…Electrification Administration. Eighty years ago this spring, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the law that charged USDA to provide electric power to rural America. The Electric Program makes loans and loan…
Improve Energy Efficiency, Adopt Renewable Energy Systems
…money on their energy bills while reducing harmful carbon pollution. Over the course of nearly eight years, the Obama Administration has taken strong actions to advance energy efficiency in our…
Clinton, Trump Campaigns Talk Agriculture
Ag advisers from the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigns took center stage at a recent forum on American agricultural issues. Ag topics haven’t been front and center in the…
Commentary: Always be Aware When Traveling over Railroad Tracks
…freight rail trains that travel through agricultural communities. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, 244 people died and 967 were injured in 2015 as a result of grade crossing incidents…
CDFA Committee/Board Vacancies
…no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary travel expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration. A committee vacancy exists for a public member…
Former GOP EPA Administrators Fear Trump
Former Republican administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency say they fear a Donald Trump presidency could destroy the agency. Politico reports the former EPA officials say if Trump were to…
Succession Plans can Assure Farms Stay in the Family
…the California Farm Bureau Federation, especially in light of changes in estate-tax law that could be proposed by a new administration and Congress, and a current proposal by the Internal…
Trade Wars Could Cost California 640,000 Jobs
…anti-trade, but the LA Times focuses on the steeper opposition by Trump, estimating the cost of Trump fulfilling his campaign promises against trade if elected. Los Angeles would lose an…
Ryan: Cuba Embargo Will Continue
Ryan Despite the Obama Administration lifting restrictions last week on Cuba and a quest to normalize relations with the nation, House Speaker Paul Ryan says the embargo against Cuba will…
Final Rule for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
…and air quality, cleaning and conserving water and enhancing wildlife habitat. For an interactive look at USDA’s work in conservation and forestry over the course of this Administration, visit https://medium.com/usda-results….
USDA/NIFA Awards $4.7 M for Food Safety Outreach, Education
…producers who are impacted by the new food safety guidelines established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The grants, made available through…
New Cuba Regulations Include Farm Equipment
New regulations regarding products from Cuba announced last week also ease restrictions on farm equipment and inputs. The Obama Administration Friday announced the new regulations that ease restrictions on products…
Profit Outlook for 2016 Still Negative
A report to the Farm Credit Administration shows an overall negative profit outlook for 2016. The Farm Credit board received a report on the 2016 profit outlook last week and…
More Than $62.5 Million to Support Specialty Crop Production
…in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. Territories. Under the Obama Administration, AMS has awarded SCBGP grants totaling $455.5 million for 6,138 projects, including those announced…