America’s farmers are resilient, having faced and overcome challenges throughout our history. Today, we face a new challenge in the form of a shifting climate. Our nation’s agricultural producers and land managers have continued to see the rising threat of climate change year after year: from historic droughts to stronger and more frequent storms; from a rise in invasive species and costs for weed and pest control to increasingly intense wildfires that rip through our nation’s forests and grasslands.
These threats have real and significant implications for U.S. agricultural production, forest resources and rural economies. As these risks continue to grow, our food supply and those who produce it will be faced with more and more challenges that necessitate adaptation and transformation.
Faced with these obstacles, USDA has worked with our partners to develop innovative strategies that will help contribute to President Obama’s goal of reducing emissions by 28 percent by 2025. Agriculture’s efforts will reduce net emissions by the equivalent of taking 25 million cars off the road or offsetting the emissions produced by powering nearly 11 million homes per year.
Join us throughout the month of May as we take a look at how USDA’s approach to collaborative and climate smart policies have supported farmers, ranchers and forest landowners as they adapt in the face of a changing climate.
Follow along on usda.gov, on the USDA blog and by using #USDAResults, or catch up on Chapter V on our Medium site.
Farms that Sell Directly to Consumers May Stay in Business Longer
A Billion Dry Tons of Sustainable Biomass
FarmAnswers.org is a clearinghouse of information to help farmers and ranchers better manage their operations.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Phil Karsting prepare for the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Niigata, Japan
National Grasslands – Celebrating and Conserving Open Space
Many know about America’s Great Plains, the vast, far-as-you-can-see mostly flat lands in the country’s interior west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, consisting of prairie, steppe and grasslands. The 20 national grasslands and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie are part of this heartland tapestry, rich in stories about history, ecological health, business and job opportunities, adventures in recreation, and now—part of the U.S. Forest Service’s urgent mission to conserve open space.
Conversations with Organic PA Farmers on Crop Insurance
Earlier this year, USDA expanded crop insurance options to allow organic producers to purchase coverage that better reflects their product’s actual value. The expanded coverage is part of our continued commitment to provide farmers with resources and tools to meet the growing demand for certified organic products.
Farms that Sell Directly to Consumers May Stay in Business Longer
Opportunities to buy food directly from farmers, in urban and rural areas, have increased considerably in recent years. The number of farms that sold food at roadside stands, farmers’ markets, pick-your-own farms, onfarm stores, and community-supported agricultural arrangements increased 24 percent between 2002 and 2012.
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Find One-Stop Shop in Farm Answers
FarmAnswers.org is a website clearinghouse where farmers and ranchers can find online courses, videos, presentations, apps, and other materials – more than 3,175 at this time – to answer farming and ranching questions. FarmAnswers is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
U.S. National Arboretum Bald Eaglets Are Named
Say “hello” to Freedom and Liberty, the newly named bald eaglets at the U.S. National Arboretum! Those names were chosen by you through a poll hosted by the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) that was compiled from thousands of suggestions submitted to our partners.
American Legacy: Remembering Cesar Chavez
America’s history is rich with struggle and sacrifice, remedied by the selflessness and fearless leadership of remarkable people. A champion for justice, Cesar Chavez advocated for and won many of the rights the agricultural workforce enjoys today.
Breaking Down The Dollar In The Food Supply Chain
Broadcast Date: Thu, April 28, 2016
How much of each dollar spent of food does each contributor within the food supply chain receive? (Rod Bain and Ephraim Leibtag of USDA's Economic Research Service)
Latest Push To Combat Citrus Greening
Broadcast Date: Thu, April 28, 2016
Researchers studying ways to address citrus greening will soon have more support in their efforts through USDA funding availability. (Rod Bain and Tom Bewick of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
A Startling Look at Rising Farm Production Costs
Broadcast Date: Wed, April 27, 2016
Today's average corn price is only 78 cents higher than it was thirty years ago, but an Illinois farmer tells lawmakers that the costs of producing that corn have risen much more that the price for that corn. (Gary Crawford and Richard Guebert)
A Patriotic Theme For National Arboretum Eaglet Names
Broadcast Date: Tue, April 26, 2016
The names of two bald eaglets born at the National Arboretum were announced during ceremonies Tuesday. (Rod Bain and Ramon Jordan of the National Arboretum)
Vilsack Visiting Vietnam
Broadcast Date: Tue, April 26, 2016
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is visiting Vietnam this week. (Monday and Tuesday) Vietnam is one of the fastest growing markets for U.S. agricultural products. (Gary Crawford, former President Richard Nixon and Sec'y Tom Vilsack)
Tom Vilsack’s Legacy on Poverty and Opportunity (Spotlight Exclusives 4/25)
The winds of change in D.C. blow predictably every four (or eight) years, as a new administration ushers in a new cabinet. Regardless of who becomes our next president, most, if not all, current agency leaders will be leaving for new opportunities next January. We want to take a look back at one of those leaders, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who has consistently used his post to fight poverty and expand opportunity since taking over USDA in 2009.
With a nearly $2.2 million boost from the federal government, the town of Williamstown is joining Vermont's efforts to clean up wastewater discharges and reduce phosphorus flowing into Lake Champlain (Associated Press 4/24)
Williamstown is joining the list of Vermont communities working to clean up wastewater discharges and reduce the flow of phosphorus into Lake Champlain's tributaries. U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat, was there Friday with a senior U.S. Department of Agriculture official to announce the town had received a nearly $2.2 million combined loan and grant package to upgrade its wastewater treatment system and reduce discharges into the Winooski River.
Organics still on the rise (Star Tribune 4/22)
Organic farms and operations continue to grow at double-digit rates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported recently that there are now 21,781 certified organic operations in the United States and 31,160 around the world. The data, collected by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, indicate that the number of certified domestic operations increased by almost 12 percent between 2014 and 2015, representing the highest growth rate since 2008 and an increase of nearly 300 percent since the count began in 2002.
USDA highlights water quality projects on Earth Day (Agri-Pulse 4/22)
Friday is Earth Day and USDA is using the occasion to spotlight scores of projects designed to improve water quality in 33 states across the country. In all, the department is investing $183 million in 60 water and wastewater infrastructure projects through the Water and Environmental Program (WEP) administered by USDA's Rural Development office.
Looking for markets or farms near Charlotte? (The Charlotte Observer 4/26)
With spring meandering steadily into summer-like temperatures since March, crops in the Charlotte area have gotten a head start this year. Farmers markets are already filled with asparagus, while strawberry fields around here report picking weeks ahead of schedule.
Four decades after war, U.S. and Vietnam find alliance in trade (St. Louis Dispatch 4/27)
In one of those delicious ironies of history, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Vietnam Monday to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and highlight Vietnam’s burgeoning role as a consumer of American farm products. It was 41 years to the day since then-South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned and fled Saigon, leading to the total capitulation of the city and the collapse of the government five days later.
Cover crops can be profitable and aid the planet -- Vilsack (E&E News 4/26)
No farmer is about to get rich by planting grass. But Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says grass and other cover crops may be more profitable than farmers think -- and can help the United States fill its role in reducing climate change. That's a message Vilsack is spreading around the world, touting conservation on an overseas trip that included a meeting of agriculture ministers of the Group of Seven major economies in Japan over the weekend and a stop in Vietnam yesterday.
As Farmers Age, The Plan To Turn Veterans On To Agriculture (NPR 4/24)[AUDIO]
As American farmers are getting older, a younger cohort is entering the civilian workforce. Government programs are trying to help veterans become farmers for reasons both economic and therapeutic.
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