Tag: US Department of Agriculture

USDA Offers New Crop Insurance Program for Producers Using Controlled Environments

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing a new crop insurance program designed for agricultural producers who use controlled environments in their operations. The new Controlled Environment program from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is specifically for plants grown in fully enclosed controlled environments and provides coverage against plant diseases […]

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USDA’s Stakeholder Call

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The Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement is hosting a Stakeholder Call for its Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Grant Program, also known as the “2501 Program”. The session will take place on Monday, January 25, from 1:00-3:00pm EST.  This is an opportunity for USDA to hear feedback from our […]

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Penn State Extension to host FSMA produce-safety grower webinar

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The Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Grower Certification Training webinar is for fruit and vegetable growers, and other persons, interested in learning about product safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the […]

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U.S. Horticulture Operations Report $13.8 Billion in Sales

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Press Release –  On December 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The data show that horticulture operations sold a total of $13.8 […]

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Update on lawsuit to revoke certification for organic producers

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PRESS RELEASE – A friend of the court brief filed jointly by the Coalition for Sustainable Organics, the Western Growers Association, the Aquaponics Association and the Scotts Company was formally accepted this past week by the judge in the case seeking to compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture to initiate the formal rule making process to revoke certification of […]

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USDA Voluntary G.A.P. Program

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By Tawnya Sawyer The USDA recently recognized aquaponics under their voluntary Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program through the Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) division. This program is in its pilot phase for audits and certification of selected aquaponics farms through the end of 2020. Having a set of guidelines for aquaponics helps to better align with the specifics […]

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USDA Launches Innovative Ag Office – Announces $3M Grants

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By Thomas Wheet and Brian Filipowich The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill charged the USDA with creating the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (“Urban Ag Office”). The Farm Bill noted that urban agriculture can “contribute to the revitalization of abandoned or underutilized urban land, [bring] social and economic benefits to urban communities, and [create] […]

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Improving the profitability and sustainability of indoor leafy-greens production

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A multi-university team of horticulturists, engineers and agricultural economists led by Michigan State University (MSU) has received a four-year, $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study indoor production of leafy greens. Industry partners have matched funding, bringing the project total to $5.4 million. The investigators on the grant include: Erik Runkle, […]

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Congress funds USDA Urban Ag Office

Congress Funds Office of Urban & Innovative Agriculture

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By Brian Filipowich Originally posted by the Aquaponics Association The new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production created by the 2018 Farm Bill had been sitting in limbo for the past year. The USDA declined to establish it without dedicated funding from Congress. On December 20, 2019, the President signed into law H.R. 1865, The […]

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2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement

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Originally published at https://aquaponicsassociation.org/2019-aquaponics-food-safety-statement/ The Aquaponics Association presents the 2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement, signed by over 130 organizations, including 98 from the U.S. This statement explains the food safety credentials of produce grown in aquaponic systems. PDF version: 2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement December 9, 2019Aquaponics Food Safety Statement Established Science Confirms Aquaponic Fish and Produce […]

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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Support USDA Urban / Innovative Ag Office

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From the Aquaponics Association By the end of this week (Friday, Nov 15) please call or email your two senators and one representative and ask them to Support the new USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. In the next week or two, Congress will decide whether or not to fund the USDA’s new Office […]

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Making the switch to hemp—what should you consider?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com1

Now that it is legal to grow hemp in the U.S., greenhouse vegetable and ornamental plant growers are considering whether it makes sense to switch crops. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly referred to as the 2018 Farm Bill, has legalized the production of hemp. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is the lead USDA […]

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USDA Vertical ag workshop report

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On June 27 and 28, 2018 the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy co-hosted a workshop in Washington, D.C. The workshop engaged stakeholders, experts, and researchers from across the United States in interdisciplinary discussions on the potential for indoor agriculture (IA), in the context of sustainable urban ecosystems, to address global environmental challenges. Participants collaborated […]

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Legal action taken to force USDA to revoke certification of container, hydroponic, and aquaponic production systems

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Center for Food Safety Files Petition with USDA to Revoke Existing Organic Certification for Nearly All Microgreens and Significant Volumes of Berries, Tomatoes and Leafy Greens BY THE COALITION FOR SUSTAINABLE ORGANICS The Center for Produce Safety delivered a petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture calling for the USDA to Issue new regulations prohibiting […]

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