The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin signing up for the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), starting today through Friday, March 29, 2024. This conservation opportunity gives producers tools to conserve wildlife habitat, while achieving other conservation benefits, including sequestering carbon
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently mailed ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) County and Urban County Committee Elections, to eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the Country. Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas for these committee members. They make important decisions about how Federal farm programs are
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a second round of payments, for dairy producers, through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP.) Monies provide an additional $5 million to help them mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices, that have created
On Friday, September 15, 2023, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Milk Loss Program (MLP) assistance for eligible dairy operations, for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market. The causes were due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather
The Savanna District of Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is accepting bids for grass hay harvest, on 150 acres within the Pleasant Creek Tarr Tract, Jackson County, IA. Bidding will be based on price/ton harvested. All bids must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. CDT on
The Whiteside County Natural Area Guardians, a committee of the Whiteside County Soil and Water Conservation District, will offer a scholarship, to college students who are pursuing a degree in the area of Conservation and/or Environmental Science. Scholarships are available for the student’s Junior year and will be subject for
Producers can now take a Nationwide survey to help the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) improve and increase access to its programs and services, for America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest managers. The survey includes new and existing customers. USDA encourages all agricultural producers to take the survey, especially those
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2023 crop year have until Wednesday, March 15, 2023, to elect and enroll a contract. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support,
Farmers National Bank will host a Farmer Meeting, on Monday, March 6, 2023, at Deer Valley Golf Course, 3298 Hoover Road, Deer Grove, IL. Reply with your acceptance by Friday, February 24, by calling Tiffany Tipton at 815-537-2348, or email tiffanyt@farmersnationalbank.bank. Event day registration is from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced plans for additional emergency relief and pandemic assistance, from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA.). USDA is preparing to roll out the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two, as well as the new Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), which are two programs to help
U. S. Representatives Cheri Bustos and Randy Feenstra (IA-04) introduced the Precision Agriculture Loan Program (PAL) Act of 2022. This bipartisan legislation would establish the first Federal Precision Agriculture Loan Program, in the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that more producers soon will receive applications for over $105 million in additional emergency relief. USDA will indefinitely extend the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP.) A new deadline will be
Parallel rows of newly-sprouted corn plants marched across the landscape on Friday, May 27, 2022. This acreage lay along Bishop Road under a canopy of lowering skies, in the early afternoon. Grassy borders had been trimmed recently.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than two million acres in offers, from agricultural producers and landowners, through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup. This included more than 25,000 acres in Illinois. This is the first of the program’s multiple
Sweet corn has long been a staple of many households throughout Illinois. To honor the importance of sweet corn to Illinois, State Representative Tony McCombie, of Savanna, IL, has passed HB4766. The Bill designates August 1st of each year as “Sweet Corn Appreciation Day.” “Sweet corn was always a favorite