Obama Admin details new efforts to assist farmers and ranchers affected by drought
USDA Secretarial Drought Designations by County, July 20, 2012
With 62 percent of U.S. farms currently affected by nationwide drought conditions, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today several ways in which the agency is attempting to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to get help.
“President Obama and I are committed to getting help to producers as soon as possible and sustaining the success of America’s rural communities through these difficult times,” said Vilsack. “Beginning today, USDA will open opportunities for haying and grazing on lands enrolled in conservation programs while providing additional financial and technical assistance to help landowners through this drought. And we will deliver greater peace of mind to farmers dealing with this worsening drought by encouraging crop insurance companies to work with farmers through this challenging period.”
Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Crop Insurance, CRP, Drought, EQIP, Tom Vilsack, USDA
Environmental & Agricultural Success at Marshy Meadows
Federal budget cutters may want to think twice about slashing USDA conservation programs
When most Americans think about federal dollars spent on agriculture, they envision big ticket (and controversial) items like ethanol subsidies and direct payments. Most of us don’t realize that the USDA – through divisions like the Natural Resources Conservation Service – also administers programs that allow family farmers and small producers to make improvements to their land helping them to build their business while protecting natural resources for the rest of us.
We know that the actions of some farm and livestock operators can have consequences outside the boundaries of the acres they plant or graze. Just ask the folks who live near Grand Lake St. Mary’s here in Ohio. The toxic algae problem at the Grand Lake is attributable, at least in part, to runoff from area farms.
Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Agriculture, Cattle, Conservation, EQIP, Mardy Townsend, Marshy Meadows Farm, USDA
VIDEO: Could programs that help small farmers invest in environmentally friendly practices get the axe?
One week ago I had the opportunity to spend some time at Marshy Meadows Farm in Ashtabula County. Proprietor Mardy Townsend runs a 130-head grass-fed beef program there. Over the past 20 years she and her mother Marge have turned Marshy Meadows from corn and barley production to grassland for the beef herd. Along the way the Environmental Quality Incentives Program from the USDA has helped Mardy lessen the farm’s ecological impact while building a profitable livestock business. This interview deals with the potential danger of Congressional budget cutting taking out programs like EQIP that provide sources of capital for family and beginning farmers to build their businesses responsibly.
Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: EQIP, Mardy Townsend, Marshy Meadows Farm, Ohio Farmers Union, USDA