Author: The Farm Report

Biden seeks 50 percent cut in U.S. emissions, sees farming as carbon frontier By deploying clean technology, the United States can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by the end of this decade, said President Biden at an Earth Day summit intended to spark global action on climate change…. Continue reading

USDA harnesses Conservation Reserve for climate mitigation The USDA said it will offer higher rental rates and larger incentive payments to landowners who agree to idle environmentally fragile farmland and introduced a new payment for climate-smart practices to slow climate change. The expansions would boost spending on the Conservation Reserve… Continue reading

Bringing broadband to all rural Americans could cost up to $150 billion President Biden proposed $100 billion in his infrastructure plan to make high-speed internet available throughout America, but industry officials said at a congressional hearing on Tuesday that it could cost up to $150 billion to fill the gaps… Continue reading

Calls for rural broadband and climate mitigation as pandemic aid hits $24 billion Rural communities “must have access to broadband” to succeed and climate mitigation provides an opportunity for rural jobs, said a letter drafted for House Agriculture Committee approval on Tuesday. Eliminate time limit on food stamps for ABAWDs,… Continue reading

Biden nominates USDA climate adviser to oversee farm supports Robert Bonnie, named USDA climate adviser on the same day President Biden took office, will soon be in charge of all farm support programs, from land stewardship to farm subsidies and crop insurance, if confirmed by the Senate. Biden nominated Bonnie… Continue reading

Need a quick update on agricultural news? Here’s seven stories you might have missed this week. (AG Insider) 1. The Biden administration’s discretionary budget request called for a 16% increase in agriculture funding. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the funding would expand broadband access, provide more funds for agricultural research… Continue reading

Opportunities coming for land stewardship, says Vilsack The USDA is days away from announcing “greater opportunities” for landowners to take fragile farmland out of production in exchange for an annual payment, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. Since early February, the Biden administration has been mulling how to stop… Continue reading

USDA donations of produce and dairy to replace Trump food box The Trump administration’s much-criticized food box will be replaced for the moment by a $400 million dairy donation initiative and fresh produce distributed through a longstanding USDA program, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. Loan guarantees proposed to… Continue reading

Food prices rise faster than overall U.S. inflation rate The increases are seemingly small – an additional 27 cents for a pound of ground chuck at the grocery store, for example – but they are part of a brisk 3.5 percent increase in food prices since the pandemic hit the… Continue reading

Drought in Plains a concern for U.S. corn and soy crops Drought in the northern Plains, increasingly important in corn and soybean production despite the region’s prominence as a wheat-growing region, may foil expectations of near-record U.S. corn and soybean harvests. North Dakota and South Dakota are parched as the… Continue reading