Farm Help

USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers risk management products to livestock producers under the Noninsured Assistance Program (NAP). For example, NAP allows producers to insure all of their pasture acres that are administered by one FSA office for $250. In 2010, producers in Carroll County, Arkansas, received $15 an acre under their policies because of the late spring freeze and fall drought. In 2011, producers with grazing policies administered by that office received $26.11 per acre to help compensate for losses from extreme heat and drought. Carroll County FSA grazing policyholders also received an additional payment in 2011 based on their livestock inventories under the Livestock Forage Program when the drought monitor was tripped last September because they satisfied linkage requirements imposed by the 2008 Farm Bill.

On Nov. 28, 2011 USDA's Economic Research Service forecast U.S. 2011 net farm income at a record $100.9 billion dollars, up 28 percent from 2010. Livestock sales were projected to rise by almost 17 percent, with double digit gains in red meats. So… cattle producers are doing better. But are they doing well?

Raising free-range chickens means the chickens have continual access to a pasture or range. “Generally this would be such a large area that the birds do not kill off vegetation or they are moved periodically to a new range,” Jeff Firman, animal science professor at the University of Missouri explained. “They may still have shelter available or be put in at night.”

Leading a healthy lifestyle and being screened for certain cancers can dramatically increase your odds of detecting cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage.

When it comes to fencing, there is always a job to be done to maintain a quality fence.

Potential chicken producers need to determine why they are growing the chickens, for hobby or profit. “They also need to realize that growing birds in a free-range situation is a choice about how they produce birds and not on the quality of the finished product; scientifically there are no major differences between birds reared conventionally and those from free range farms,” said Jon Moyle, research associate for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Arkansas Research Service. “They also need to know that they will have to use more feed in order to grow the birds, as birds will typically grow at a slower rate and they gain little nutritional benefit from outdoor ranges.”

When it comes to fencing, there is always a job to be done to maintain a quality fence.

On Nov. 28, 2011 USDA's Economic Research Service forecast U.S. 2011 net farm income at a record $100.9 billion, up 28 percent from 2010. Livestock sales were projected to rise by almost 17 percent, with double digit gains in red meats. So… cattle producers are doing better. But are they doing well?

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers a variety of Farm Loan Programs for farmers and ranchers. FSA makes direct and guaranteed farm ownership (FO) and operating loans (OL) to family-size farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain funding from a commercial lender. FSA Farm Loans may be used to purchase acreage, livestock, farm equipment, feed, seed and other supplies. Loans can also be used for making farm improvements and constructing buildings.

About the Extension in the United States
The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes. (1)