By Amy R. Remo MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Agriculture is looking for new areas to be planted to rice this year to raise production. ...
Showing posts with label United States Department of Agriculture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States Department of Agriculture. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Gov’t scouts for new rice areas
Inquirer.net - Philippines
By Amy R. Remo MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Agriculture is looking for new areas to be planted to rice this year to raise production. ...
By Amy R. Remo MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Agriculture is looking for new areas to be planted to rice this year to raise production. ...
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Beginning / New Farmers
| Half of all current farmers in the U.S. are likely to retire in the next decade. Enlisting and supporting new farmers is essential to the future of family farms, the farm economy and healthy rural communities. | |||
| List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. Detailed list of farming alternatives - crops, livestock, value-added enterprises, agritourism - currently utilized by U.S. farmers. Links to Extension and other farmer-friendly sources that help evaluate and start non-conventional farming enterprises are included. | ||||
| Evaluating a Rural Enterprise. Marketing and Business Guide National Center for Appropriate Technology. ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Summarizes selected enterprise planning guides about business, financial and marketing plans. Suggests helpful books, periodicals, Web sites and organizations. | ||||
| Informational Toolkit for Beginning Farmers Iowa State University. Cooperative Extension Service. Value Added Agriculture Program. General information about farm leases and farm management, new farmer loan programs, beginning farmer training programs, mentoring programs for beginning farmers and more specific information about developing agricultural business and marketing plans. Predominantly from Iowa, but additional resources from the upper Midwestern U.S. and Canada also included. | ||||
| Growing New Farmers New England Small Farm Institute. Programs, services and resources for new farmers in the 12 Northeast states and beyond. Includes: directory of programs and services for new farmers, reports about new farmers and their service needs, tools and resources for new farmers and for working with new farmers and programs/projects for new farmers. | ||||
| Beginning Farm Center Iowa State University. Cooperative Extension Service. Iowa resources for new farmers looking for support, land, training and contacts. | ||||
| National Farm Transition Network National Farm Transition Network. The network supports programs that foster the next generation of farmers and ranchers. Site includes information and state contacts for "Land Link" programs – programs that match retiring farmers/land with new farmers seeking land and support. | ||||
| USDA Service Center Agencies Online Services United States Department of Agriculture. USDA service agency contacts, tools and eforms for farmers from the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development. Specific services include loans and mortgages, payment options, real estate sales and Farm Bill tools. | ||||
Monday, 24 September 2007
Senate farm bill would benefit state agriculture (23rd September, 2007)
Amid the hustle and bustle of Oakland County's suburban cities and its bedroom communities is a small but significant percentage of farms.
Yes, despite all of the urbanization that has occurred and continues to occur in Oakland County, there are still some operating farms. Although they are obviously modernized over the years, they still seem to possess a whisper of that more rural, simpler life of years ago.
And agriculture is still a major industry in Michigan. Consequently, the 2007 farm bill currently pending in the U.S. Senate is important legislation not only for the state but also Oakland County.
Information from Mary Wilson, extension horticulture educator for the Michigan State University Extension service in Oakland County, there are 643 working farms in the county, based on the most current data available.
Most are operated by part-time farmers and the average size is 64 acres.
About 7.3 percent of the land in Oakland County is for farms, which includes fruit and vegetable growers.
Wilson notes that many of the Oakland County farms are nurseries that grow trees and shrubs. Also, there are a number Christmas tree farms. Statewide, the percentages are understandably higher. About 27.9 percent of Michigan land is used for farming with the average size of a farm about 190 acres.
Ben Kudwa, executive director of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission and a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, says the farm bill is a good piece of legislation that needs to be passed to help Michigan's $60 billion agricultural industry.
"Michigan is a big specialty crop producing state -- we produce apples, cherries and other fruits as well as potatoes and other vegetables in addition to the main crops wheat, corn and soy beans," Kudwa says. Kudwa notes the alliance is a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations.
The farm bill must be renewed regularly but Kudwa says, for the first time, it recognizes the priorities of specialty crop producers, who account for more than half of all the crop value in the nation.
The U.S. Senate's agriculture committee was scheduled to begin reviewing the farm bill this past week. The Senate is scheduled to pass some version of the farm bill by the end of October.
Because the bill includes funding for the federal Women, Infants and Children and Food Stamp programs, some version is expected to be passed into law.
Currently, the bill has some provisions that would help Michigan specialty crop producers and farmers in general.
They include: expansion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program to all 50 states; enhancement of critical trade assistance and market promotion tools that will grow international markets for specialty crops; investment in prevention and mitigation protocols to combat invasive pests and diseases that cost the economy millions of dollars per year; and investment in research to improve the taste and quality of foods.
However, changes in the bill still could be made between now and the end of October. We call upon Michigan's senators -- Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin -- to make sure that the bill will still include the necessary provisions that benefit Michigan farmers.
It's amazing how some old adages using farm terminology are still appropriate today throughout society -- such as what you sow is what you reap.
Yes, despite all of the urbanization that has occurred and continues to occur in Oakland County, there are still some operating farms. Although they are obviously modernized over the years, they still seem to possess a whisper of that more rural, simpler life of years ago.
And agriculture is still a major industry in Michigan. Consequently, the 2007 farm bill currently pending in the U.S. Senate is important legislation not only for the state but also Oakland County.
Information from Mary Wilson, extension horticulture educator for the Michigan State University Extension service in Oakland County, there are 643 working farms in the county, based on the most current data available.
Most are operated by part-time farmers and the average size is 64 acres.
About 7.3 percent of the land in Oakland County is for farms, which includes fruit and vegetable growers.
Wilson notes that many of the Oakland County farms are nurseries that grow trees and shrubs. Also, there are a number Christmas tree farms. Statewide, the percentages are understandably higher. About 27.9 percent of Michigan land is used for farming with the average size of a farm about 190 acres.
Ben Kudwa, executive director of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission and a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, says the farm bill is a good piece of legislation that needs to be passed to help Michigan's $60 billion agricultural industry.
"Michigan is a big specialty crop producing state -- we produce apples, cherries and other fruits as well as potatoes and other vegetables in addition to the main crops wheat, corn and soy beans," Kudwa says. Kudwa notes the alliance is a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations.
The farm bill must be renewed regularly but Kudwa says, for the first time, it recognizes the priorities of specialty crop producers, who account for more than half of all the crop value in the nation.
The U.S. Senate's agriculture committee was scheduled to begin reviewing the farm bill this past week. The Senate is scheduled to pass some version of the farm bill by the end of October.
Because the bill includes funding for the federal Women, Infants and Children and Food Stamp programs, some version is expected to be passed into law.
Currently, the bill has some provisions that would help Michigan specialty crop producers and farmers in general.
They include: expansion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program to all 50 states; enhancement of critical trade assistance and market promotion tools that will grow international markets for specialty crops; investment in prevention and mitigation protocols to combat invasive pests and diseases that cost the economy millions of dollars per year; and investment in research to improve the taste and quality of foods.
However, changes in the bill still could be made between now and the end of October. We call upon Michigan's senators -- Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin -- to make sure that the bill will still include the necessary provisions that benefit Michigan farmers.
It's amazing how some old adages using farm terminology are still appropriate today throughout society -- such as what you sow is what you reap.
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