Assistance is available for farmers who had crops, livestock or buildings lost to the tornadoes throughout North Carolina and the Southeast on April 16, 2011.
A farmer's ability to receive assistance for disaster losses depends in large part on his or her ability to demonstrate the extent of those losses. This guide helps farmers understand how to document the impact of disasters on their farms and apply for assistance.
On September 15, the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Organic Food Production Act. RAFI's Michael Sligh testified at this week's hearing about the past and the future of organic agriculture in the United States.
In suits and slacks and big smiles, last Monday TCRF field coordinators joined Executive Director Linda Shaw and Program Director Joe Schroeder for a trip to Raleigh. We were honored guests at the Family Farm Innovation Fund Award Ceremony, where RAFI’s Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund was awarded an additional $730,000, half of which came in the form of a matching grant from the Tobacco Trust Fund.
Farmers and rural landowners in this area of North Carolina are being approached to sell rights to companies that want to tap the natural gas deposits that may lie in the shale below their land. If you are approached about leasing the mineral rights to your land, consult with a lawyer before signing the contract.
Friday, May 21, 2010 in Huntsville, Alabama, the United States Justice Department and the United States Department of Agriculture held a hearing on competition and concentration of ownership in the poultry industry. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack moderated the morning panel, and Attorney General Eric Holder spoke as well.