USDA investing more than $45 million into farmers and agribusinesses

Oct 28, 2016

Funding will help businesses expand

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will be providing more than $45 million in grants to help American farmers and agribusinesses expand.

The grants are being administered through the Value-Added Producer Grant program, and about 325 projects will benefit from funding.

"Value-Added Producer Grants are one of USDA's most sought-after funding sources for veteran and beginning farmers, and rural-based businesses," Vilsack said in a release. "These grants provide a much-needed source of financing to help producers develop new product lines and increase their income, and keep that income in their communities.”

Funded projects include:

$250,000 for Moragra PJ Farms in Poplar Grove, Illinois, to help with the handling, verification, sales, marketing and other expenses for its non-GMO corn production business.
$75,000 for the Missouri Soybean Association to conduct a feasibility study and to develop a business plan for a farmer-owned and controlled small-medium size soybean crush and soybean oil refinery for non-GMO/high oleic soybeans.
$250,000 for Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, Connecticut, to expand a dairy and creamery by establishing new types of cheeses, and to increase production of existing cheeses.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.