USDA
USDA announces $5.2 million for nanotechnology research
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an investment of more than $5.2 million to support nanotechnology research at 11 universities. The universities will research ways nanotechnology can be used to improve food safety, enhance renewable fuels,... more »
Secretary Vilsack announces agreements for US-Cuba ag sectors
While in Cuba, Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA will allow the 22 industry-funded Research and Promotion Programs and 18 Marketing Order organizations to conduct authorized research and information exchange activities with Cuba. These groups, which... more »
$62 million in specialty crop grants available to growers
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is making more than $62 million in grant funding available to support specialty crop producers through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). SCBGP grants are allocated to U.S.... more »
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to travel to Cuba
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join President Obama when he travels to Cuba later this month, the USDA announced. This historic visit - the first by a sitting U.S. President in nearly 90 years -... more »
USDA expands insurance options for transition to certified organic
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the expansion of a crop insurance option to allow producers to purchase insurance coverage that better reflects their product's actual value. Producers transitioning to certified organic production can now use the... more »
USDA announces $58.25 million to protect agriculture from pests
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has allocated $58.25 million from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill. This money will support 434 projects that prevent... more »
USDA awards $30.1 million for food safety, plant research
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $30.1 million in competitive grants to fund 80 research projects to improve food safety, reduce antibiotic resistance in food, and increase the resilience of plants in the face of climate change,... more »
USDA bee genebank will preserve genetic diversity
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is organizing a national bee genebank as part of the agency's response to ongoing problems facing the country's beekeepers. Average losses of managed honey bee colonies have increased to more than 30... more »
USDA’s GroupGAP program set to launch this spring
GroupGAP, a new certification option for USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit program, is designed to make GAP certification more accessible to small and medium-size producers. The program allows multiple growers to work together to... more »
USDA extends microloans program to farmland purchases, upgrades
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin offering farm ownership microloans, creating a new financing avenue for farmers to buy and improve property. These microloans will help beginning or... more »
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