – saving the farmers money while minimizing the environmental impacts. The system is being adapted for growers in other states.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

With the U.S. being the world’s leading producer of strawberries, the success of these tart and sweet treats is essential to the economy of a state like Florida. In fact, with a $366 million-per-year industry, the state comes second only to California as the nation’s largest strawberry producer. Naturally, strawberry growers are looking for ways to sustain their harvests and profitability.

Enter Natalia Peres, University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center professor of plant pathology.  With funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peres and her research team developed an online web tool, the Strawberry Advisory System (SAS), which helps farmers spend less money on fungicides yet achieve better results with what they do spray.

Peres and doctoral students performed thorough testing before releasing SAS. Traditionally, Florida strawberry farmers spray crops once each week from November to March to prevent attacks of botrytis and anthracnose, the two most deadly fruit rot diseases for strawberry. Peres’ monitor communicates with farmers through their computers and mobile technology to alert them of an adverse disease index; meaning that the combination of leaf wetness, air temperature, and other factors have combined to create a perfect environment for disease. Once alerted, farmers can spray their crops and then log the information onto a website where each spray is tracked, the indexes are logged, and spray advisories given.

“This system is a prime example of something we like to call the ‘Internet of Agriculture Things.’ It is showing how Internet-enabled technologies can be used to achieve the kind of healthy, cost-effective, high-yield crops we will need to feed the burgeoning global population while ensuring competitiveness of the American farmer,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director.

With 96 percent of Florida strawberry producers reporting cases of botrytis, 40 percent with yearly cases of anthracnose, and 30 percent with anthracnose every 3-4 years, fungicides are a necessary – and hefty – bill. However, SAS may be just what Florida’s farmers are looking for.

“The impact it has in Florida is already clear in the profits—spraying less and getting the same effects helps the economic situation, as well as positively impacting environmental causes,” said Peres. “The reduction in spraying also means that producers are preserving the chemicals they still have. Resistance caused by over-spraying is lessened, so chemicals are available for use longer when producers really need them.”

Peres received a $2.9 million Specialty Crops Research Initiative award in 2010 and another in 2014 for $1.3 million. She plans to expand SAS into South Carolina in the spring of 2015 after proving it also works successfully in Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education, and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues that impact people’s daily lives and the nation’s future.

Organic 101: Organic Seeds Are Fundamental Right from the Start

From USDA:

This is the twenty-second installment of the Organic 101 series that explores different aspects of the USDA organic regulations.

The fall harvest is in, and organic farmers are already looking forward to planting their spring seedlings.  Organic farmers rely on organic seeds to meet the growing demand for certified organic products. These seeds are essential to the integrity of the supply chain for quality organic food, feed and other products.  All organic producers must use organic seeds, annual seedlings and planting stock unless organic varieties are not commercially available.

To meet the increased demand for organic seeds, the National Organic Program (NOP), part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is collaborating and sharing information with the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and its partner, the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), to better understand the organic seed market and to help farmers locate seed producers and supplies.

For example, NOP supported the creation of the AOSCA Organic Seed Finder, a website that allows organic seed vendors and potential customers to find one another.  Certifying agents and organic operations can use this tool to locate available organic seed and ensure the integrity of those seeds.

The use of organic seed is also an important aspect of organic certification.  During each farm’s annual review and inspection, certifying agents also verify that certified operations use organic seed varieties.  Certifying agents also make sure that USDA organic products meet all of the organic standards, including reviewing substances and inputs used to treat seeds and planting stock.  This review assures buyers and sellers that any seed treatments are approved for organic production.  Like other organic products, seeds used in organic agriculture cannot be genetically engineered or be treated with prohibited substances.

It is amazing to think that something as small as a seed can have such a huge role in providing organic food to consumers around the world.  USDA is committed to supporting the entire organic community and ensuring the integrity of organic products from seed to table.

USDA is committed to supporting the organic community and ensuring the integrity of organic products from seed to table.

The Poinsettia, in the Shadow of the Christmas Tree

From USDA:

Posted by Carolyn Miller, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Connecticut, on December 18, 2014 at 3:00 PM

The beautiful poinsettia stands as a decoration on its own. NRCS photo by Analia Bertucci.

