The Back 40

For many years, the amount of American family farms has been in steady decline. The average age of farmers continues to rise and fewer and fewer young people are choosing farming as a career. The article below cites census data that tell us that the amount of farmers that have been farming 10 years or [...]

The following press release, distributed by the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, details the negative impact the lack of a Farm Bill is having on grain exports from the United States. This serves as an illustration of the export issue U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke about during his appearance at the World Dairy Expo in [...]

In U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s appearance at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., he applauded the positive strides agriculture has made in production, health, exports and conservation but cautioned that the inaction on a new Farm Bill is having serious consequences for a continuation of the industry’s momentum. Secretary Vilsack, who appeared with [...]

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new flexibility and assistance in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s major conservation programs to get much-needed help to livestock producers as the most wide-spread drought in seven decades intensifies in the United States. Vilsack also announced plans to encourage crop insurance companies to provide a short grace period for [...]

During an election year, when many doubted its chances of getting done, a new Farm Bill is one big step closer to reality as it cleared the U.S. Senate on Thursday. This version of the five year bill cuts farm subsidies and land conservation spending by approximately $2 billion per year. The bill cuts costs by reducing [...]

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the launch of a new National Water Quality Initiative committed to improving one to seven impaired watersheds in every U.S. state and territory. The 157 selected watersheds were identified with assistance from state agencies, key partners, and State Technical Committees. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will make available at least $33 million [...]