News and reports from the Department of Agriculture.

The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a report on the role of agriculture and forestry in the U.S. carbon markets, highlighting current market activity, barriers to participation, and opportunities for improving access.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service is offering nearly $50 million in grant funding to support the forestry sector, aiming to create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy, expand processing capacity, and tackle the climate crisis.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Agronomy suggests that corn producers can use geospatial and remote sensing technologies to accurately measure the damage and estimate potential economic loss.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has entered into a stipulation agreement with Salem Livestock Inc. and Windsor Livestock Auction Co. Inc. for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled two new grant opportunities plus a training and technical assistance partnership to help schools invest in nutritious school meals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new partnership between the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking candidates to join the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, starting on September 18. The committee, established in 1992, provides advice to the Secretary of Agriculture on improving USDA's objectives for beginning farming and ranching businesses. The USDA is encouraging nominations from various sectors, including the ranching and farming industry, state and tribal agriculture organizations, academic institutions, and trade associations. Interested individuals can also nominate themselves.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking steps to ensure that low-income residents in Hawaii who have been affected by the devastating wildfires receive the necessary food assistance. The USDA's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) may be able to provide aid to 16,000 households that would not typically qualify for assistance under normal guidelines. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has emphasized the commitment of the USDA to help those impacted by the disaster.

The Biden-Harris administration is taking a major step towards increasing access to trees and green spaces in cities and neighborhoods across the United States. Through the Investing in America program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has committed $1 billion in competitive grants to approximately 400 projects. This initiative aims to combat extreme heat and climate change, promote public health and safety, and improve access to nature.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the initial project selection for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently visited a farm in Wisconsin to commemorate this milestone. The projects selected through this initiative aim to raise awareness and implement climate-smart production practices on working lands, benefiting farmers, ranchers, and private landowners while also addressing climate change.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced his support for President Biden's nomination of Dr. Basil Gooden as the Under Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture. Secretary Vilsack praised Dr. Gooden's extensive experience and dedication to affordable housing, community advancement, and economic development. Dr. Gooden currently serves as the Director of State Operations for Rural Development at USDA and has been instrumental in expanding access to USDA programs and opportunities for rural communities.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt unveiled transformative partnerships at the Africa Food Systems Forum, which took place in Tanzania.

The World Trade Organization determined that when China imposed tariffs on U.S. goods after the Trump administration imposed tariffs on certain Chinese imports, China was violating its trade agreements.

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is directing $150 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act toward underserved and small-acreage forest landowners to support forest management and promote enduring health and resilience across privately owned lands, the agency announced in an Aug. 22 press release.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced that $72.9 million has been awarded to 55 states and territories through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). This grant program aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by supporting growers through marketing, education, and research efforts, and the funding is being allocated to various departments of agriculture in states, territories, and other areas to boost specialty crop industries and production.