Author: The Farm Report

Big increases for rural power, WIC, ag research in Biden proposal Most of the increased spending proposed by President Biden for USDA’s so-called discretionary accounts would go to three things: Rural electricity, WIC and agricultural research. If approved by Congress, the money would accelerate the shift to cleaner electricity, help… Continue reading

After Covid’s chill, a hot recovery is at hand The U.S. economy could grow at its fastest rate — 7 percent — in nearly four decades, with the farm sector sharing in the energetic recovery from the pandemic, said CoBank on Thursday. “Many in the agricultural industry are experiencing the… Continue reading

Food insecurity drops to lowest level of the pandemic Hunger in the United States has dropped to its lowest level of the yearlong pandemic, according to Census Bureau data released on Wednesday. Analysts credited government stimulus checks, increased federal food assistance, and the economic recovery for the sharp improvement.  … Continue reading

At dawn of carbon markets, farmers get up to $20 per acre A small fraction of U.S. farmers who have pursued contracts for capturing carbon in the soil – an incentive for climate mitigation – say the going rate is $20 an acre or less, said Purdue University on Tuesday…. Continue reading

Third round of pandemic payments begins to flow to farmers and ranchers The Biden administration has begun sending pandemic payments of more than $5.6 billion to cattle and crop producers, opening the third round of coronavirus relief to farmers and ranchers in 10 months, said a USDA spokesman on Monday…. Continue reading

USDA boosts SNAP by $1 billion a month in poorest households Households with very low incomes will be eligible for an additional $95 a month or more in emergency allotments of food stamps, said the Biden administration. The additional aid to an estimated 25 million people would amount to $1… Continue reading

House bill would bar racial favoritism at USDA Motivated by opposition to $4 billion in debt relief for minority farmers, two Republican representatives announced legislation on Thursday to prevent the USDA from considering race or gender in operating its programs. “All American farmers constitute a minority, and they are hurting… Continue reading

Biden proposes $100 billion to bring broadband to all Americans President Biden unveiled a $2 trillion infrastructure package — “a once-in-a-generation investment in America” — on Wednesday that calls for spending $100 billion to deliver affordable and reliable broadband service to all Americans. The package also proposed a $5 billion… Continue reading

SNAP and P-EBT surged to 12 percent of grocery spending during pandemic Two months into the pandemic, roughly $1 in $8 spent on groceries in the United States came from the federal food assistance programs, SNAP and the newly created Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), compared to $1 of every $14 beforehand,… Continue reading

Rural broadband is on Biden’s infrastructure list President Biden plans to announce a plan to modernize U.S. infrastructure on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, with a dramatic expansion of rural broadband expected to be part of the package. Broadband service increasingly is seen as essential to rural prosperity and even survival.  … Continue reading