The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers.

“More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.”

To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).

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Farmers and farmers markets trying to come up with solutions to continue to serve their customers while practicing social distancing, Lulus Local Food is an eCommerce solution uniquely designed to take farmers markets, farms and farm stands online to reach retail customers.  An innovative cloud-based eCommerce solution designed to simplify online sales, the Lulus program provides online sales, inventory management, financial reporting and marketing to new customers. 

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Future farm planning and strategy were themes of the Virginia Grain and Soybean Annual Conference earlier this year.

University of Nebraska Harlan Agribusiness Professor Emeritus Dr. Ron Hanson kicked off the event by reminding producers that while nearly 80% of farmers say they want their farms to be passed to their children, only 20% have a succession plan.

“It’s the parent’s responsibility to start the plan,” Hanson told the audience. “Empty chairs at the dinner table happen, so you better have a plan in place.”

Some farm families avoid estate planning because it’s emotionally difficult, and discussions about money, property and land ownership can put family relationships to the test. Secrets and fear of sharing financial information become roadblocks to putting a plan into place.

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Ticks are a nuisance to many, but they can pose a threat to farmers whose livestock are at risk for disease spread by the pests.

Most active in warm weather, ticks typically are prevalent in early spring through the summer and fall. Some can even be spotted in the winter if it’s mild enough.

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Below is our final General Assembly update featuring our “smiley-face scorecard.” Thanks for watching!

Veterans and active military personnel interested in post-military careers in farming can learn about available resources during a two-day conference in mid-March.

Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program and the Veteran Farmer Coalition will host “Boots to Roots” March 17 and 18 at the Gateway Event Center in Colonial Heights.

Opening day seminars will teach veterans how to apply for grants available to retired military personnel and how to utilize resources offered by U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies. Conference attendees also can take a bus tour of Slade Farms in Surry County, which is operated by military veteran and retired Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Clif Slade.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture can’t predict the future, but it can make an educated guess with data from prospective planting surveys submitted by the nation’s farmers.

Intentional acreage reports––a collection of annual surveys asking farmers how many acres of specific crops they intend to plant––will be merged into a comprehensive report to be released on March 31. The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service’s report will help speculators predict how many acres of crops will be planted this year and aid commodity traders in setting prices.

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Representatives of Virginia’s leading agricultural organizations will share industry tips and resources during the Virginia Agritourism Conference at the Smithfield Center March 30 through April 1.

Virginia is home to popular agritourism attractions like creameries, wineries, pick-your-own farms, corn mazes and pumpkin patches. Conference speakers and topics will provide insight on developing new and marketing existing agritourism operations.

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U.S.-planted hemp acreage soared to a 75-year high in 2018, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report.

In USDA’s review of state pilot programs for hemp production introduced under the 2014 Farm Bill, industrial hemp acreage increased from zero in 2013 to over 90,000 acres in 2018—the most since 1943. While some benefited from the boom, the review also identified challenges many programs faced as hemp made its return to fields after a 45-year hiatus.

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