The poinsettia – academic types may call it by its binomial name, and biologists might refer to its species. But how many of us are guilty of calling it that red flower with the pointy leaves used to decorate during the holidays?

In the world of holiday shrubbery, the poinsettia has always taken a backseat to the Christmas tree. With its lights and ornaments, the tree has become the icon of the holiday in contrast to the poinsettia, which is usually placed in a nearby corner.

Perhaps it’s because we don’t fully understand it. For example, did you know the color portion is not the flower? They aren’t petals, they’re leaves called bracts. The flower portion is actually that tiny button-shaped piece in the middle of the top.

Have you ever spent quality time with a poinsettia? I mean, really looked at the rich, deep green of the bottom leaves, the unique shape and layering of the bracts – that vibrant and full-on beauty of its intense coloring. Its flower may be small, but it is darned regal-looking surrounded by the brilliant hues of its foliage.

The poinsettia, native to Mexico and Central America, was introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. Since then, the number of American poinsettia producers has grown. According to the Connecticut Greenhouse Grower’s Association’s Buyer’s Guide, the state has 17 poinsettia growers.

One of those is Grower Direct Farms of Somers, a family run wholesale greenhouse operation that produces annual and perennial ornamental plants. Owners Leonard and Elaine Van Wingerden are constantly striving to be on the forefront of leading edge technologies.

Several years ago, they noticed their electric bills climbing at an astronomical rate. One factor driving up those costs was the amount of heat required to grow poinsettias and other plants. The Van Wingerden’s knew they couldn’t continue status quo and stay in business, so they began looking for serious and effective ways to conserve and cut costs.

The Van Wingerden’s decided to take advantage of several USDA programs, including a conservation program offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, (NRCS). The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, helps farmers and ranchers conserve natural resources while improving their operation.

Grower Direct Farms has worked with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in installing micro-irrigation watering systems in its farm’s greenhouses. NRCS photo by Analia Bertucci.

They worked with NRCS to complete an energy audit. And with financial assistance from NRCS, they installed a micro-irrigation system on four acres of land. A micro-irrigation system targets water to a plant’s root zone more efficiently and with less waste. They are also now in the process of installing insulation and solar curtains in the growing space to improve their operation’s energy efficiency.

With the help of NRCS and other USDA agencies, the Van Wingerden’s farm now grows acres of beautiful poinsettias in a more efficient way.

As for the holiday rivalry, the Christmas tree and poinsettia are beautiful and perfect examples of Mother Nature at her finest. But a poinsettia is a masterpiece with no need for extraneous adornment. It stands bright and shiny on its own.

Poinsettias being grown in Grower Direct Farms just in time for the holidays. NRCS photo by Analia Bertucci.

Secretary's Column: Supporting Families Facing Adversity: USDA Achieves Results for Producers after Week One of Disaster Assistance Sign Up

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on April 25, 2014 at 12:00 PM

Last week, farmers and ranchers began signing up for disaster assistance programs that were restored by the 2014 Farm Bill. While it took a year to implement disaster relief programs after the last Farm Bill was passed in 2008, disaster programs were up and running in just 60 days this time around, thanks to hardworking Farm Service Agency (FSA) employees in more than 2,000 offices across the country. These disaster programs will not replace all of the losses farmers and ranchers faced, but it will provide some relief and help ensure that extreme weather won’t cause families to lose the farm.

After just one week, I am pleased to say that we’ve received more than 10,000 applications for these programs. Approximately 95 percent of the applications were for the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), which provides payments to eligible producers for grazing losses. The high number of applicants is no surprise considering the widespread, ongoing drought that has plagued livestock producers in the West Coast and Midwestern portions of the United States for nearly three consecutive years.

Our livestock producers have waited long enough and we understand the urgent need to provide payments in a timely manner. While the time for application processing and review will vary depending on the complexity and type of loss, the electronic payment and application systems are up and running. Since sign up began last week, we have processed nearly 60 percent of incoming applications and approved payments to help nearly 6,000 producers begin the recovery process.

The program is off to an excellent start, but it doesn’t stop here. We will continue to work through the spring and summer months to assist those who have experienced disaster losses.  FSA will provide monthly updates at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov, including data by state, number of applications, and payments issued.

