…in agriculture,” said FSA Administrator Val Dolcini. “The organizations selected as part of this effort share USDA’s priority of helping more Americans build successful farms and ranches.” Cooperative agreements totaling…
China’s Pork Imports Rise Along with Production Costs
…in China, but it remains below that of U.S. farms. Rapid wage growth is spurring China’s transition toward larger-scale farms, but labor productivity remains low in hog production. With rising…
Water Action Plan Progress Highlighted
…in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to balance the needs of fish, farms, and cities. The State Water Resources Control Board began hearings this year to update 20-year-old Delta water quality…
Smithfield Cutting Back on Gestation Crates
…December 31, 2016, 87.0 percent of our company-owned farms housed pregnant sows in group systems. We expect to be fully converted on company-owned farms in 2017, as planned when we…
New Communications Concept – SMART Farm Debuts at CES ®
…that is good for the soil, air, habitat and water on and around our farms and ranches – without compromise on cost, quality or taste.” Today’s SMART Farms use data…
USDA Microloans for Farmers: Participation Patterns and Effects of Outreach
…in January 2013 with the goal of better serving the needs of small farms, beginning farmers and ranchers, farmers and ranchers from historically socially disadvantaged groups (or SDA—women and racial…
China to Increase Farmland by 2020
…cultivation and land management, but the State Council wouldn’t provide any details. Industry estimates say China currently has just over 309 million acres of arable land and currently farms 247…
CA Leads Nation in Direct Farm Sales
…14,315 farms selling fresh and processed food to consumers, retailers, institutions, and local intermediary businesses. Texas was the only other state with more than 10,000 farms selling directly. Regionally, the…
Sodexo Food Service Announces New Animal Welfare Standards
…raised in cages. An article on PR Newswire dot com says Sodexo will also source chickens from farms that raise birds in natural light and give them fresh hay bales,…
U.S. Hogs and Pigs Inventory Up 4 Percent
As of December 1, there were 71.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up 4 percent from December 2015, and up slightly from September 1, 2016, according to the…
Conservation Districts to Lead Record 25 RCPP Projects in 2017
…Puyallup Watershed to conserve working farms and improve water quality and habitat function through the strategic investment of RCPP.” In Delaware, the Kent Conservation District (KCD) will use nearly $500,000…
Proposed Organic Livestock Farm Rules Not Guaranteed
…High Plains Public Radio website says the proposed rules would clarify current rules and create new standards of care for animals on organic livestock farms. The rules would focus in…
Agri View: Farming Versions
…middle and you have farmher. That is being used to identify farms operated by women. The other is farmet. Here is what that is about. People that want to grow…
USDA to Measure Financial Well-Being of Dairy Farms
Beginning in January, representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will visit dairy farms across the nation, as the agency begins collecting data for…