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
Agriculture
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
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency released its third biennial “Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) 2021 Biennial Report, on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Despite years of efforts on the part of dozens of State agencies and stakeholders, and hundreds of millions of dollars spent, the situation is getting worse. Since the
State Representative Tony McCombie is praising efforts by the Illinois Pork Producers Association. IPPA donatied over 1500 boxes of bacon to Illinois food pantries, through their “‘Pass the Bacon” campaign in honor of October Pork Month. To kick-off the month of celebration related to the pork industry, IPPA recruited nominations
The first day of summer arrived with the solstice on Sunday, June 20, 2021, at 11:32 p.m. EDT. For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, Earth is tilting mostly toward the Sun. As seen from Earth, the Sun is directly overhead at noon 23.5 degrees north of the Equator, at
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that sign up has reopened, for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2), as part of the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. The initial CFAP 2 sign up ended on December 11, 2020. USDA has reopened sign
Steve Siefken took the photograph. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides technical and financial assistance to help Illinois farmers and livestock producers recover from damages brought on by winter storms Uri and Viola. Agricultural producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center, to learn about programs
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed ballots, for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee elections, to eligible farmers and ranchers across the Whiteside Country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the local FSA county office or postmarked by Monday, December 7, 2020. Each committee
From her car, a perfect apple caught the Editor’s attention on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. She investigated ripe fruit on the tree in Robert A. [Andrews] Millikan Park, where Morrison Chamber of Commerce is housed, at 221 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL. Apples dotted the ground, gnawed by either animals
U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers that the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is Friday, September 11, 2020. This program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs, due to COVID-19. Over
It is more important than ever to have a quick, secure way to get important business done with your local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) team. That is why the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has partnered with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to deliver Box and OneSpan. These