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Agriculture

USDA announces 2022 Census of Agriculture data release details

Editor’s Note: This is a monthly column from the Northeastern Regional Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS-NERFO). The website is www.nass.usda.gov; for the reports mentioned below, click on the “Publications” tab. The 2022 Census of Agriculture data will be released on Feb. 13, 2024. Data collection was concluded last summer with a preliminary national return rate of 61%. The ag census, conducted once every five years, was mailed to more than 3 million producers across the United States late last year. Early next year, we will conduct the ...

Snyder County Conservation District annual seedling and plant sale event

MIDDLEBURG — The Snyder County Conservation District will be holding its annual seedling and plant sale. All proceeds from the seedling sale provide funds for our educational outreach programs. Seedlings offered this year include: Norway Spruce, Eastern White Pine, American Persimmon, White Oak, American Hazelnut, American Beech, Chinese Chestnut, Domestic Apple, Northern Pecan and Winterberry. Fruit Trees offered are Shizuka Apple, and July Prince - Peach. Concord grape vines and Berkley Blueberry bushes are also being offered. Also offered this year is a special blended Deer ...

Farmers Care Program seeking donations

During this time of year, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee works with local farmers and the community to collect monetary, food or other items for the Farmers Care Program. Farmers Care is a program that recognizes the commitment of farm families and our communities across Pennsylvania to raising healthy food for our communities. Our farm communities also volunteer to help those in need, including our ongoing partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Since 1998 Pennsylvania’s County Farm Bureaus have collected donations for the Ronald McDonald ...

USDA to complete cash rents data survey in the Northeastern Region

HARRISBURG — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the annual Cash Rents and Leases survey starting Feb. 5. The survey provides the basis for estimates of the current year’s cash rents paid for irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland, and permanent pasture. Over 241,000 survey recipients across the United States, including more than 15,000 in the Northeastern Region, have been selected to participate in the survey, which can be completed online at agcounts.usda.gov, by mail or phone. “Survey response from as many ...

USDA accepting applications for Climate Change Fellows

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hiring 40 Climate Change Fellows to help with the record numbers of applications from farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses seeking funding for clean energy projects under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The new positions are being funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis, a key pillar of Bidenomics and part of the Investing in America agenda. “The administration is hard at work making sure as many people as possible can access ...

Industries that preserve biodiversity through using sustainable development

Family Features Many industries around the globe are prioritizing sustainable development to ensure a healthy planet for the future. For the Mexican avocado industry, success depends on the conservation of natural resources, soil, forests and water, which is why it is working to reduce its impact to protect the natural environment. One important priority is supporting biodiversity - the variety of plants and animals in one region or ecosystem - through environmentally friendly and responsible practices. Most Mexican Hass avocados exported to the U.S. begin their journey in ...