Author: staff
In 2024, U.S. agricultural land values increased by $200 per acre, reaching an average of $4,170 per acre, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This represents a 5 percent increase over 2023 and marks the fourth consecutive annual rise in land values, though the rate of increase has slowed compared to previous years. The report highlights broader trends in the agricultural sector, with farmers facing higher land and rental costs amid fluctuating commodity prices and rising input expenses. Farm real estate value The U.S. average farm real estate value, which includes all land and buildings…
Some farms are under water and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has pledged resources to those affected by Hurricane Debby and its remnants. The slow-moving storm, which is moving through South Carolina today and already affecting North Carolina and Virginia, has been downgraded to a tropical storm but still promises several inches of rain. Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday on Florida’s Big Bend coast and made landfall a second time early today in South Carolina. The expectation is that it will be downgraded to a tropical depression by this evening. Yet because of how…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has changed the Farm Service Agency’s Farm Loan Programs, effective Sept. 25, 2024, intended to increase opportunities for farmers and ranchers to be financially viable. These improvements, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, demonstrate the USDA’s commitment to improving farm profitability through farm loans designed to provide important financing options producers use to cover operating expenses and purchase land and equipment. “USDA recognizes that Farm Service Agency’s loan-making and servicing activities are critical for producers, especially in tough times. Providing borrowers the financial freedom to increase profits, save for…
“Solar boom covers farmland that could feed millions,” reads an environmental news headline in the July 6 issue of New Scientist. The author, Madeleine Cuff, goes on to say the “huge numbers of panels being installed on prime farmland (worldwide is) taking quadrillions of calories out of the global food supply.” Solar farms installed in deserts or low value pasture lands has always been the textbook image portrayed. Now they are here in force, and builders want to put them on nice, flat land close to existing transmission lines and roads. I can’t really blame them. It’s much easier to…
During a 2019 CNN town hall meeting, while Harris was vying for the Presidential election, she told a voter who asked President Harris if she supported revising the nation’s dietary guidelines to reduce red meat consumption, suggesting that climate change is connected to the “overproduction of red meat.” “I think the point that you’re raising in a broader context, which is that, as a nation, we actually have to have a real priority at the highest level of government around what we eat and in terms of healthy eating because we have a problem in America,” Harris said. “We…
Nebraska cattle rancher and social media influencer Natalie Kovarik is set to return as a mentor in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online program. CAO is open to undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional students, as well as collegiate clubs and classes in the U.S. More than $20,000 in scholarship awards is available for participants. The program connects college students from across the country who are passionate about sharing positive, factual information about animal agriculture. Participants receive nine interactive and educational weeks of content to help them become confident and effective communicators for agriculture with guidance from industry and farmer…
William Dalton Edwards, 25, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for his involvement in a $1 million livestock theft scheme, said Dena King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Edwards conspired with another individual from April 2018 to October 2022 to defraud livestock markets in Iredell and Cleveland counties in North Carolina, as well as in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Edwards and his co-conspirator purchased cattle from sales barns in these regions, writing checks that they knew were worthless due to insufficient funds. They then transported…
We all know that Munnar is renowned for its pristine natural setting and cool weather. But did you know the mesmerizing waterfalls in Munnar stand out as a jewel in the crown. Munnar is blessed with not one or two but several amazing waterfalls that are ready to refresh your mind and soul. From nature lovers to honeymooners, from photographers to adventure seekers, everyone is going to cherish every second spent here. Ultimate Guide To Munnar’s Natural Splendor Experience the beauty of Munar’s waterfalls with our complete guide. Every fall listed here is unique and beautiful in its own ways.…
On Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took a rare “emergency action” to suspend all registrations of the herbicide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. This is the first time in nearly 40 years that such an emergency measure has been enacted, one that the EPA says was prompted by the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to obtain overdue data and address any risks posed by this herbicide. The EPA’s decision stems from concerns that exposure to DCPA can cause changes in fetal thyroid hormone levels in unborn babies, potentially leading to low birth weight,…
American Farmland Trust has released a new resource, available in English and Spanish, that builds the skills and knowledge of beginning farmers and ranchers participating in a transfer. The Transitioning Land to a New Generation: Land Transfer Training curriculum fills a gap that faces a pressing need-nearly 300 million acres of American agricultural lands are expected to change hands in the coming decades. As aging farmers and ranchers retire, the incoming generation struggles to afford to enter the land, putting it at risk of changing to non-farming uses. Few tools exist to help cultivate relationships and plan for conversations involved…