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Agriculture

Final grant awards announced through meat and poultry processing investment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding more than $35 million in grants to 15 independent meat processors in 12 states to increase processing capacity, spur competition to expand market opportunities for U.S. farmers and create jobs in rural areas. This marks the final investment in the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said the investments support a fairer, more competitive, and more resilient meat and poultry supply chain, which dedicates resources to expand independent processing capacity. “For ...

‘Fill a Glass with Hope’ helps to provide milk to the needy

Hi! My name is Ella Zimmerman, and I am a dairy maid for Juniata County Dairy Promotion. Have you heard of the “Fill a Glass with Hope” program? Fill a Glass with Hope was launched statewide at the 100th PA Farm Show in 2016. It raises funds for our local food banks so they can ...

USDA to gather farm labor data

HARRISBURG — USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its biannual Agricultural Labor Survey in October. More than 2,000 Northeastern U.S. farmers and ranchers will be asked to participate in the survey online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. The survey is an opportunity for producers to provide accurate information about hired farm labor, including total number of hired farm workers, total hours worked, and total wages paid for the weeks of July 9-15 and Oct. 8-14, 2024. Survey recipients who do not respond by Oct. 18 may be contacted by NASS to arrange ...

NASS releases 2022 Census of Agriculture Web Maps application

HARRISBURG — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) launched a collection of interactive maps to allow data users to access key Census of Agriculture information. The newly redesigned Ag Census Web Maps application offers the public access to maps and accompanying data to help visualize, download and analyze Census of Agriculture data down to the county level. The application assembles maps and statistics from the 2022 Census of Agriculture in five broad categories – crops and plants, economics, farms, livestock and animals, and ...

Farmers urged to plant cover crops

MIDDLEBURG — Corn silage and horticultural crops have been or will be harvested right now. Soybeans will be harvested soon as well. Regardless, the Snyder County Conservation District strongly urges planting cover crops when cash crops are not growing. Cover crops help farmers do many things. Cover crops armor the soil from the autumn rains, winter snows and spring showers. Cover crops trap manure and fertilizer nutrients from leaching that would enter our surface and ground waters. Cover crops feed beneficial microbial life during times when cash crops are not present. ...

USDA to measure vegetable chemical usage

HARRISBURG — Interviewers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will interview more than 680 vegetable growers in the northeastern region to gather information for the 2024 Vegetable Chemical Use Survey this fall. The survey will collect information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, acres treated, and application rates, fertilizer and pesticide application, acres treated, and rates applied to 12 vegetable crops. In addition to Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, vegetable growers in 12 other states will also hear ...