In the coming weeks and months, I encourage farmers and ranchers impacted by drought, snowstorms and other unforeseen weather events to contact their FSA county office to make an appointment and learn if they are eligible for disaster assistance. Depending on the program and year of the loss, you have three to nine months to apply, and FSA staff can tell you what documents and records you will need to apply.

As we move into spring, drought and severe weather events continue to impact farmers and ranchers across the country. Thanks to resources provided in the new Farm Bill and our strong network of partners, I am confident that USDA will be able to offer producers the surety they need to invest confidently in the future and ensure a safe, affordable food supply to millions of Americans for generations to come.

Farm Bill Listening Session: New and Expanding Opportunities for the Organic Industry

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Anne L. Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator, on April 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Steve Etka with the National Organic Coalition provides input during the listening session. The session gave USDA the opportunity to hear from stakeholders about their priorities during the implementation process and the impact that the new provisions will have on their communities.

Organic agriculture serves as an engine for rural development, representing a $35 billion industry in the United States alone. USDA is committed to protecting the integrity of organic products, and ensuring that all of our agencies work together to help the organic sector continue to grow.

Members of the organic community are important partners in these efforts. As Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which includes the National Organic Program, I have had the privilege of getting to know our organic stakeholders – visiting their farms and talking to them about their priorities – and I have been very impressed. Thanks to the recently passed Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill), USDA is now even better equipped to support the success of organic operations.

Just this week, USDA hosted a stakeholder listening session on the organic provisions of the Farm Bill. The session gave us the opportunity to hear from stakeholders about their priorities during the implementation process and the impact that the new provisions will have on their communities. We had a great turnout with over 80 participants, ranging from researchers to consumers.

At the listening session, representatives from ERS, NASS, RMA, FSA, NRCS, NIFA, and AMS, as well as the Office of the Secretary, gave an overview of the new provisions and our implementation plans before opening the session to participants.  We got some great feedback with a common theme – the importance of communication, outreach, and strategic partnerships.  Stakeholders also noted the benefits of interagency coordination and urged USDA to continue supporting the Organic Working Group which is led by Mark Lipson.

Many stakeholders were excited about the Farm Bill’s expanded funding for the Organic Certification Cost-Share Programs, which help organic producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, making organic certification more accessible to small producers.  Listening session participants also emphasized that for the program to be successful, USDA needs to educate the organic community about the opportunity for assistance and partner with stakeholders to get the word out – we couldn’t agree more!

We also heard from stakeholders about the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).  They were thrilled that the Farm Bill provides additional research grant funds to address issues that affect organic production, and they again asked that we conduct outreach and training on this program.

This exciting Farm Bill provision will allow USDA to expand and improve on our economic and market data about organic agriculture. Some participants asked that we conduct more organic production surveys. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that more frequent production data is in the works, and that the agency hopes to provide annual updates thanks to a partnership with USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  Stakeholders were especially appreciative of the collaboration between AMS, ERS, NASS, and the Risk Management Agency to provide additional price elections that will improve crop insurance options available to organic growers.

As we work to efficiently and effectively implement all of the new programs and policies, we will keep reaching out to our stakeholders and encouraging partnerships.  In the cases where we need to do notice and public comment, I hope you’ll all pay close attention and give us your constructive thoughts on how we can all work together to support organic agriculture.

A Census Story from Benton County, Mississippi

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Hubert Hamer, NASS Statistics Division Director, on April 17, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Cattle graze on a farm in Benton County, Mississippi. Cattle and calves ranked as the top livestock inventory item for the Benton County in the previous census of agriculture – what will the 2012 Census results reveal? (Photo courtesy of Dennis Garner)

The Census of Agriculture is the most complete account of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Every week USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will highlight new Census data and the power of the information to shape the future of American agriculture.

The final 2012 Census of Agriculture release is just around the corner. My passion for Census data is rooted not only in the benefits the Census results provide for agriculture as a whole, but also in the value it provides at the local level. To help you see and share all the ways Census data are working for you, USDA is kicking off a dialogue to share how the Census is working for you and your community.

Through Your Census. Your Story., you can become engaged in the Census Story.

