Christmas Tree farmers worried about the effect of draught- Oct. 19, wfsb report
Christmas is still months away, but some local farmers are worried about the effects the prolonged drought will have on their trees. Read more
The Small Business Administration has released the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program in Litchfield County due to a Secretary of Agricuture Declaration for drought in Massachusetts.
Under these declarations, the EIDL is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the disaster.
With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers. Note: Farmers and ranchers should reach out to their local FSA office for assistance: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/index . Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
Applicants may apply on-line, request an application by calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or download application materials from the SBA’s website at
www.sba.gov/disaster<http://www.sba.gov/disaster>.
U.S. Farmers make foray into Quinoa as demand for grain grows- Oct 6, 2016
http://www.courant.com/business/ct-quinoa-demand-20161006-story.html
To the south of Nash Huber’s farm fields are the Olympic Mountains, peaking at nearly 8,000 feet. Due north is the end of a channel of Pacific Ocean waters that separate the United States from Canada.
Yet in this corner of the country is where the 75-year-old Huber hopes the South American grain quinoa takes root.
Last month, Huber harvested quinoa commercially for the first time on about 30 acres, making him the latest addition to a small number of U.S. farmers trying to capitalize on American eaters’ growing demand for the Andean grain.
“It’s a beautiful crop,” Huber said as he surveyed his combine grinding the plants and spitting out the seeds. He chose a variety called Redhead, which turned his field lipstick red for a couple of weeks before harvest. “We’re still learning. I kind of stepped off the end of the dock here with a bit of a bite this year.”
For more click here
More Pain Ahead for Dairy Farmers, May 24, 2016
Farmers across the country have been operating below the cost of production for quite some time. Unfortunately, the pain is likely to continue, according University of Wisconsin’s Bob Cropp. He says Class III milk prices are on their way to levels not seen since the 2009 dairy crisis. Cropp is forecasting the May Class III price to be $12.75/cwt. In 2015 the May Class III price was $16.00/cwt. Cropp says exports aren’t currently significant enough to make up for the increasing supplies.
To learn more watch video in link below
U.S. Milk prices reach 6-year low, May 17, 2016
U.S. dairy cows have been busy pumping so much milk that 2016 output is expected to reach a record, according to the Department of Agriculture. Inventories are becoming burdensome at processing plants in some regions, and sellers are “struggling to find a home” for supplies, the agency said. Consumers are benefiting: they’re paying the lowest prices for retail milk in six years, government data showed Tuesday. Related: all that milk means that cheese is also cheap.
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