The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $248 million in 10 new school feeding projects expected to benefit more than a million children worldwide, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jewel Bronaugh announced today. USDA’s 2021 commitment, through the Foreign Agricultural Service’s McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, includes both direct financial support and the donation of U.S.-grown commodities …

The University of Arkansas, in collaboration with The Organic Center and the University of California Cooperative Extension, has been awarded nearly $500,000 through USDA’s Organic Research and Extension Institute (OREI) to help undertake a three-year project studying the challenges and opportunities for organic rice production and usage in the United States. Currently, consumer demand for organic rice exceeds domestic supply, and leads …

The U.S. economy is on a strong growth path and cash-rich consumers are spending robustly on both services and goods. Roughly 80% of the U.S. adult population has now received at least one vaccination shot, leading to renewed participation in many public activities.1 But while the U.S. economy is running hot, it is still very much in the grips of …

Following warnings about government intervention in beef and cattle markets from leading agricultural economists from around the country, François Léger, Owner and CEO of FPL Food, on behalf of the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) offered his perspective on the market as a beef packer and processor during the House Agriculture Committee’s hearing to “Review the State of the …

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today an investment of more than $146 million in sustainable agricultural research projects aimed at improving a robust, resilient, climate-smart food and agricultural system. This investment is made under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Sustainable Agricultural Systems program. This innovative program focuses on a broad base of needed …

In response to a bipartisan request from the House Agriculture Committee, Texas A&M University has completed a comprehensive report on the U.S. cattle and beef markets written by leading economists across the country. Among its key findings is that proposals increasing government intervention and mandates will cost livestock producers billions of dollars. “Thursday the House Agriculture Committee will hold the …

Local philanthropists and long-time supporters of farmland protection, Jeani and John Ferrari, were honored by California Farmland Trust (CFT) as the 2021 Vance Kennedy Award recipients. The Vance Kennedy Award was established in 2014 in honor of Dr. Vance Kennedy, a founding member of CFT, because of his extraordinary contributions and efforts to the organization. Recipients of this prestigious award …

Plants regulate their growth and development using hormones, including a group called strigolactones that prevent excessive budding and branching. For the first time, scientists led by UC Riverside have synthesized strigolactones from microbes. The work is published in the open-access journal, Science Advances. Strigolactones also help plant roots form symbiotic relationships with microorganisms that allow the plant to absorb nutrients from …

Honey bees could be intentionally bred to thrive on plants that are already locally present or even solely on artificial diets, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. ARS researchers found individual bees respond differently to the same diet and that there is a strong genetic component involved in how they respond to nutrition. This …

San Luis Obispo Coast Wine Collective — When you talk to early winery owners of the SLO Coast Wine region, there is a pioneering spirit that shines through along with a true do-it-yourself aesthetic. From humble beginnings to world class recognition, the SLO Coast wine region was trailblazed by a group of committed dreamers, farmers, and enthusiasts who all agree they could not …