My Census Story begins in Benton County, Mississippi. I grew up on a small livestock and row crop farm in Benton County. Like the trends in farming that continue today, I left the family farm to go to college. After graduation, I joined USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

At NASS, I maintained my roots in agriculture by collecting and providing ag data to all those who serve farmers and rural communities. Through the Census, I worked directly with the farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and community based organizations (CBOs) that rely on the information that only the Census provides.

For the 2012 Census of Agriculture, I personally visited many of these local organizations across the country and listened to their stories about how the Census can help the people and communities the CBOs represent.  From CBOs in the West who depend on the data to improve production and rural services in their communities, to agribusinesses in the East who depend on the results to improve facilities and diversify marketing options in their areas.

Regardless of which county or community you represent, the real impact of the Census can be found at the local level. When the 2012 Census data are released all the way to the county level, I will look at what has happened in Benton County, where my passion for agriculture began.

I will also look at how I can continue to use census data to serve agriculture off the farm, just as I did when I ventured away from the farm many years ago. I will ask, “How can I continue to empower others with Census data to help benefit farmers, ranchers, and rural communities?” This is my Census Story.

What’s your #AgCensusStory? How does the Census benefit you, your operation, and your community? I encourage you to read and listen to more stories and share yours at www.agcensus.usda.gov/Census_Story/.

White House Champions of Change for the Future of American Agriculture

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, on April 16, 2014 at 4:00 PM

In the field of agriculture, we have a very important question to ask ourselves: who will the next generation of farmers and ranchers be?

For more than three decades, the share of farms operated by beginning farmers has been in decline.  Beginning farms and ranches accounted for 22 percent of the nation’s 2 million family farms and ranches in 2012—down from about 35 percent in 1982. Consistent with this trend, the average age of principal farm operators in the United States has risen in that period, from 51 to 58.

Since day one, the Obama Administration has supported opportunities for people who want to work the land and produce food, fuel, and fiber for our country. The Administration continues to make these critical investments because of the great innovation and promise that agriculture holds.

The White House will be hosting a Champions of Change event to celebrate local agriculture leaders who are taking innovative approaches to support American farming and ranching—both now and in the future.  These leaders will be invited to the White House to celebrate their accomplishments and showcase their actions to support the future of agriculture.

Today, we’re asking you to help us identify these standout local leaders by nominating a Champion of Change for the New Generation of American Agriculture by noon on Friday, April 18. These Champions may be:

• Beginning farmers and ranchers using innovative practices and techniques to create productive and sustainable farms and ranches that will feed people at home and abroad long into the future.
• Producers, foresters, small-business owners, and scientists using Farm Bill programs to drive agricultural productivity and economic competitiveness.
• Local leaders that are working to build new opportunities for those who want to work on the land, create innovation in the field of agriculture, support diversity in agriculture, and connect a new generation to their food, fiber, fuel, and agricultural neighbors.

Click on the link below to submit your nomination (be sure to choose “Future of American Agriculture” in the “Theme of Service” field of the nomination form).

Nominate a Champion of Change for the Future of American Agriculture

We look forward to hosting this event at the White House this spring, highlighting the great work of our nation’s agriculture leaders. Thank you for your dedication to American agriculture and the overall wellbeing of our rural communities.

Farm Service Agency - Honored to Serve America's Farmers and Ranchers

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Juan M. Garcia, Farm Service Agency Administrator, on April 15, 2014 at 4:00 PM

Several buildings suffer damage from a severe storm on the Goyings farm in Paulding County, OH on June 29, 2012. USDA photo by Christina Reed.

This post is part of a Microloan Success feature series on the USDA blog. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

For the last few weeks we have shared stories about farmers and ranchers across the country that are benefitting from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Microloan program. The stories highlighted new farmers starting out on their own, producers who follow a proud family tradition of working the land, and even one farmer who, at 92 years young, is finding new ways to keep growing — all with the help of theMicroloan. The program allows beginning, small and mid-sized farmers to access up to $35,000 in loans using a simplified application process with up to seven years to repay.

Microloans are just one of many ways FSA is helping farmers and ranchers. We also offer Disaster Assistance. Producers around the country have suffered through two and a half difficult years with no disaster assistance because these programs were awaiting Congressional action. With the passing of the 2014 Farm Bill, eligible producers can sign up today to get help.

