USDA is relying heavily on outside groups and federal retirees to help farmers use the billions of dollars in new conservation funding for climate-smart practices. Based on data provided to Agri-Pulse under the Freedom of Information Act, the Natural Resources Conservation Service now employs about 5,000 people a year who work for partner organizations.
Noah Wicks digs into the benefits and challenges of the partnerships in the second part of our series, “Getting Grounded.”
The employment terms of the partnerships vary by agreement. Generally, partnership staff serve three to five years and are funded through a 50-50 split between the partner group and the agency.
ICYMI: The first part of our Getting Grounded series.
Texas farmers get green light to draw from the Rio Grande
Texas farmers have the go-ahead to tap the Rio Grande for irrigation water after recent heavy rains in Mexico have caused parts of the river to overflow, sending usable water running off into the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller last week signed an executive order allowing farmers to draw from the Rio Grande. Farmers who depend on the river for irrigation have been struggling amid long-term drought and lagging water shipments from Mexico, which is behind in fulfilling its obligation to provide 1.75 million acre-feet to the U.S. over a five-year period. It has delivered a little over 400,000 acre-feet so far in the current cycle, which concludes at the end of 2025.
“We’re done sitting around waiting for someone to act,” Miller said in a press release. “There is no reason the water overflow south of the Amistad and Falcon international reservoirs should go down the Rio San Juan to the Rio Grande and be wasted. The water belongs in the hands of those who need it most, not lost to the Gulf.”
FSIS expands listeria-related recall
USDA says more than 1.7 million pounds of additional ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are covered by a listeria recall, including some products that went to schools.
Distributor BrucePac initially recalled nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat products on Oct. 9 after some items tested positive for listeria. The Food Safety and Inspection Service subsequently issued an update, bringing the total amount to over 11.7 million pounds.
Some premade salads, wraps and frozen meals sold at major grocery stores like Trader Joe's, Walmart, Kroger, Amazon Kitchen, HEB and more are included in the recall.
Effort launched to extend biodiesel blenders’ tax credit
An Ohio Republican is leading a letter to gain support for extending the biodiesel blenders’ tax credit for another year.
Rep. Mike Carey is asking colleagues to co-sponsor a bill to keep the 20-year-old tax credit in law.
Groups backing the legislation include the American Trucking Associations, Energy Marketers of America, Illinois Soybean Growers and Iowa Biodiesel Board. In a news release last week, trade groups including NATSO, which represents U.S. travel centers and truck stops, SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers, and the National Association of Convenience Stores applauded the effort.
“The biodiesel tax credit helps to create jobs, enhance our energy security, lower the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, and enables fuel retailers to offer more competitively priced diesel fuel,” the groups said.
Cut through the clutter! We deliver the news you need to stay informed about farm, food and rural issues. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse here.
Former Minnesota congressman Rick Nolan dies
Former Minnesota Rep. Rick Nolan, a Democrat who represented two different districts in the state, died Friday at the age of 80.
Nolan was first elected to Minnesota’s 6th District in 1974 and served three terms. He did not seek re-election in 1980.
He returned to Congress in 2013 after defeating Republican incumbent Chip Cravaack in the 8th District, which covers northeastern Minnesota. Again, he served three terms before retiring to run for lieutenant governor with Attorney General Lori Swanson. They lost to Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan.
Nolan served on the Agriculture Committee during his second stint in Congress.
Nolan also was president of the U.S. Export Corporation from about 1981 to 1986 and later received an appointment as president of the Minnesota World Trade Center from 1987 to 1994.
U.S. inks agreement with Zambia to help farmers
The United States has signed off on a $491 million project in Zambia to develop infrastructure to help farmers and rural communities in the Southern African.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation compact is based on a $458 million debt-free grant from the United States and a $33 million investment by the Zambian government. The package is designed to assist the country’s farmers in accessing regional and global markets and also support policy reforms to spur growth in the ag sector.
The State Department says the U.S. is “committed to our 60-year partnership with Zambia as it seeks to reduce poverty and foster a democracy that contributes to regional security and prosperity.”
