| Conservation Clips is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what’s driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors, unless otherwise noted. If you have a relevant submission or need assistance accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
Successful Farming: Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture grew 14% in 20 years Livestock accounted for slightly more than half of the 14 percent increase in global greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture from 2000 to 2021, said a Food and Agriculture Organization report on Wednesday. The carbon footprint of cattle and sheep was several times higher than the footprint for pigs, chickens, and dairy, when calculated per kilogram of product, said the FAO’s Statistical Yearbook, released on the eve of the UN climate summit.
Agriculture Dive: Farm income to fall 17% from last year’s record highs Profits peaked in 2022 when pandemic supply crunches sent food prices soaring, easily offsetting higher costs of production. Now, as commodity prices crater, the industry is struggling to keep up with still-high input costs.
EIN Press Wire: USDA Announces December 2023 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for December 2023, which are effective Dec. 1, 2023. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Morning Ag Clips: USDA Builds Upon its Expansion of Enterprise Unit Possibilities to Offer Greater Crop Insurance Options The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding Enterprise Unit availability to additional specialty crops and other actual production history (APH) crop programs.
Farms.com: USDA Provides $208 Million to Help Prevent Guaranteed Borrower Foreclosures and to Assist Emergency Loan Borrowers The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is providing approximately $208 million in automatic financial assistance for qualifying farm and emergency loan borrowers. This announcement is made possible by $3.1 billion in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers provided in Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act, an important part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced ways the Biden-Harris Administration is fulfilling long-standing Tribal requests for USDA to support and better partner with Tribal Nations in empowering Tribal food sovereignty and co-stewardship of federal lands and waters.
Morning Ag Clips: Focus on Ag: Current Farm Bill Extended Through 2024 In mid-November the U.S. House and Senate passed a continuing resolution that provided additional federal funding to avoid a government shutdown at the federal level. The continuing resolution that was passed and signed into law also extends the current Farm Bill for one year through Sept. 30, 2024.
Agriculture Dive: Lowering crop insurance subsidies for large farms could save millions, watchdog finds Congressional leaders have searched for new funding to boost programs in the upcoming farm bill, and some Democrats are pushing to revamp the USDA’s crop insurance program as a way to free up more money. Taos News: Conservation district asks town to partner on dam It may have “high hazard potential,” but the Town of Taos’ 50-foot-high earthen dam at the end of Las Cruces Road is doing just fine, according to Peter Vigil, district manager of the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District.
No-Till Farmer: Missouri Growers Turn to No-Till & Cover Crops for Improved Soil Health Willott is among a new generation of farmers working to make their operations more environmentally friendly. Traditional farming practices such as tilling and monoculture — cultivating a single crop — have come under fire in recent years for their role in harming soil and exacerbating climate change.
South Haven Tribune: More unwanted products being recycled in VB County People and businesses in Van Buren County are continually getting behind efforts to recycle unwanted products and appliances, according to a report released earlier this week by the Van Buren Conservation District. “From October 2022 to September 2023 we recycled and safely disposed of 87,388 pounds of electronics, said Kalli Marshall, of the Conservation District. “This is an increase of over 10,000 pounds compared to the previous year,” she said regarding the District’s Resource Recovery Program.
Idaho Capital Sun: Feds expand migratory big game initiative into Idaho, Montana Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are expanding into Idaho and Montana a program that offers financial incentives to ranchers and agriculture producers who voluntarily participate in conservation programs for migratory big game animals.
Lancaster Online: State grants $4 million to reduce pollution in Lancaster County waterways The Lancaster County Conservation District gained just over $4 million in Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection grants to fund pollution reduction projects in local waterways.
Tri-State Alert: DEP awards almost $2M to Franklin County for Chesapeake Bay Watershed improvement The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $19.3 million in 2024 Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Grants to county teams across Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. These grants support their efforts in reducing nutrient and sediment pollution to restore the health of local streams, rivers, and lakes.
KSHB: 2 confirmed avian influenza cases put Kansas Department of Agriculture, farmers on high alert The Kansas Department of Agriculture has confirmed two positive cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in northwestern Kansas. The first presumptive case was reported in Pottawatomie County last week.
The Courier Express: Elk County Conservation District completes project on 20-year-old acid mine treatment system The Elk County Conservation District has wrapped up rehabilitation work on a 20-year-old acid mine treatment system in Jones Township.
Morning Ag Clips: Grant to benefit conservation district The Huntingdon County Conservation District (HCCD) was recently awarded a portion of funds set forth by the 2024 Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Grants. |