Implementing these programs has been a top priority. Dedicated staff in more than 2,000 FSA offices across the country stand ready to assist eligible producers to sign up for one of four disaster assistance programs.

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, including calendar years 2012-2014. This long-awaited assistance will aid ranchers in states like South Dakota who suffered the loss of thousands of cattle during Winter Storm Atlas last October.

Enrollment also is open for producers with losses covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

Producers should schedule an appointment with their local FSA county office to apply for these programs and to discover other tools and resources offered through FSA to help you meet your goals and grow your operation.

Resources like the Microloan program have proven to be a success for small, beginning and mid-sized farmers. It helps producers pay for initial start-up expenses like hoop houses, essential tools, irrigation, delivery vehicles and annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing and distribution expenses.

By further expanding access to credit to those just starting to put down roots in farming, USDA continues to help grow a new generation of farmers, while ensuring the strength of an American agriculture sector that drives our economy, creates jobs, and provides the most secure and affordable food supply in the world.

USDA Helps Develop Next Generation of Ag Scientists

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Ann Perry, USDA Agricultural Research Service Information Staff, on April 15, 2014 at 3:00 PM

ARS soil scientist Gary Bañuelos (left) with Ph.D. candidate Irvin Arroyo, who already has almost 20 years of scientific work with USDA on his resume, beginning with a scholarship to work at ARS’ San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, now in Parlier, California.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

During the month of April we will take a closer look at USDA’s Groundbreaking Research for a Revitalized Rural America, highlighting ways USDA researchers are improving the lives of Americans in ways you might never imagine, such as keeping our educational pipeline filled with the best and brightest future agricultural scientists.

So far, Irvin Arroyo has not strayed too far from the farming world. Growing up, he lived and worked with his parents at a 200-acre vineyard in Madera, California, where he tended the vines and harvested the grapes.

When Arroyo went to college at California State University, Fresno (CSU Fresno), he was given a scholarship to work at USDA’s San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Fresno as an intern.  The laboratory, now in Parlier, is part of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The scholarship had been established by CSU Fresno and ARS soil scientist Gary Bañuelos to foster minority student interest in science careers.

Arroyo finished his undergraduate degree in chemistry, and then was hired by Bañuelos as a full-time technician.  As an environmental chemist, he supervised the inorganic chemistry lab, operated and maintained analytical instrumentation, and conducted soil contaminant studies.  He also assisted Bañuelos in field studies of saline soil remediation, food crop biofortification, and the evaluation of seed crops for biofuel production. Working with scientists, local farmers, and growers allowed the technician to expand his real-world understanding about the diverse agricultural issues affecting producers in the San Joaquin Valley.

Arroyo continued his education and completed a master’s degree in chemistry. Now, thanks to support from the California State University Water Resources and Policy Initiative and USDA, Arroyo is in the Ph.D. program in Environmental Systems at the University of California, Merced, where he’s studying soil salinity in the San Joaquin Valley.

His work includes research on groundwater remediation, salinity management, and the use of environmental sensors to boost marginal soil productivity.  This important work might not be possible without USDA-provided support for students at universities that have been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Arroyo is also continuing his work in the ARS laboratory. And despite having almost 20 years with USDA on his resume, he would like to continue his research—and his work to help farmers protect and improve soil quality in the San Joaquin Valley—with USDA after his doctorate is completed.

Bañuelos continues to enthusiastically support Arroyo’s studies and goals.  “Irvin already enhances the quality of our investigations on developing plant-based systems for poor quality soils and waters,” the ARS researcher says.  “And eventually he will represent the new generation of ARS scientists in USDA.”

Secretary's Column: Disaster Assistance Sign Up for Farmers and Ranchers to Begin April 15

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on April 11, 2014 at 12:00 PM

Over the past several years, livestock producers have suffered through long-term drought, blizzards and other extreme weather-related disasters. Without the surety of disaster assistance programs, severe weather has caused economic hardship for producers and many have struggled to survive.

Since the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, which restored and strengthened disaster assistance programs, USDA has made quick implementation of these programs a top priority. I am pleased to say that thanks to the hard work of Farm Service Agency employees across the country to stand up these programs, farmers and ranchers can begin signing up for disaster assistance starting this Tuesday, April 15.

