Farm Bill

If the land floods more often than growing a crop, why not let it go back to what it wants to be – a wetland. That’s what happened on the Hoppe Heritage Farmstead in 2011. The Hoppe sisters owned cropland along the southern branch of the Kishwaukee River in DeKalb County, Ill. About half of the land...

A 53-acre conservation easement is an ideal environmental learning lab for students at Francis Hugh Wardlaw Academy in Johnston, South Carolina. The land was once pastures for cattle, but now it’s a vibrant wetland just across the street from the high school. The contractor hired to install the...

Over the past several years, we have seen the spread and occurrence of wildfires increase significantly. Deadly wildfires threaten our homes and communities and turn lives upside down. USDA continues to do all that we can to protect people, homes and our forests in the face of fire. Just this week...

The Google+ Hangout with D/S Harden today has been temporarily postponed -- stay tuned. In February 2014, President Obama signed the new Farm Bill into law. But what does that mean for you as a new farmer or rancher? What’s new about this Farm Bill and what programs can you use? What questions...

Now, when you look at the Nygren Wetland Preserve in Illinois, a menagerie of wildlife can be seen – ducks and geese paddling about, white pelicans lounging, otters swimming and a pair of sandhill cranes huddling in a nest. There was talk of the endangered blanding turtles living in the wetland, too...

This post is part of a disaster assistance program feature series on the USDA blog. Check back every Wednesday as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. When a tornado touched down in the rural southeast Missouri town of Puxico it sent some ranchers into survival mode. David...

Not long after the 2014 Farm Bill was enacted, staff members from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) hit the road, visiting with farmers and ranchers across Nevada to share information on changes to conservation programs and to highlight other opportunities through USDA. USDA’s...

This post is part of a disaster assistance program feature series on the USDA blog. Check back every Wednesday as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Richard and Susan Rausch lost nearly 70 percent of their cow-calf operation when Winter Storm Atlas dumped three feet of...

The headwaters of O’Dell Creek in Madison Valley, Mont. serve as a perfect example of the benefits of implementing good conservation practices. Considered one of the largest wetland areas in Montana, O’Dell Creek was drained in the 1950s for land to raise livestock. But now, ranchers, USDA’s Natural...

No matter what part of the country you grew up in, most of us have fond childhood memories of the wildflowers that sprung up each year around our homes, parks and roadsides. For many, this fondness has carried into our adult years. This week, we celebrate National Wildflower Week as a way to share...