Greene County Democrat

Tag: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Newswire : Bird Flu (H5N1) has been found in all 50 States

    Bird Flu: Can We Still Eat Eggs & Poultry? Kwangmoozaa – Getty Images

    By Gabby Romero, Delish

    The threat of avian flu has dominated public health discourse as cases become increasingly more widespread and severe. H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain, was present in several continents as early as 1996. Since reaching North America in late 2021, this strain has impacted wild animals, commercial livestock, and humans. In recent days, the first fatal human case of H5N1 was reported in Louisiana—someone over 65 who was exposed to a backyard flock of birds and wild birds.

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified that the nation’s first 46 cases in 2024 were all mild and, save for one, all caused by exposure to infected animals. Health experts still maintain that the current public health risk is low, but consumers are understandably growing concerned about how this strain of avian flu will impact the food we eat.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in March 2024 that H5N1 began impacting dairy cattle in a few states. Since then, the outbreaks among cattle have continued across 16 states and spread to dozens of humans, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency. The prominence of H5N1 is even more evident among commercial poultry, where cases have been identified in all 50 states.
    But how will all of this impact the eggs and poultry we eat? is it, in fact, safe to keep eating these products? We’re breaking down everything we know so far.

    How Much Has H5N1 Already Impacted Our Food Supply?

    H5N1 has presented a hindrance when it comes to the commercial dairy and livestock industry, but not in a way that will necessarily get you sick. “We have already seen milk infected with H5N1, but pasteurization kills the virus. We have not found it in beef, chicken or eggs,” says Brian Labus, PhD, MPH, REHS, Assistant Professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas’s School of Public Health.

    “The likelihood of H5N1 being transmitted in poultry products is extremely low as the onset of symptoms appear rapidly in poultry, especially turkeys, and the birds quickly succumb to the virus,” says Mitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness. The onset of H5N1 is so fast that Labus says that infected birds do not have enough time to lay eggs before the symptoms become fatal.

    In addition, several federal and industry guidelines are in place to further reduce the risk of H5N1 entering our food supply. “The likelihood that eggs from infected poultry are in the retail market is low, due to safeguards in place, which include testing of flocks and federal inspection programs,” says Dr. Mickey Rubin, Vice President of Research for The American Egg Board. “Once a commercial poultry farm is identified as HPAI positive, the farm is placed under quarantine, and all movement of eggs and birds immediately stops.

    This is required and enforced by state veterinarians working collaboratively with USDA.”
    Rubin also notes that egg farmers dealing with an avian flu outbreak cannot resume normal operations without thorough cleaning, disinfecting, testing, and approval from the USDA and the state government. The loss in production helps prevent infected products from reaching the food supply. It also puts a strain on the supply chain, which has caused  increased egg and poultry prices for the consumer.

    Can We Still Eat Eggs & Poultry?

    When it comes to avian flu risk levels, buying eggs and poultry from the supermarket is on the lower end of the spectrum. The CDC argues that there is no evidence that food will transmit H5N1—as long as it’s cooked and handled properly.

    “Although H5N1 can potentially be found in our food, influenza isn’t really a foodborne disease. You have to breathe it in to get sick, not eat it,” Labus explains. “There is a much greater risk of being infected with common foodborne pathogens like Salmonella.”

    Health experts advise fully cooking your eggs and poultry to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill bacteria and viruses, including this strain of avian influenza. Thoroughly cooking your chicken is something most home cooks are familiar with doing, but the increased precautions may affect how you consume eggs. Soft, runny, and undercooked eggs don’t reach a high enough temperature to stave away pathogens, which presents the risk of transmission. The safest way to eat eggs is to cook them all the way, meaning both the white and yolk are firm.
    If you’re not ready to give up on runny eggs, Baum suggests buying pasteurized shell eggs that can reduce the risk of transmission. It’s also advised that you use these eggs, or pasteurized egg products, when making recipes that don’t cook eggs all the way through. Examples include salad dressings and homemade ice cream.

