The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks nominations of qualified individuals for five open seats on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The 15-member advisory board considers and makes recommendations on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances and other issues involving the production, handling and processing of USDA certified organic products. Each member serves a five-year term and represents …

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture joins the nation in celebrating National Ag Day, which highlights agriculture’s crucial role in everyday life, and honors the farmers, foresters, scientists, producers and many others who contribute to America’s bountiful harvest. As part of this effort, USDA is launching a new Youth and Agriculture website to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with …

Salmonella – we all know it’s bad for us but why? What is it? Where does it come from? Why should we care? Does my company have a plan in place if something tests positive? With all the news lately about one recall after another, it is easy to be tormented with endless questions. I am here to tell you that …

American Pistachio Growers (APG) has secured more than $2.8 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand international trade in overseas markets, confront unjustified trade retaliation and to enhance research on the healthful attributes of American-grown pistachios. This week, APG received news that it had secured $911,108 under USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP), completing a funding …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when making discretionary decisions on program implementation. Deadline for …

Almond Industry Receives $6,900,690 in Funding Allocations U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $200 million to 57 organizations through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) to help U.S. farmers and ranchers identify and access new export markets. The ATP is one of three USDA programs created to mitigate the …

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that many Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will reopen temporarily in the coming days to perform certain limited services for farmers and ranchers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recalled about 2,500 FSA employees to open offices on Thursday, January 17 and Friday, January 18, in addition to Tuesday, January 22, …

WEATHER Low pressure aloft across the state led to cool conditions through midweek. Temperatures rested at below to near normal levels during the first half of the week. By midweek, the low pressure aloft moved toward the east allowing for high pressure to build over the region. This allowed for a warming trend to develop in which temperatures were expected …

Applications Now Being Accepted The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced the availability of $8.89 million for risk management education and training programs. The funding will allow organizations such as universities, county cooperative extension offices, and nonprofit organizations to develop training and educational tools to help farmers and ranchers learn how to effectively manage long-term …