There are several different programs available, depending on the size and type of your farm or ranch operation. For livestock producers, the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program will provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, and including calendar years 2012, 2013, and 2014. For certain losses not covered by these programs, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish.

Enrollment also begins on April 15 for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), which provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

To ensure that your application moves through the process as smoothly as possible, I encourage producers to collect thorough records documenting your losses, including:

• Documentation of the number and kind of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses;
• Dates of death supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;
• Costs of transporting livestock to safer grounds or to move animals to new pastures;
• Feed purchases if supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed;
• Crop records, including seed and fertilizer purchases, planting and production records;

I also encourage you to contact your county office ahead of time for more information on the types of records you’ll need to apply for disaster assistance, and to schedule an appointment to apply. More information is available at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

The Farm Bill makes a number of other changes to USDA programs that will impact farmers and ranchers, including recently-announced changes to farm loan programs that help support existing operations and invests in new farmers and ranchers. Visit www.usda.gov/farmbill for more information about our progress towards full implementation of all farm bill programs.

Kentucky Couple Says Thank You Berry Much

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Tanya Brown, Writer/Editor, Farm Service Agency, on April 8, 2014 at 5:00 PM

Jeff and Kim Essig gave their blueberry farm a boost with a microloan to help purchase equipment that will further expand their operation.

This post is part of a Microloan Success feature series on the USDA blog.  Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

USDA’s Microloan program allows beginning, small and mid-sized farmers to access up to $35,000 in loans using a simplified application process, and up to seven years to repay. Through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) USDA is focused on increasing opportunities for farmers and ranchers and has made several modifications to farm loan programs, including making Microloans to beginning farmers and veterans exempt from direct loan term limits. Producers have more flexible access to credit for initial start-up expenses, family living expenses, minor farm improvements and hoop houses to extend the growing season.

Kentucky couple Kim and Jeff Essig, owners of Middlebridge Blueberry Farm, know about the benefits of the Microloan program first-hand. Kim shares their story:

I married a man who was already in love — with Kentucky.  Although we were both born and raised in Orange County, Calif., he grew up visiting his grandpa Martin’s farm in Oakland, Ky. during summer breaks.

So it was no surprise that six months after our 1992 wedding, we packed up our things and blazed the trail from Southern California to Smiths Grove, Ky., to live on the land.

The first several years we had limited land and dabbled in growing food for ourselves and trading produce with neighbors. In 2006, we were able to purchase a few acres in Bowling Green, Ky.  It was then we started thinking large scale.

We chose blueberries as our main crop.  Between 2010 and 2011 we installed an acre of blueberries and also started beekeeping. By 2013, we added blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. As our berries grew, the customers came as did the idea of branching out into blueberry plant propagation for selling, expanding our bees and maximizing what we could do with our little piece of earth.

One day I saw an announcement for the Kentucky Farm Service Agency (FSA) Microloan program.  I contacted the FSA office for an application. The application process informative, organized, helpful and painless. And Farm Loan Officer Tracy Bailey called and met with us right away.

Looking back over these past two years, we find ourselves very grateful to God for the opportunity to expand our farm and take hold of opportunities that we most likely would have had to pass up if not for the FSA’s Microloan program.

What we found most helpful were the people behind the program. Tracy Bailey, as well as others in the office, really made the process friendly and smooth. The interest rate and payment terms have been key in helping us to grow into our farm vision.

Kim and Jeff Essig

USDA is proud to see the progress that farmers and ranchers are making in their daily operations with the help of the Microloan program. To date, USDA has issued more than 4,900 Microloans totaling $97 million. The microloan program is part of USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative, our commitment to growing economies, increasing investments and creating opportunities in poverty-stricken rural Kentucky and 19 other states.

The Essig family started with blueberries and later expanded to include blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.

In Indiana, the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program Opens Meatier Markets for Small Processors

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Elanor Starmer, National Coordinator for Local and Regional Food Systems, on April 8, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Lou’s Gourmet Sausage, a small family business run by the Vinciguerra brothers of Cleveland, Ohio, takes sausage seriously.  For over fifty years, the company has been supplying Cleveland restaurants and grocery stores with Sicilian, Andouille, Cajun, mild and hot chicken and veal sausages. But despite strong demand for its products, it took a USDA program to make Lou’s sausage available outside Ohio.

