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Cover Crops

Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Pat Roberts

Democrats press USDA on rural development funding

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2017 - Senate Democrats pushed Agriculture Department officials Thursday to support increased funding to boost rural economic development and fight the opioid crisis. USDA officials also were urged to work within the administration to expand rural broadband access.
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wheat_harvest_field

Updating base could help farm bill funding, but at political cost

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 - As lawmakers are preparing to write the next farm bill, they're strapped for the cash they need to cover a long list of demands. One source of money is to require farmers to update their crop base acreage, which determines what they receive in commodity payments, but the idea would face significant political challenges.
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wetlands_habitat_nature_wildlife

Groups seek changes in conservation, crop insurance incentives

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 - A coalition of environmental groups, joined by the National Farmers Union and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, want Congress to tighten enforcement of conservation compliance, increase spending on conservation programs and revise crop insurance rules to encourage more farmers to plant cover crops.
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laptop in field

Electric cooperatives are the rural go-to for broadband access

WASHINGTON, September 27, 2017 - Electric cooperatives are stepping in to aid rural communities with the increasingly essential infrastructure need of internet access, according to a recent CoBank report which says the co-ops are filling in to provide broadband services to consumers in unserved areas of the country.
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Roberts with Sara

Roberts: Not the time for a revolutionary farm bill

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2017 - Farmers and ranchers would like to see a new farm bill “sooner rather than later,” says Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, but he is still in the process of listening to members and various interest groups, while waiting for final budget numbers.
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Cherries

USDA eyes new crop insurance markets

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2017 - Some 86 percent of U.S. crop acreage is covered by federal crop insurance, a 3 percent increase from 2011, but the Risk Management Agency sees additional market potential for vegetables and livestock producers.
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