USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced that by allowing enterprise units by organic farming practice, adding enterprise unit eligibility for several crops, and making additional policy updates. These updates, which are detailed online, are effective beginning with the 2025 crop year.

USDA has unveiled a new rural energy resource guide that will make it easier for rural communities to identify federal funding for clean energy. Bright Ideas: Federal Resources to Boost Energy Efficiency in Rural America showcases USDA Rural Development programs that are helping individuals and organizations finance renewable energy systems and infrastructure across rural America.

Researchers at Dartmouth University found that farmers’ motivations for adopting regenerative agriculture were not entirely monetary. Their study revealed that many farmers view improving soil health as a way to improve their quality of life by reducing their dependence on outside inputs. In addition, some farmers indicated that using regenerative practices made their work more enjoyable and interesting.

Blossom­ drop is a condition suffered by tomatoes, peppers, snap beans, and some other fruiting vegetables where the plant blooms but fails to set fruit, the blooms die and fall off. Tomato plants lose their blossoms for several different reasons usually related to some kind of stress.

Regular monitoring is crucial for spotting tomato hornworms early and mitigating their impact on your garden. By routinely inspecting your tomato plants, particularly the underside of leaves, you can detect hornworm eggs and small larvae before they cause significant damage.

The Sustainability Project Manager supports the Division of Sustainability’s goal to increase energy and water efficiency and decrease waste and greenhouse gas emissions across Metro-wide Government operations. As part of a small, collaborative team, this position designs and implements strategies that measurably advance this goal.

Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture passed the first draft of Chairman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson’s Farm Bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (HR 8467), after a 13.5 hour hearing.

From SARE: USDA is accepting applications for the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP). FMPP supports the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer markets to increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products.

The Root and Bloom Fellowship is an advocacy and power-building educational opportunity for 35-40 farmers across the country. Organized into two major phases, ROOT and BLOOM, fellows will explore how many of the challenges young and BIPOC farmers face nationwide are deeply woven and rooted in federal agriculture policy.

This survey seeks to assess the regional need for equipment and infrastructure related to the activities of seed cleaning, saving, sorting, and storage. The goal is to assess and document what is available currently and what is worth investing in, in order to build out a more resilient regional food system within our watershed.

The SARE Fellows program provides an immersive educational experience for participants to enhance their understanding of sustainable agriculture through broad-based training and interpersonal interactions at unique agriculture operations nationwide. Participating Fellows build professional relationships, improve their teaching and technology transfer skills, and are better prepared to develop programs that meet the needs of their local agricultural communities. 

Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers Chapter is asking for your help to secure access to farmland is the number one barrier to entry for young farmers. This is compounded when poorly planned development pushes up land prices and moves farmland out of production permanently. Tennessee ranks third in the nation in agricultural land lost to real estate development, with current estimates at 275 acres lost each day. If we want a future for young farmers, we must slow farmland loss and increase pathways for land access for young farmers.