How does your state stack up against all the others when it comes to availability and consumption of locally-produced foods? Strolling of the Heifers has the answer. The Vermont-based local food advocacy group has released its second annual Strolling of the Heifers Locavore Index, ranking the 50 states and the...

With the window to respond to the 2012 Census of Agriculture officially closing on May 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging farmers and ranchers not to miss this opportunity to be counted and help determine the future of farming in America. USDA has already received more than...

Blog article reprinted with permission from the USDA blog. The article was written by Charles Parrott, AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program Deputy Administrator. Accurate and timely information, access to new markets, and financial protection are critical to the success of any business. In the produce industry, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's statistical arm said it would restore some agricultural reports it had suspended because of automatic federal budget cuts after farmers and others in the dairy industry said the information was crucial to their business. The National Agricultural Statistics Service keeps tabs on a wide range...

The ethanol industry started as a new marketing outlet for farmers, providing additional revenue and creating jobs in the renewable energy industry throughout the United States. But, the ethanol industry has suffered in the past year, with waning subsidies and mandates, a severe drought in 2012 and overall competition between...

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the release of a report which provides a comprehensive look at the economic role, challenges and opportunities for food hubs in the nation's growing local food movement. "At USDA we are committed to food hubs because we believe that they offer strong and sound...

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced more than $75 million in grants for research, education and extension activities to ensure greater food security in the United States and around the world. The awards were made to teams at 21 U.S. universities to conduct research that will find solutions to increasing...

In western Ohio, farmers and agricultural educators are making a compelling case that cover crops and no-till will get you more from less: Requiring less fuel, less machinery, fewer chemical inputs and less acreage, these ecological farming practices lead to improved profitability, better soil health, more jobs, improved environmental stewardship...

The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri has developed an online tool to help farmers build projected budgets for their operations. The Farm Cost and Return Tool, or Farm CART, is at www.fapri.missouri.edu/projects.   “The tool allows beginning farmers and ranchers, not only in...

As the Drought of 2012 continues into 2013, USDA has updated its Disaster and Drought Assistance website, include the map designating drought disaster areas. The map shows designations due to drought across the country under USDA's amended rule. Any county declared a primary (red) or contiguous (orange) disaster county makes...

The 2013 Small Farms Webinar series from the University of Illinois will be held on Thursday afternoons at 1:00 pm, beginning January 10 and concluding March 28. The topics will be varied but designed for small farm application. See below for a list of dates and topics. Sessions are presented...

Article is reprinted with permission from The Saratogian. By Paul Post, ppost@saratogian.com SARATOGA SPRINGS — Around one-fourth of all farmers are 65 or older, raising concerns about who is going to provide America’s food supply in years to come. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has set a goal of recruiting...

Average Iowa farmland value is estimated to be $8,296 per acre, an increase of 23.7 percent from 2011, according to results of the Iowa Land Value Survey conducted in November. This is the third year in a row where values have increased more than 15 percent. The 2012 values are...

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service plans to begin mailing materials for the 2012 Census of Agriculture in late December. Conducted every five years, the Census of Agriculture is a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census looks at land use and...

This week Google announced an equity investment of $75 million in a 50MW wind farm in Rippey, a small town in Greene County, about an hour outside of Des Moines. The Rippey project, developed by RPM Access, is expected to produce enough energy to power over 15,000 Iowa homes. The...

Almost a third of U.S. farm households generate income by engaging in business ventures independent of commodity production, with distinctly different community and household benefits. In 2007, 686,600 farm households engaged in 791,000 income-generating activities distinct from commodity production, creating $26.7 billion in household income. Onfarm diversification activities like agritourism...

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for approximately $5 million in grant funds through the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants program for fiscal year 2013. The grants support: (1) the development of Community Food Projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such projects...

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has made a new, free farm management resource available to organic farmers. The publication Organic Farmers: Steps to Success, contains five simple worksheets designed to help organic farmers assess their own management and financial strengths and identify areas they want to improve.   “Not...

Reprinted with permission from the Center for Rural Affairs. Blog post written by John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs In small town America, the best ways to create jobs and expand economic opportunity is fostering entrepreneurship and small business. On America’s country roads that means value added agriculture and...

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has awarded six Missouri agricultural projects with grant funding to assist them in growing their agricultural businesses. The awards from Missouri’s Value-Added Grant Program support business development and assist agribusinesses with plans to produce more valuable end products. “These value-added grants give Missouri producers the...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $18 million in grants to organizations across 24 states that will help beginning farmers and ranchers with the training and resources needed to run productive, sustainable farms. Under the Secretary's leadership since 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has driven a number...

Blog article reprinted with permission from the USDA blog. The article was written by Arthur Neal, AMS Deputy Administrator, Transportation and Marketing Program.   This week we’ve celebrated farmers markets as a vibrant segment of U.S. agriculture that offers a unique and personal way to connect producers and consumers.  We...

The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) is hosting its eighth annual Farming for the Future conference to help livestock farm families grow existing farms, provide an update on rules and regulations, and look at the financial feasibility of raising livestock today. The conference will be held August 24 from...

Reprinted with permission from the USDA blog. The drought of 2012 is the most serious to impact U.S. agriculture since 1988. The illustrations below help to show the resiliency of the U.S. agriculture sector and how it is better positioned today to endure this natural disaster. For more information on...

Blog article written by Dr. Michael Boland, University of Minnesota, boland@umn.edu Every year we read about a specialty crop in short supply due to weather issues. In recent years, we have seen shortages in canning pumpkins (most of U.S. canned pumpkin are made in west central Illinois), domestic orange juice...