Farmers voted for Trump. Now he’s trying to assure them they made the right call.

Farmers have grown increasingly anxious with President Donald Trump, who wooed them with promises of deregulation and then threatened to upend programs on which many depend. In the year since rural America voted him into office, the president has proposed deep cuts to crop insurance subsidies, reductions in the number of immigrants entering the United States and withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement - all of which have rattled farmers.

Secretary Perdue Presents Agriculture And Rural Prosperity Task Force Report To President Trump

SECRETARY PERDUE PRESENTS AGRICULTURE AND RURAL PROSPERITY TASK FORCE REPORT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP Jan. 9, 2018 Source: USDA news release U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will ceremonially present today the findings of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to President Donald J. Trump at the 2018 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 25, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the task force "to ensure the informed exercise of regulatory authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities."

Ag Sec’y Perdue Highlights Priorities, Accomplishments In New Administration And USDA

AG SEC'Y PERDUE HIGHLIGHTS PRIORITIES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN NEW ADMINISTRATION AND USDA Jan. 9, 2018 Source: American Farm Bureau news release The Agriculture Department is being reoriented with a new focus on farmers, its customers, and has already built a record of success, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said today. He made his comments at the American Farm Bureau Federation's 2018 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show in Nashville.

USDA to invest $2.9 million in 7 new forest projects

USDA will invest nearly $32 million this year to mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore healthy forest ecosystems in 24 states and Puerto Rico. Since 2014, USDA has invested $176 million in 56 Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership Projects, which focus on areas where public forests and grasslands intersect with privately-owned lands.

Hempler Foods Group, LLC Recalls Pepperoni Products due to Possible Extraneous Material Contamination

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2018 Hempler Foods Group, LLC, a Ferndale, Wash. establishment, is recalling approximately 4,068 pounds of pepperoni sticks products that may be contaminated with extraneous material, specifically metal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Wisconsin to end pesticide spraying program

Wisconsin is reducing its efforts to slow the spread of the leaf-eating gypsy moth by preparing to end a program that helps fight localized outbreaks in already infested parts of the state. The state Department of Natural Resources is ending the aerial pesticide spraying program because of a decline in requests from local communities and because of growing private-sector alternatives to federally subsidized spraying.

Business briefs a ” December 29

Bill Bolander and Clark Pence of Pence, Brooks, Bolander and Shepherd Insurance in Greenfield recently received awards from their parent company, Shepherd Insurance. Pence received "Rookie of The Year" from the Shepherd organization for his outstanding sales accomplishments in his first year with the company and in the insurance business.

Farmers in 3 mid-Michigan counties in line for federal help

Farmers and ranchers in Ingham, Jackson and Livingston counties may qualify for natural disaster assistance if they encountered agricultural damage caused by a frost in May. According to our media partners at WHMI , on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a release declaring those three counties as natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by frost and freeze that occurred May 7th through the 9th of this year. All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for Farm Service Agency emergency loans, provided eligibility requirements are met.

Iconic White House tree to be cut down

The south facade of the White House will undergo a dramatic change this week: the historic Jackson Magnolia, a tree that has been in place since the 1800s, is scheduled to be cut down and removed. WASHINGTON - The south facade of the White House will undergo a dramatic change this week: the historic Jackson Magnolia, a tree that has been in place since the 1800s, is scheduled to be cut down and removed.

USDA Issues: “Quarterly Hogs And Pigs” Report

USDA ISSUES: "QUARTERLY HOGS AND PIGS" REPORT Dec. 26, 2017 Source: USDA news release The U. S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service released the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on Friday. The report presents data on the U.S. pig crop, including inventory number by class, weight group, farrowings and farrowing intentions.

USDA: Improvements To Crop Insurance Continue In 2018

USDA: IMPROVEMENTS TO CROP INSURANCE CONTINUE IN 2018 Dec. 26, 2017 Source: USDA news release Changes to the Federal crop insurance program initiated in 2017 will continue into 2018. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency continues to improve the program, increasing its availability and effectiveness as a risk management tool while safeguarding the integrity of the program.

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service Contributes To U.S. Export Success In 2017

USDA'S FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE CONTRIBUTES TO U.S. EXPORT SUCCESS IN 2017 Dec. 26, 2017 Source: USDA news release International trade was once again an engine for economic growth in rural America in 2017, with U.S. farm and food exports reaching $140.5 billion for the fiscal year, the third-highest total on record. "As we wrap up another banner year for U.S. agricultural exports, I'm proud of the role that Foreign Agricultural Service has played," said FAS Acting Administrator Holly Higgins, "especially since those exports generate 20 percent of U.S. farm income, stimulate rural economic activity and support more than a million American jobs.