…key factor in the proposals is addressing the time-consuming process related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Legal challenges under CEQA would be limited to 270 to achieve a…
Bill Incentivizes Use of Cover Crops
…boost environmental conservation. The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act would provide farmers who plant cover crops a crop insurance discount of $5 per acre. It will…
SAVE Act to Protect Common Food Names in Export Markets
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Safeguarding American Value-Added Exports (SAVE) Act this week. The legislation seeks to establish a list of common names for a variety of ag…
Heavy Criticism of House Ag Appropriations Bill to Cut USDA Funding
…is punitive, and it is petty.” The bill would rescind $2 billion for loan forgiveness for borrowers of Farm Service Agency loans and would rescind $3.25 billion for rural clean…
Growing Matters: BeSure! Campaign Stresses Importance of Pesticide Labels
The BeSure! campaign from the Growing Matters Coalition tells us it’s always a good time to check your pesticide’s label. The coalition says when choosing crop protection tools, both effectiveness…
Socially Disadvantaged Farms Concentrated in South and West
…themselves as Black or African American only, 1.7 percent identified as American Indian or Alaska Native only, 0.6 percent identified as Asian only, 0.1 percent as Native Hawaiian or Pacific…
Ag Groups Say Secure the Border Act Falls Short of Necessary Labor Reform
…the organization said in a press release. Members of the AWC include the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, International Fresh Produce Association, and Western Growers. The group notes…
USDA Modernizing Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
…valuable and effective conservation tool that provides long-term protection of our nation’s farmland and wetland resources.” NRCS also plans to update the certification process for eligible entities assisting with enrolling…
Rodale Institute Applauds USDA Investments in Organic Farmers
…Farm Service Agency (FSA) increased the cost share amount under the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which helps organic producers cover organic certification costs, to the maximum amount allowed…
May Revision of California Budget Boosts Flood Control Support
…year. Nonetheless, Governor Newsom seeks to bolster flood protection and response investments. The revised budget includes $290 million in new flood proposals. That is in addition to the $202 million…
More Elected Officials Concerned About Lack of AM Radio in New Cars
…of Wisconsin and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey sent a bipartisan letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the future of AM radio in new vehicles. They expressed…
Organic Support Being Offered by USDA
…amount. USDA’s Farm Service Agency will cover up to 75 percent of the costs associated with organic certification. OCCSP will cover costs up to $750 for crops, wild crops, livestock,…
Proposition 12 Moves Forward After SCOTUS Rejects Industry Challenge
…Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Industry organizations have expressed significant disappointment with the decision. The North American Meat Institute notes that Proposition 12 is “a costly burden to producers…
VofV: Alex Cochran Discusses the Value of Biologicals in Agriculture
…single biggest challenge that we have in the biological space today is around trust.” The answer to building that trust: high-quality science and aligning expectations. Biologicals don’t function in the…