  • With support from USDA, Southern Farmers Financial Association launches to help farmers access capital to begin and grow small farming operations

    Participants in SFFI Press Conference
    Front Row: L to R:  Farmer, Ben Burkett,  Farmer, Calvin King, Cornelius Blanding, Shirley Sherrod, Dr. Dewayne Goldman (USDA), Cornelius Keys, Zack Duchenaux(USDA). 

    ATLANTA, Ga., Oct. 31, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and partners announced the launch of the Southern Farmers Financial Association (SFFA), a new cooperatively-owned institution created to increase access to capital for its member-owners to begin farming or strengthen existing small farming operations and agriculture-based businesses in high poverty areas in the Southeast.

    The organization is supported with $20 million in initial funding from President Biden and Vice President Harris’s Inflation Reduction Act, which will be used to leverage private sector capital, recruit full-time staff, and begin outreach and lending efforts. The proposed service area of the SFFA is 12 states I the Southeast.

    The impetus for the creation of this new small farm financial institution grew out of a discussion on the use of the ‘ ci pres’ funds, remaining unused funds in the Pigford II Black Farmers Discrimination lawsuit. There is still $8 million left in these funds, which are subject to the decision of Judge Friedman, Federal District Judge who presided over this case.

    A committee of Black and small farmer advocates continued pushing to use these and other funds to create a financial institution responsive to small and Black farmers. This committee was headed by Cornelius Blanding, current Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Calvin King, President of the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation and Shirley Sherrod, leader of New Communities and the Southwest Georgia Project, worked with Cornelius to develop this new financial institution for small and Back farmers.

    The Southern Farmers Financial Association will be managed by Cornelius Blanding, acting chief executive officer; Shirley Sherrod, acting secretary; and Calvin King, acting treasurer, until a board is formed, and initial hires are made. Each of these individuals brings lifelong expertise and personal experience with farming, farm finance, and helping rural, smallholder farmers maintain farm operations in the face of challenging financial situations.

    “The launch of the Southern Farmers Financial Association furthers the Biden-Harris USDA’s vision to keep farmers farming, support rural economies by making it viable for small farms to stay in operation, and make USDA’s programs more accessible and inclusive for everyone who wants to participate in agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This new organization will provide a vital bridge to those who may benefit from a different model of outreach, support, and farm lending.”

    Farming is a capital-intensive business. It can be difficult to begin or stay in farming without the financial foundation that comes with generational farm operations, and smaller farms are especially vulnerable to the financial blows that come with natural disasters, lost markets, or other sudden impacts. Under a cooperative agreement with USDA, the SFFA will improve land access by creating access to capital and technical assistance for farmers and other producers who have historically faced challenges getting the financing they need so their farms can grow and thrive.

    On Thursday in Atlanta, at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, USDA representatives and SFFA interim leadership gathered with stakeholders and farmers who would potentially receive funding from their new financial institution.

    Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, who has spearheaded many changes at USDA to improve the farm lending process, applauded the organization’s launch. “As a child of the 1980’s farm crisis, I have seen firsthand the challenges farmers can have accessing capital, and the very difficult impacts that creates for individuals, families, and communities that stand to benefit from strong farming operations. I am excited to see these partners come together and reach farmers in a way that USDA recognizes we may not be able to.”

    “Every farmer needs affordable financing. Farmers must have reliable and consistent access to capital to be successful,” said USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Basil Gooden. “For too long, access to capital has been out of reach for small farmers in the southeast region.”

    Support from the USDA will help bring other partners to the table so that SFFA can obtain strategic certifications and raise additional sources of capital. Examples include working with organizations like the Farm Credit system and Co-Bank to obtain Other Financial Institution (OFI) status, or working with the US Department of Treasury, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund to become a CDFI, and continued engagement with USDA so that the institution can become a guaranteed lender with the Farm Services Agency.