In 2012, Ohio was the first state to join USDA’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program (CIS).  The program, authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill, allows inspected and approved small state-inspected meat processors, like Lou’s Gourmet Sausage, to bear an official USDA Mark of Inspection and ship meat and poultry across state lines. Previously, only products from federally inspected plants could be sold in other states. To participate in the program, state certified plants like Lou’s Sausage work with USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) to integrate their systems to meet federal inspection standards.  Once inspected and approved for compliance, these smaller plants can ship across state lines and are poised for bigger market opportunities.

This week, Indiana followed Ohio’s lead and joined North Dakota and Wisconsin to become the fourth state to participate in the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. Each time a state works with FSIS to participate in the program, it is expanding market opportunities for the region’s small meat and poultry producers – many smaller producers process their animals at small state-inspected plants – while strengthening state and local economies and increasing consumer access to safe, locally-produced meat. In Indiana, it will mean that meat processed by selected smaller operations will be available beyond the Hoosier state.

Interstate shipment may not sound like a local food issue, but CIS actually has important implications for local food producers and consumers – especially when one state has a major market right across its border, as is the case with southern Wisconsin and Chicago. Implementing CIS is part of USDA’s broader strategy to strengthen local and regional food systems and to help small and midsize producers access new market opportunities. USDA coordinates its work on these issues under the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, which includes a variety of resources to help producers and businesses tap into consumer demand for local foods. One such resource, a guide called Tools for Small and Midsized Livestock and Poultry; USDA Resources for Producers and Processors, was released in March as part of a wider package of support for America’s small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers.

FSIS’ Small Plant Help Desk, a customer service phone line at 1-877-FSIShelp, is also a valuable resource for small and midsize meat and poultry plants and can address issues and answer questions specific to smaller meat processors. The Small Plant Help Desk has fielded over 10,000 inquiries since 2009.

For businesses like Lou’s Gourmet Sausage, USDA’s commitment to local food and to small and midsize producers is epitomized by efforts such as the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program and the Small Plant Help Desk. With these resources and opportunities, small processors are accessing new markets – and consumers are happily digging in.

Santo Domingo Pueblo Tackles Drought with NRCS Help

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Mark Smith, NRCS New Mexico, on September 3, 2013 at 12:00 PM

A healthy alfalfa field in the Santo Domingo Pueblo as a result of improved soil health and a new irrigation system.

Just off the Rio Grande River, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M., sits Santo Domingo Pueblo, a community surrounded by fields of alfalfa, oats and Sudan grass for horses and cattle, and small gardens filled with corn and green chili peppers.

But this green idyll is in danger of drying out. Over the past few years, New Mexico has been struggling through one of the worst droughts in recorded history. Little rain and a dwindling river have threatened many of the Pueblo’s fields and gardens.

After partnering with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, Pueblo residents have found a way to grow more using less water and keeping their fields and gardens healthy.

Pueblo residents worked with NRCS to save water by improving soil health through conservation practices such as rotating crops and planting cover crops. Healthy soil retains more moisture, allowing for less water to be applied during irrigation.

They also installed an efficient underground water irrigation system to replace some of the aging earthen irrigation ditches to 50 fields that stretched across more than 200 acres.

Residents of the Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico worked with NRCS to run an efficient underground irrigation pipeline.

The new watering system and conservation practices have made all the difference. The once-parched fields of the Pueblo are flourishing—a notable feat even in non-drought years. And now fields that used to take two days to irrigate can be watered in just 4 hours.

In late June, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the Pueblo to see its successes first hand. Vilsack said he hopes that other communities and tribes will look to Santo Domingo Pueblo’s improvements as a possible solution for drought-affected agricultural operations across the west.

The tribe received financial assistance from NRCS through USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative. The national initiative addresses high-priority funding and technical assistance needs in rural communities in 16 states, including New Mexico, with a special emphasis on historically underserved communities and producers in counties with persistent poverty.

