…sell the product.” He said growers’ inability to control pests and diseases wastes critical resources such as water, fertilizer and labor, and undermines the sustainability of the land. By Ching…
Ground Water Guidelines Coming for Farmers
Surface water won’t be the only water monitored for contaminants from irrigated land. New changes will require farmers to monitor ground water contaminants which mean more paperwork and planning for…
USDA Announces Growth of U.S. Organic Industry
…educational network. Every U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices staffed by experts that provide useful, practical,…
Ruling in CA Water Case
…the projects’ water supplies by more than 800,000 acre-feet. That is enough water to supply more than 1.8 million households for a year or to irrigate 320,000 acres of land….
USDA Expanding Support for Small, Mid-Sized Farmers and Ranchers
…that there is tremendous growth potential for small and mid-sized producers in the American agricultural landscape,” said Vilsack. “USDA is taking a hard look at our existing resources to ensure…
How Will Drought Affect Struggling Communities?
Javier Guzmán is with the Water for Land Committee. He was at the California Drought Task Force meeting and spoke on behalf of the farmworkers who he says have been…
Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Proposed FY 2015 Budget
…across rural America, the budget adds about 23 million acres of land to USDA conservation efforts and sustains 25 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, ensuring clean air,…
USDA Awards Research, Teaching and Extension Grants
USDA is awarding grants to 21 1890’s Historically Black Land-Grant colleges and universities for research, teaching and extension programs. Susan Carter has the story. USDA Awards Research, Teaching and Extension…
Senator Galgiani Introduces Water Bond Legislation
…Information Report, dated September 2005. “If we are to provide enough water to support an ever-growing population of thirty-nine million people, to sustain the country’s best agricultural land, to protect…
USDA Grant for Pollinator Health, CA Left Out
…and support to farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices that will provide safe and diverse food sources for honey bees. For example, appropriate cover crops or rangeland and pasture…
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Announces Zero Water Allocation for California Farms
…this year and fallowing land in the future. These decisions will have consequences that reach beyond the farmers and workers in the Central Valley Region. Westlands appeals to President Obama…
Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the 2012 Census of Agriculture Preliminary Results
…strong rural America that has remained stable during difficult economic times. We have slowed significantly the loss of farmland, which has totaled 72 million acres since 1982. New tools provided…
USDA Releases a First Look at 2012 Census of Agriculture Results
…The 2012 Census reported little change in land in farms, a more diverse principal operator population and several historic changes in value of sales for U.S. agriculture producers from 2007…
Federal Drought Aid Coming to California; Long Term Solution Sought
Continuing coverage of President Barack Obama’s visit to the Central Valley Air Force One lands in Fresno Photo by Len Wilcox The severity and impact of California’s drought was brought…