USDA National Organic Program (NOP) posted a new Livestock Transitional Production Plan (TPP) template online. The template was developed under the Organic Transition Initiative’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program. The template helps livestock producers transitioning to organic production learn how to document their organic practices in preparation for completing the Organic System Plan required for […]

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that good nutrition enhances honey bee resilience against viral threats and exposure to pesticides. Their study, published in Science of the Total Environment, examined how the interplay of three factors— nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides— together influence honey bee survival. Specifically, the team looked […]

American Farmland Trust released a research report documenting how Colorado farmers, ranchers, and landowners feel about agrivoltaic solar energy development in the state. The goal of this work is to better understand perceptions around solar energy, identify barriers to participation, and inform recommendations for future agrivoltaics research, policy, and educational resources. The data revealed a […]

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has published Olive Production Manual for Oil, a first-of-its-kind manual for U.S. growers. The 273-page manual is available for purchase. It is focused on equipping growers to produce olives for oil of consistent, high quality, which the authors say can provide U.S. olives a market niche in a […]

USDA Farm Service Agency announced the launch of the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide personalized support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation. Through a series of Cooperative Agreements, this national network will connect distressed borrowers with individualized assistance to help them stabilize and regain financial footing. Network partners […]