    “Supporting southern farmers is essential to supporting rural economies in communities across the south,” added Shirley Sherrod, acting secretary of the SFFA.
    “The SFFA and USDA are building up the toolset southern farmers can use to support their family farms and pass them on to the next generations,” said Cornelius Blanding, acting Chief Executive Officer.

    “This agreement will open up new opportunities for historically underserved southern farmers to sustain and grow their businesses,” said Calvin King, SFFA acting treasurer.

    The SFFA will build on several steps USDA has taken under the Biden-Harris Administration to expand access to capital, keep farmers farming, and make its programs more accessible and equitable… This includes the work of the USDA Equity Commission, an Heirs Property Relending Program, to help families with heirs property issues, programs to help 1890 Land Grant Colleges and their students, and other measures.

    For more information about these efforts and more, visit USDA.gov/equity.
    USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

    The Greene County Democrat will continue to follow progress toward the creation, operation and implementation of the programs of the SFFA financial institution going forward.

  • Newswire: USDA announces next steps in providing financial assistance to borrowers who have faced discrimination

    Washington, March 1, 2023 (Press Release No. 45.23) – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the first steps in its process for providing financial assistance to farmers, ranchers or forest landowners who have previously suffered discrimination with respect to USDA farm lending programs. In addition, USDA set a target of distributing the allocated funds, which were authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, out to borrowers by the end of 2023. This process has been carefully designed in accordance with the IRA, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and significant stakeholder input.
    Specifically, Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, directs USDA to provide financial assistance to producers who have experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs and has appropriated $2.2 billion for this program. Under the law, the Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for administering the assistance through qualified nongovernmental entities under standards set by USDA.
    “These funds are yet another stepping stone in the long march towards justice and an inclusive, equitable USDA. Through this program and a neutral, comprehensive financial assistance process, USDA will acknowledge wrongs of the past and open up avenues that provide farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who have experienced discrimination by USDA the opportunity to be heard,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
    “In providing this financial assistance, our goal is to make sure eligible people have adequate, understandable information about what is available to them, how to apply, and what to expect from USDA at each step. As we work to make all our programs more equitable, accessible and accountable, we are applying these same principles to make sure all Americans know how to engage with USDA’s services so we can prevent more inequities and build new levels of trust with the People’s Department going forward.”
    Following President Biden signing the IRA, USDA took immediate steps to convene listening sessions and seek public comments about the design of the program to make sure farmers, advocates, academics, legislators, tribal governments, and other experts were heard.
    Now, in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Department will soon issue contracts to nongovernmental program administrators, as the IRA specifies, that will coordinate the delivery of a national program of financial assistance to impacted farmers, ranchers or forest landowners. The vendors will include a national administrator to oversee the program and four regional hubs that will be set up to solicit and process applications efficiently. Vendors for the four regional hubs are encouraged to partner with organizations with experience in agriculture and specifically organizations that work with and represent underserved producers and have a relationship with USDA.
    Organizations such as existing USDA cooperators that are interested in serving as partners to the regional hubs vendors should send an email to askusda@usda.gov by March 17, 2023 to have the name and contact information of their organization added to a list of interested potential partner organizations that will be made available to all regional hub interested vendors.
    In addition to a national administrator and regional hubs, USDA will partner with community-based organizations across the country with experience in agriculture and reach into underserved communities. Building on work underway with existing cooperators and grantees through NIFA, FSA, NRCS and OPPE, these organizations will conduct outreach and ensure potential applicants are informed about the program and have the opportunity to apply. Organizations that would like to serve as cooperators should express their interest through an email to askusda@usda.gov by March 31, 2023.
    The Department anticipates final selection of the vendors managing the program to occur by late Spring 2023. As soon as the national administrator, regional hubs, and cooperators are selected and prepared to begin the application process, USDA will work with them to disseminate specific details concerning the application period, with the goal of having payments made by the end of 2023.
    The Department will also reach out to trusted cooperators that can further assist eligible farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners nearer to their locations. These trusted cooperators will be drawn from those with long-standing experience in agriculture technical assistance, outreach, and support for the farming community.
    By taking these important steps to fulfill the mandates of Section 22007, USDA hopes to recognize and acknowledge the discrimination suffered by individuals, take steps to rebuild trust with communities, and create a better and stronger U.S. agriculture that is more diverse and resilient. This is one piece of a much broader effort at USDA to improve equity and access and eliminate barriers to its programs for underserved individuals and communities. More information about this work can be accessed at usda.gov/equity, where USDA will continue to share updates on its progress.

