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Agriculture

USDA to measure small grain production

HARRISBURG — Starting in late August, a sample of producers around the country will receive Agricultural Survey questionnaires from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The agency is taking a comprehensive look into the 2024 production and supply of small grains, including wheat, oats, barley and rye. “The small grains industry is an important part of United States agriculture. It is crucial for all involved to have accurate data about this key sector of the economy,” said Kevin Pautler, interim director of the NASS Northeastern ...

USDA announces $90 million in innovative grant projects

READING — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $90 million in 53 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) projects, which support the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. This year, increased funds were available because of the Inflation Reduction Act. “Over the last 20 years, USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grants have helped spur new tools and technologies to conserve natural resources, build resilience in producers’ ...

3 Pa. counties designated natural disaster areas

WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has designated three Pennsylvania counties as contiguous natural disaster areas due to severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides. This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming ...

USDA moves to limit salmonella in raw poultry products

The Agriculture Department recently announced plans to limit salmonella in poultry products in the U.S., a proposal that officials say will keep contaminated meat off store shelves and lead to fewer illnesses. Under the proposed new rule, poultry companies would have to keep salmonella levels under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six particularly sickening forms of the bacteria, three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the bacteria exceeds the proposed standard and any of those strains are found, the poultry couldn’t be sold and would be subject to ...

USDA to gather farm conservation data

HARRISBURG — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is reaching out to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to gather in-depth information about the conservation practices they use. Nearly 12,000 operators nationwide will receive the 2024 Conservation Effects Assessment Project survey. Data obtained will support the third set of national and regional cropland assessments delivered by USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a multi-agency ...

2024 Class of USDA 1890 National Scholars announced

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced 91 scholarships awarded through the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program, one of the Department’s efforts to develop the next generation of diverse food and agriculture professionals. The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is a partnership between USDA and the 19 historically Black land-grant universities that were established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890 and is administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). “The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is an important pathway ...