Because of their water and time savings, Pueblo residents are now looking to continue upgrading the remaining earthen irrigation systems in order to be able to feed the entire community with locally grown foods.

Beginning Farmers Cattle Operation Benefits from Initiative for Underserved Farmers

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Beverly Moseley, NRCS, on August 29, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Emma and Percy Brown of Vicksburg, Miss., are beginning farmers whose lives have benefited from funding through the USDA StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative.

For over a year, Mississippi retirees Percy and Emma Brown traveled 50 miles roundtrip three times a week from their home in Vicksburg, Miss. to their farm in Port Gibson in order to water their cattle. It was a time consuming process that involved filling up eight barrels with many gallons of water for the growing cattle herd.

That all changed when the Browns, who were new to farming, heard about USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency that helps private landowners implement conservation. They visited the Port Gibson field office and learned that they could receive funding from NRCS for livestock water troughs through the USDA StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative.

The Browns were able to install the farm’s first-ever water troughs with StrikeForce funds. The farm now has two water troughs located in separate pastures. That means that the Browns’ days of hauling water are over, and they can now spend that time on other farm projects.

The national StrikeForce initiative addresses high-priority funding and technical assistance needs in rural communities in 16 states, including Mississippi, with a special emphasis on historically underserved producers and communities in designated counties with persistent poverty. The initiative provides an opportunity for NRCS to work with underserved landowners to determine how to best leverage available financial assistance. Beginning farmers like the Browns are considered historically underserved.

Farmer Percy Brown and Patrick Smith, NRCS district conservationist in Port Gibson, Miss., visit about conservation planning on Emma and Percy Brown’s farm.

“We just really wanted to get started and we didn’t really know how,” Percy says.

StrikeForce also helped the Browns install conservation practices such as cross fencing, one key to implementing a rotational grazing system which can help reduce the pressures caused by overgrazing. Negative effects of overgrazing include soil compaction, decreased soil organic matter and reduced forage availability for the livestock.

The Browns now have peace of mind knowing their 15 head of cattle will always have drinking water. The water troughs have also freed up more time for the Browns to enjoy their retirement days working on the farm.

Since the Browns installed two water troughs and heavy use pads on their farm from additional EQIP funds through the USDA StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative, they are no longer spending hours using a water hose to fill up eight water barrels for their cattle.

Appeal of Diverse Side of Ag Statistics

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USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Troy Joshua, National Agricultural Statistics Service, on August 27, 2013 at 9:40 AM

Troy Joshua (left) visited Matty Matarazzo’s (right) farm. Matarazzo owns and operates the Four Sisters Winery in Belvidere, N.J.

This post is part of the Science Today feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

2013 is the International Year of Statistics. As part of this global event, every month this year USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will profile careers of individuals who are making significant contributions to improve agricultural statistics in the United States.

Growing up in the rural community of St. James, Louisiana, I always had a passion for agriculture. In 1992, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Washington State University two years later.

For my master’s thesis, I created an economic model analyzing the profitability of the Washington state asparagus industry. To get the data for my thesis, I created and mailed questionnaires, editing and analyzing all of the responses. This experience sparked my interest in the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and I joined the agency’s California Field Office in 1994.

The California office opened up new horizons for me. Growing up in Louisiana, I was used to what we call “conventional” farming. But California agriculture is much more diverse, giving me a chance to learn about different crops, such as grapes, almonds, and oranges. That was just the beginning of my NASS career. I expanded my knowledge of American agriculture, accepting assignments over the next few decades in Mississippi, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey offices.

These experiences also honed my statistical skills and prepared me for my current role as the chief of the Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch. Diversity is truly the nature of my branch. We publish all of the agency’s data on farmer demographics, farm income, prices, labor, as well as on pesticide and herbicide use in agriculture. Just a few weeks ago, for example, we published updates to farm expenditures figures, which showed that producers’ expenditures topped $350 billion for the first time in history.

It is the diversity of statistics that appeals the most to me about my current role. One day I may meet with farmers who talk to me about their increases in farm inputs as compared to the value of their crops sold. The next day, I may handle one of our frequent requests from university professors looking for farmer demographics data for the U.S. and specific regions. To me, that’s the true beauty of statistics – the fact that these numbers touch every facet of our lives.