Ag Lender Survey: Farm Profitability Still Down But Improving

Eighty-two percent of agricultural lenders reported a decline in farm profitability in the last 12 months, according to a joint survey by the American Bankers Association and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation . Despite the continued decline, the survey of more than 580 agricultural lenders revealed that the agricultural loan approval rate is 84 percent.

The Latest: Prosecutors say Manafort financial reports vary

In a court filing, the office of special counsel Robert Mueller says the precise value of Manafort's assets is hard to quantify. They say in November 2016 and January 2017, he noted assets to be worth approximately $25 million, but he has provided significantly higher amounts at other times.

Ketchikan Ready Mix wins USDA contractor award

Ketchikan Ready Mix and Quarry was presented the award by Regional Forester Beth Pendleton at the Tongass National Forest Forest Supervisor's Office in Ketchikan on September 19. Pictured from left, Beth Pendleton, Harold Enright, Tammy Carroll, Loren Enright, Morgan Enright, and Contracting Officer Mari Meiners. Ketchikan Ready Mix and Quarry has been named the USDA HUBZone Contractor of the Year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Latest: Senator calls to delay Trump nominee hearing

A leading Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee says a confirmation hearing for one of President Donald Trump's nominees should be delayed in light of new twists in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump has nominated former campaign adviser Sam Clovis to serve as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Maine Food Sovereignty Bends but Doesn’t Break After USDA Threats

This past June, Maine legislators passed a law, An Act to Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems , which allows cities and towns in the state to adopt laws permitting farmers and other food producers within their borders to engage in a host of direct-to-consumer food sales. The law, intended to bolster local food economies in the state, allows Maine municipalities to "regulate by ordinance local food systems," and requires the state, in turn, to "recognize such ordinances."

USDA Offers Help To California Producers Impacted By Fires

USDA OFFERS HELP TO CALIFORNIA PRODUCERS IMPACTED BY FIRES Oct. 23, 2017 Source: USDA news release The U.S. Department of Agriculture is targeting $4 million to help farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners in California recover from the recent wildfires. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will issue waivers for those interested in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to enable recovery work to begin immediately.

New York advances drone industry with testing corridor

Envisioning a day when millions of drones will buzz around delivering packages, watching crops or inspecting pipelines, a coalition is creating an airspace corridor in upstate New York where traffic management systems will be developed and unmanned aircraft can undergo safety and performance testing. The unmanned aircraft traffic management corridor, jump-started by a $30 million state investment, will extend 50 miles west over mostly rural farmland from Griffiss International Airport, a former Air Force base in Rome that is already home to NASA-affiliated drone testing.

Puna community gets nearly $3M to improve drinking water system

Nearly $3 million has been funded to a community association for a subdivision in Puna to improve its community drinking water system. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding nearly $3 million in funding to a community association for a subdivision in Puna to improve its community drinking water system.

Mr. Toxicity Zaps America

America's all-time-leading heartless anti-science zealot EPA Administrator Scott "Mr. Toxicity" Pruitt, as of March 2017, nixed his own agency's proposal of 2015 to ban the toxic chemical chlorpyrifos, an insecticide that attacks the nervous system of pesky insects, as well as pesky and non-pesky people . It's sprayed on crops of foodstuff that ends up in grocery stores.

2017 Specialty Crop Block Grants Awarded

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been awarded $296,405.62 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Marketing Service. The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been awarded $296,405.62 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Marketing Service.

Cornell awarded $130,000 to study new pest that threatens onion crops

U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney met with local officials and agricultural leaders Wednesday to celebrate the award of $130,000 in state and federal matching funds to further Cornell University's study of a new pest that is threatening the region's $40 million onion and allium crops.

Oversight committee may subpoena USDA, DOJ over air travel

Representative Trey Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina and chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi listens as Hillary Clinton, not pictured, testifies during a House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing in Washington, Oct. 22, 2015. The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee is sending a warning shot to federal agencies and the White House for not fully complying with the panel's investigation into administration air travel.

USDA Invests in Research on Next Generation of Agricultural Technology

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture today announced 17 grants for research on the next generation of agricultural technologies and systems to meet the growing demand for food, fuel, and fiber. The grants are funded through NIFA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative , authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.