Agriculture
Inaction on climate change costs Va.’s agriculture industry hundreds of millions of dollars yearly
More than $125 million. That’s the preliminary estimate of damage to farmers in Southwest Virginia after Hurricane Helene brought damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding to the region. We were lucky the storm didn’t impact more of our state, but for those farmers who are today facing crop losses, property and equipment damage, and other […]
Despite recent rain, farmers in Virginia struggle with effects of summer drought
Morgan Slaven runs a sheep farm in Augusta County, where her family has been across different operations for seven generations, now with her nieces pitching in. This year, Slaven was grateful because of her “off farm job” to generate income after drought conditions, presenting back to back years of challenges ahead of this year’s harvest […]
USDA to take ‘additional step’ in testing beef from former dairy cattle for bird flu
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to embark on a year-long study beginning next month that will test samples for evidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza from former dairy cattle moved into meat production. Emilio Esteban, the under secretary for food safety at the USDA, told reporters on a call Tuesday the new […]
Federal government pays $2 billion for farmer discrimination; Va. farmers net $28 million
Tens of thousands of farmers or would-be farmers who say they suffered discrimination when they applied for assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will get one-time payments that total about $2 billion from the federal government. The agency said 408 farmers in Virginia will receive a total of $28,451,840. “While this financial assistance is […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund $300 million in grants to boost exports
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday $300 million in funding for more than 60 groups seeking to diversify American agricultural exports. “USDA is pleased to be able to provide the startup capital to tap into these opportunities,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a call with reporters Monday night previewing the announcement. […]
Can’t install your own solar panels? Some areas let you join a community project.
For four generations, Steve Wine’s family has tended a 600-acre farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, raising steers and growing corn, soybeans and alfalfa. The farm has struggled in recent years with rising costs and slumping crop markets, leaving Wine to question the operation’s viability. In a bid to sustain the farm, Wine will begin in […]
Feds to require bird flu tests of dairy cattle before transport
Starting next week, certain dairy cattle must be tested for avian influenza before they can be transported to a different state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The requirement is among several that will expand the testing, reporting and monitoring of the cattle to reduce the spread of bird flu among the animals. The […]
How Virginia’s Dept. of Forestry and Christmas tree growers spruce up the holidays
The annual holiday tradition of chopping down a Christmas tree from a local farm doesn’t just come with fond memories and green needles stuck everywhere. If you’re a Virginian, choosing to store presents under a white pine, Virginia pine, Scotch pine or Norway spruce means there’s a chance you’ll also be supporting reforestation efforts by […]
This land is our land: States crack down on foreign-owned farm fields
Andy Gipson gets concerned even when American allies such as the Netherlands and Germany invest in large swaths of Mississippi’s farmland. “It just bothers me at a gut level,” he said. For Gipson, Mississippi’s commissioner of agriculture and commerce, the growing trend of foreign ownership could threaten what he views as the state’s most valuable […]
New federal rule seeks to curb ‘deceptive practices’ in poultry production
Federal ag officials are poised to enact new disclosure requirements for the poultry industry to give chicken growers a better understanding of their potential profits. The changes are meant to address some long-standing complaints by farmers who are contracted by large companies to grow chickens for meat, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said Wednesday. Most […]
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland probed at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators said during a Wednesday hearing that foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is a national security threat that should be further examined. The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry discussed foreign ownership of the nation’s agricultural lands, with testimony from experts and Senate colleagues who have been taking the lead […]
The farm bill is on the verge of expiring. Congress is months away from a new version.
WASHINGTON — As the deadline for Congress to pass a new farm bill looms this weekend, staff members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees say it will be months – if not longer – until they reach agreement on a new bill. Lawmakers must rewrite the sweeping farm bill every five years to set […]