agriculture

A new report produced by Purdue University shows demand for recent college graduates with degrees in Ag programs. There are an estimated 57,900 high-skilled job openings each year in the food, Ag, renewable natural resources and environment fields in the United States...

Farmers and ranchers are creative people who can put that creativity to work and improve the bottom line for their operations - according to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. Vilsack says Value-Added Producer Grants enable them to develop new product lines to grow their businesses and expand their contributions to the nation’s economy...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced more than 3.8-million dollars through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative yesterday to support grants focused on using nanotechnology to find solutions to societal challenges...

Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden – along with House Ways and Means Committee Chair Paul Ryan - introduced Trade Promotion Authority legislation on Thursday. Hatch expects to markup the bill next Thursday and hopes for Senate passage by the end of this month...

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has passed the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 - which requires the EPA and Army Corps to withdraw its proposed Waters of the U.S. rule within 30-days. The bill also directs the agencies to develop a new proposed rule that must consider all of the comments received and reach consensus with state and local governments on defining Wat

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced more than 10-million dollars being awarded through 21 grants to universities to support critical water problems in rural and ag watersheds across the nation. NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy says water is the most precious resource - essential for human survival and well-being and the ability to grow crops and livestock...

The EPA sent the Clean Water Rule - formerly known as Waters of the U.S. - to the Office of Management and Budget on Friday. In a blog post - EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy say the rule will better define tributaries and protect farming practices...

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will accept ACEP applications to help productive farm and ranch lands remain in agriculture and to protect the nation's critical wetlands and grasslands, home to diverse wildlife and plant species...

House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch are working with Senator Ron Wyden on the final details of Trade Promotion Authority. Ryan believes they are making good progress - as he says he, Hatch and Wyden are in constant contact with each other trying to iron out the hold-up over TPA...

USDA is providing farm owners and producers one additional week, until April 7, to choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage. If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by the deadline, the farm's current yield and base acres will be used...