TheRepublic.com - U.S. Department of Agriculture News

Growers making up for lost time in planting corn

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:01:05 -0400

ST. LOUIS - Corn growers in the nation's midsection have been busy making up for lost time in getting their corn crop in the ground, after having to endure a wet spring that slowed seasonal planting to its slowest rate in decades.

Conservation Reserve Program signup begins Monday

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:07:47 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa - The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farmers can sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program beginning Monday.

USDA revokes Collins Zoo exhibitor license

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:01:08 -0400

COLLINS, Mississippi - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has revoked the exhibitor license from the Collins Zoo.

Flamboyant Texas swindler Billie Sol Estes dies

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:45:52 -0400

LUBBOCK, Texas - Billie Sol Estes' name was synonymous with Texas-sized schemes, greed and corruption.

Cold spell aside, optimism blooms for Pa. farms

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:17:26 -0400

PORT MATILDA, Pennsylvania - The temporary dip in temperatures gave farmers in Pennsylvania a scare during a spring that experts have otherwise described as pleasantly devoid of big problems.

Nebraska farmers working to plant corn crop

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:08:24 -0400

LINCOLN, Nebraska - Nebraska farmers are working hard to plant their corn crop, but this spring's wet weather has slowed their work.

USDA: Corn plantings pick up, but still behind

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:25:05 -0400

ST. LOUIS - U.S. farmers are making the most of break in the seemingly unceasing spring rains to plant corn, though the pace still remains well behind schedule, the latest federal figures showed Monday.

USDA: Despite late start, record corn crop likely

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:52:50 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa - The wet start to the corn planting season is expected to reduce the amount each acre produces this year, but farmers are planting so much of the crop that they're still likely to bring in a record amount.

Agriculture chief visiting Tuskegee University

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:58:37 -0400

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is visiting Alabama's Tuskegee University to open a new agricultural sciences and research facility.

USDA: SE Wyo. emerging from drought

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:34:50 -0400

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - The latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows southeast Wyoming may be emerging from 11 months of drought.

Rain causes worst drought area to retreat westward

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:52:46 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa - A wet spring continues to soak the soil across much of the Midwest, causing the prolonged drought to slowly retreat westward, the weekly drought report released Thursday said.

Wisconsin Assembly approves junk food stamps bill

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:47:35 -0400

MADISON, Wisconsin - A bill aimed at encouraging food stamp recipients in Wisconsin to eat healthier by limiting the amount of benefits that could be spent on junk food won approval from the state Assembly on Tuesday.

Wet spring brings troubling start to corn planting

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:46:26 -0400

ST. LOUIS - John Reifsteck looks out at his muddy 1,800-acre central Illinois farm and wonders when he'll get to plant.

Okla. ag secretary urges farmer census response

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:22:23 -0400

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese is urging farmers to respond to the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Rain, snow slows corn planting in Nebraska

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:52:31 -0400

OMAHA, Nebraska - This spring's cold, wet weather has delayed planting in Nebraska because many fields are soggy after last week's snow and rain.

Cranberry farmers struggle as surplus drops prices

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:08:41 -0400

MILWAUKEE - U.S. cranberry farmers who spent millions of dollars to replant and expand bogs face a financial crisis after a huge harvest in Canada flooded the market and sent prices plummeting.

Rhody Fresh co-operative gets $150K federal grant

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:37:28 -0400

PORTSMOUTH, Rhode Island - The farm cooperative that produces Rhody Fresh Milk has won a $150,000 federal grant that will help upgrade its production facilities.

Ala. farmers cope with cool temps, saturated soil

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:49:34 -0400

ANNISTON, Alabama - Alabama farmers say they're trying to cope with several weeks of cool temperatures and excessive rainfall, which has oversaturated the soil.

Manda meat products returning to store shelves

Sat, 04 May 2013 13:08:33 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Manda Fine Meats' deli and specialty meat products are returning to store shelves this weekend.

California almond crop to surpass 2B lbs in 2013

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:58:11 -0400

MODESTO, California - Federal agricultural officials are predicting another bumper crop for California's almonds this year.

Senators limit foods bought for governor's mansion

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:52:18 -0400

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - Lawmakers in South Carolina are trying to keep junk food out of the governor's mansion, saying if Gov. Nikki Haley wants to fight obesity with food stamp restrictions, she needs to lead by example.

Plastic fragments prompt frozen pizza recalls

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:25:14 -0400

LITTLE CHUTE, Wisconsin - Nestle Pizza Co. of Little Chute is recalling four frozen-pizza products that might be contaminated with plastic fragments.

St. Louis co. recalling frozen meatballs

Thu, 02 May 2013 20:43:04 -0400

ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a St. Louis company is recalling more than 100 pounds of its frozen, ready-to-eat meatballs because of possible bacterial contamination.

Local food movement catches on in Casper

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:10:37 -0400

CASPER, Wyoming - Steve Ford takes pride in his heirloom tomatoes.

3 NM cos get USDA grants

Wed, 01 May 2013 05:06:22 -0400

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - Three New Mexico companies are getting help to expand under the federal Rural Development program that aims to create jobs in poor areas.