Farmers might find this link useful in understanding the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill is renewed about every five years and includes income supports for farmers, conservation, nutrition, research, agricultural education, rural development, crop insurance, and many other agricultural topics. The next Farm Bill is expected to be reauthorized in 2018. This document describes the process and invites input: Farm Bill (PDF).

Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Deputy Under Secretary Alexis Taylor today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will offer a new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands practice specifically tailored for small-scale livestock grazing operations. Small livestock operations with 100 or fewer head of grazing dairy cows (or the equivalent) can submit applications to […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will issue nearly $1.7 billion in payments to more than half of a million Americans who have contracts with the government to protect sensitive agricultural lands. The investment, part of the voluntary USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), will allow producers to protect almost 24 million acres of wetlands, grasslands […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of $17.6 million for research and outreach activities to support the organic agriculture sector. The grants are funded through NIFA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. OREI funds high-priority research, education […]

Farm Service Agency Stands Ready to Assist Agricultural Producers Affected by the Drought U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Maine Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, Don Todd, reminds farmers and livestock producers of federal farm program benefits that may be available to help eligible producers recover from drought. FSA offers disaster assistance and low-interest loan […]

The question of who farms tomorrow — and how they get access to good quality farmland — is one of the key challenges and opportunities for the farming and ranching community. For farmers seeking land, it can feel like a daunting task to find the right space to make a farm business. There are many […]

BUYERS: The Maine Seed Garlic Directory is organized by county, then alphabetically by seller. SELLERS: already listed on the directory below: Please, notify us of updates or when your supply is out or spoken for; email Tiffany Wing or call 207.778.4650. NEW SELLERS: To place a NEW listing, email Tiffany Wing or call 207.778.4650 to […]

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced approximately $11.2 million in financial assistance to American dairy producers enrolled in the 2016 Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). The payment rate for May/June 2016 will be the largest since the program began in 2014. The narrowing margin between milk prices and the cost of feed triggered the […]

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is offering three free, online, self-paced sustainable agriculture courses. These include Sustainable Agriculture Principles and Concept Overview, Strategic Farm/Ranch Planning and Marketing, and a new course on Agricultural Ecosystem Management. This program is designed primarily for Cooperative Extension and Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel and is open to farmers, […]