Today’s Harvest Blog

The USDA and its partner vendors have announced the opening of the application period for Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which directs USDA to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. 

Since 1840, The USDA Census of Agriculture has been the only complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. If you own or operate a farm that normally sells $1,000 or more of produce annually, this is your opportunity to make sure your operation is counted in this year's census.

Last week, Farm Credit staff, directors, farmers, ranchers, foresters and fishermen from across the nation traveled to Washington, D.C., for the bi-annual Farm Credit Fly-In. The two-day event consisted of hundreds of legislative visits, both in-person and virtual, as well as a marketplace showcasing agricultural products from across the country.

Climate change is front and center on policymakers’ agendas both with the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress. As highlighted in our Stewards of the Land series, Northeast farm, forest products and fishing businesses are using a variety of new and existing strategies to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment.