USDA Seeks Applicants for Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants under the Rural Energy for America Program

Jan 16, 2015

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today invited applica tions for energy audit and renewable energy development assistance grants. The deadline to apply is February 12. These grants are part of USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which was created u nder the 2008 Farm Bill and reauthorized under the 2014 Farm Bill.

Energy audit and renewable energy development assist ance grants are available to units of State, Tribal or local governments and their instrumenta lities, institutions of hi gher education, rural electric cooperatives, public power entitie s or Resource Conservation and Development Councils. The Agency will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. eastern time to discuss the En ergy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant Program. There is no cost for the webinar; however all wishing to participate must register for the event. Please visit, https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/789/7004 to complete the registration for the webcast.

The audio only por tion of the webinar will be available via phone by dialing Toll-Free (US & Canada) 1-888-669-0685 or International Dial-In (Toll) 1-862-255- 5362. Please reference the “USDA Event” when asked which call you are attempting to connect. Additional information about how to appl y for this funding is available in the REAP Funding Notice and about the REAP Final Rule – which makes several importa nt changes to the program based on public comment and the provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill – are available in the Federal Register http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-29.

Source:usda.gov

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.