  • Newswire : Senate passes Jones amendment to fund Heirs’ Property Program

    Sen. Doug Jones speaking on floor of the Senate

    WASHINGTON – By a vote of 91-1, the Senate passed an amendment on Monday, October 29, 2019, introduced by Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.) to help heirs’ property landowners secure a clear title for their land. The amendment to the FY2020 Agriculture Appropriations bill includes $5 million to fund a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program Senator Jones was able to include in the 2018 Farm Bill. His provision authorized the Farm Service Agency to make loans that will help families resolve heir’s property ownership and succession issues.
    The Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the Rural Coalition worked on helping to frame the language for the heirs property sections of the 2018 Farm Bill which were introduced in a bi-partisan effort by Jones and Senator Tim Scott (R – SC).
    Senator Jones took to the Senate floor immediately before the vote to encourage his colleagues to support the amendment. Copies of his statement are available on his werbsite.
    Heirs’ property is land that has been informally passed down within families, often for several generations when the original owner fails to make a will. This can lead to costly legal complications and prevent landowners from qualifying for federal assistance. Heirs’ property is predominantly owned by African American farmers and producers and an estimated 60-percent of minority-owned land is projected to be heirs’ property.
    Challenges associated with heirs’ property status are the leading cause of involuntary land loss among African Americans. Landowners of heirs’ property also cannot qualify for USDA loans necessary for farming, receive disaster relief funding, or use their land as collateral in private lending. More background on heirs’ property and the amendment are on the Senator’s website
    Over the past year, Senator Jones has led a bipartisan effort in the U.S. Senate to help these landowners gain fair access to federal programs and to make it easier to resolve legal issues that result from their heirs’ property status. In addition to the re-lending provision, Senator Jones also secured a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill to help heirs’ property owners obtain a USDA farm number, which is key to accessing assistance from the agency’s programs.
    More information on Heirs Property and an upcoming national confertence is also available at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives website at http://www.federation.coop.

  • Newswire : Structural Racism eliminated Black Farmers

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

    A new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) provides insight on how decades of structural racism within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has led to the virtual elimination of black farmers.
    A century ago, roughly 14 percent of farmers were black. By 2012, that number had shrunk to 1.58 percent, according to the report, “Progressive Governance Can Turn the Tide for Black Farmers,” by Abril Castro and Zoe Willingham.
    The study examined the ways in which discriminatory policies by the U.S. government, and especially the USDA, throughout the 20th century and up to the Trump era have led to the elimination of black farmers.
    The authors said they found that black farmers have had less access to credit and less access to extension programs than their white counterparts, preventing black farmers from modernizing and scaling up their farms as white farmers have done.
    The loss of black farmland has had a profound impact on rural black communities, which today suffer from severe economic challenges, among them a poverty rate twice that of rural white communities.
    “This report illustrates the importance of understanding American history and the impact of systematic racism in our agricultural system,” Danyelle Solomon, vice president of Race and Ethnicity Policy at CAP, said in a news release.
    The report gives several policy recommendations for protecting the livelihoods of black farmers:
    · Protecting inherited family farms
    · Expanding research and technical assistance for farmers of color
    · Regular oversight and audits of the USDA by the Government Accountability Office
    · Expanding access to land for black farmers
    “As the report notes, black farmers were systematically removed from the farming industry through government policy and practices,” Solomon said.
    Between 1920 and 2007, black farmers lost 80 percent of their land, according to the report.
    “Moving forward, policymakers must ensure that agricultural policy includes targeted and intentional policies that correct these harms by expanding access to land and technical resources for black farmers,” Solomon said.