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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Blog article was written by Kimberly L. Morgan, Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University, and AgMRC contributing writer. Many thanks to Mr. Mike Steede, owner of Steede Farms, Inc. for sharing his 2010 CSA story with Mississippi produce grower audiences in Fall 2010. For over 100 years, Mike and Heath Steede...

A new state law will provide Kentucky agritourism destinations with limited liability protection when it takes effect on July 11. The law requires venues such as wineries, orchards, and corn mazes to warn visitors that they are assuming the risk of participating in the activities of the operation. The law,...

Blog article written by Lisa Jore, program manager of The Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota and AgMRC contributing writer. It is an interesting time for farmer’s markets. There is clearly growing enthusiasm to offer fresh produce and other products in the community. At the same time, there...

Blog article written by Lisa Jore, program manager of The Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota and AgMRC contributing writer. In Minnesota, each season’s weather brings different challenges to the growing season. This year was no different. Minnesota’s unseasonably warm March prompted apple blossoms to arrive early, but...

Farmers' markets aren't just a source of local food anymore. Markets across the United States are utilizing regional culinary dishes, local musicians and nature to create a sense of community and offer a tourism experience for visitors and community members alike. Recently, USA Today Travel blogged their top 10 markets...

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan released a new report on the distribution practices of eight producer networks and their partners distributing locally or regionally-grown food to retail and foodservice customers. The report, entitled Moving Food Along the Value Chain: Innovations in Regional Food Distribution, shows how these networks tap into...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA has approved a conditional commitment in the amount of $232.5 million to ZeaChem Boardman Biorefinery, LLC (ZBB) through the Biorefinery Assistance Program. ZBB will operate a 25 million gallon per year biorefinery, which will be constructed on an industrial site in Boardman, Oregon,...

The University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) recently launched a new Food Innovation Center as a food business incubator. This new center allows farmers and ranchers, local entrepreneurs, and students to receive education and drive the development of value-added food products, in such areas as product design, nutrition, food safety,...

The Davenport Freight House in Davenport, Iowa, is under construction to become the Quad City Food Hub. Construction has begun on the Fresh Deli by Nostalgia Farms, which will be the first business to open in the food hub. "We want to connect people to the local food they are...

The number of winter farmers markets is increasing. According to the updated National Farmers Market Directory, since 2010, the number of winter markets has increased 38 percent, from 886 to 1,225. These winter markets also account for nearly 17 percent of the nation's 7,222 operating farmers markets   Farmers markets...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded 25 grants to 19 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to help create economic opportunities for American producers and businesses. Under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP), USDA is matching $1.3 million worth of state grants to state departments of agriculture, state...