The USDA announced it would make up to $125 million in grant funding available for meat and poultry producers. The funds will be allocated through two new grant programs known as the Indigenous Animal Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program and the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program. According to a USDA release, both programs are expected to create more options for meat and poultry farmers by investing in independent, local processing projects that create competition and enhance the food supply chain. They will be funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included $1 billion to expand processing capacity for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors. The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program includes up to $50 million to improve food and agriculture supply chain resiliency in tribal nations.
The Southwest Colorado Meat and Livestock Day has been scheduled by Montezuma County Extension on May 11th, from 8:30 am- 3pm at Pueblo Community College Southwest. Topics include Feeding for High Quality Meat, Labeling and Profitability, Navigating Grant and Loan Programs, Business Development, Marketing Under-Utilized Cuts, Nutritional Needs of Different Livestock, Certification Programs, and Finishing Livestock in SW Colorado. A networking session is included at Fenceline Cider following the event. The $15 registration fee includes lunch and a drink at Fenceline Cider. Register at https://SWMeatDay2023.eventbrite.com. For additional information, contact Emily Lockard at (970) 564-4170.
A couple of months ago, I reported that the USDA 2023 Farms and Land in Farm Report found that the number of farms in the U.S. had declined by over 9,000 farms in 2022, most of which were farms that had less than $10,000 in sales. Agricultural economists point out that farm support payments are increasingly paid to the largest producers, who have income well above the rest of the country. Farm program reformers contend that 80% of commodity subsidies go to 10% of farmers. According to the report, the number of these larger farms has increased by almost 1% in the last decade. But the USDA also reports that farms with beginning producers accounted for 193 million acres of land, that’s 21% of total farms in the U.S. However, 52% of beginning farms were less than 50 acres in size. The average size of farms with a beginning producer is 324 acres, compared to 441 acres for all U.S. farms.
With the push to produce more green energy, solar arrays are increasingly being sited in rural areas, which often get pushback by residents who see these these “solar farms” placed near their homes, farms and ranches. Recently, residents in Delta County objected to a solar project proposal near the town of Delta, and the county commissioners voted to reject it. But when the developers changed the project to include sheep grazing under the panels, residents relented, and commissioners then approved the project. Which brings me to Colorado Senate Bill 23-092 which proposes to encourage using solar panels to cover irrigation canals and reservoirs, which both reduces evaporation from irrigation structures and ditches by as much as 10%, while also making production of electricity by the panels more efficient because of cooling provided by the water below.
Retired veterinarian and author Paul Dettloff said: “If everybody is doing the same thing, only one person is thinking.”
