…(Food Safety and Inspection Service), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the Department of Commerce (National Marine…
USDA Seeks Applications for Loans and Grants to Support Rural Economic Development
…$50,000, to rural microentrepreneurs. Since the beginning of the Obama Administration, USDA Rural Development has invested $72.2 million in loans and grants through the RMAP program to support more than…
Trade Promotion Authority Passes House
…act swiftly in sending this legislation to the President’s desk. Trade Promotion Authority was enacted in 1974 to build the framework for the Administration to negotiate trade agreements that support…
New Report Shows U.S. Biobased Products Industry Contributes $369 Billion
…changes under the 2014 Farm Bill that will create additional opportunities for growth in renewable plant-based materials, supporting the Obama administration’s efforts to develop a new, rural economy and promote…
Water Board Says More Rights Will be Curtailed Soon
…orderly administration of the water rights system, in dry years as well as good years.” The water board said it’s open to voluntary agreements to manage and mitigate drought impacts,…
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Statement on Senate Passage of Trade Promotion Authority
…in both parties dating back to the Carter Administration all support trade promotion authority because export sales are vital for U.S. agriculture. Last year, agricultural exports totaled more than $150…
Celebrating 80 Years of Rural Electricity
Celebrating 80 years of the USDA’s Rural Electrification Administration. Cathy Isom tells us about the next major project now in the works. 80 Years of Rural Electricity…
USDA Announces Funding to Assist with Organic Certification Costs
…USDA connects organic farmers and businesses with resources that will ensure the continued growth of the organic industry domestically and abroad. During this Administration, USDA has signed four major organic…
CDFA’s Drought Resources Web Page; a Useful Tool for Farmers, Ranchers and Farmworkers
…the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, the Farm Services Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development. There is also a link to the US Small Business Administration. All of…
Healthy Soils Initiative: A Foundation for Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Change Resilience
…In the upcoming year, the Administration will work on several new initiatives to increase carbon in soil and establish long term goals for carbon levels in all of California’s agricultural…
R-MAX Drone Gets Cleared for Takeoff
The Yamaha R-MAX was granted exemption for farming use last week by the Federal Aviation Administration. As AgNet West has reported before, the unmanned aerial vehicle is a 200-pound small…
Lawmaker Wants to Change Endangered Species Act
…an administration change that had a distinct philosophical different philosophical thought process on the endangered species act on when it can be relaxed to deal with an emergency situation,” he…
Illinois Congressman on California Smelt and Water Use
…he sees with the current endangered species act. “It’s very frustrating, because there are solutions to the problem,” he continued. “But the administration that’s in the white house right now…
USDA Announces Grants to Enable More Farmers Markets to Serve Low-Income Families
…of this administration. In fiscal year 2014, approximately $18.7 million in SNAP benefits were used at farmers markets, an increase of 7.5 percent over 2013. Increasing the number of SNAP…