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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Saturday, January 04, 2025
Senate Ag Committee members used a hearing on farm bill conservation programs Wednesday to examine the Conservation Reserve Program more deeply as Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux touted his "working lands" approach to the program.
Thousands of producers hoping to implement more conservation practices on their farms are lining up for government assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives and Conservation Stewardship programs, as the Agriculture Department touts the promises of climate-smart agriculture as a mitigator of climate change. But these programs, despite their billion dollar budgets, aren’t equipped to deal with this demand, forcing the agency to turn away the majority of applicants.
Producers, lawmakers, and administration staffers all agree on the benefits of the technical assistance provided by Agriculture Department conservation officials. The only issue is getting the funding – and the people – to make it happen.
The Supreme Court is expected to announce today whether it will hear a challenge to California’s Proposition 12, which sets standards for pork or veal that comes from animals without a minimum amount of space.
The Department of Agriculture is making available $225 million for public-private partnerships aimed at conservation projects, with an eye on climate change mitigation, supporting urban agriculture and helping historically underserved producers.
A private-lands project that aims to improve conditions for threatened coho salmon in California is getting an $8 million boost from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
A veteran senior Senate staffer, Fitzhugh Elder, will be taking over as GOP staff director for the Senate Agriculture Committee next month, sources tell Agri-Pulse. He will replace Martha Scott Poindexter, who’s moving to the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Danny Dumas has been elected to serve as the chairman of the United Fresh Board of Directors and Nicole Negowetti has joined the Plant Based Foods Association as the new senior director of policy.
Terry Cosby, a longtime employee of the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, has been picked as the next chief of the agency.
USDA's NRCS is looking for new, innovative projects under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program related to climate smart agriculture and forestry.
