At least two dozen states are seeing the bird flu virus quickly spread through commercial flocks on poultry-producing farms. Iowa is at the center of it all, with renewed focus on potential stress for smaller producers and the role of factory farms. State and federal officials say nearly a dozen Iowa counties have seen outbreaks on farms. .
Wisconsin handed over management of its hemp industry to the federal government on Jan. 1, and farmers and researchers say the new system will reduce barriers to cultivating the crop. Under state management, Wisconsin hemp farmers paid up to $1,000 in licensing fees. .
It covers the broad range of programs run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including commodity-support programs, agricultural-conservation programs, trade and international food aid, domestic nutrition assistance, farm credit programs, rural development, agricultural research and extension, forestry, horticulture, crop insurance and a variety of.
Advocates for independent rural farmers are urging state lawmakers to beef up mom-and-pop meat processing and storage capacity using American Rescue Plan dollars. Johnathan Hladik, policy director at the Center for Rural Affairs, said local producers need alternatives to JBS and Tyson, and investing in main-street lockers will help rural economies recover from the pandemic s economic fallout. It would also help more families across the state access humanely raised, high-quality meat. .