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Source: Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AXTON, VA — Deer grazing in crop fields and bears wallowing in rows of corn are creating costly headaches for farmers across Southside Virginia. Farmers in Patrick and Henry counties have grappled with wildlife pressure for decades. But bear and deer damage has worsened in recent years, prompting area farmers to meet with Department of Wildlife Resources officials to discuss the increasing threat to crops. Deer damage a wide range of fa

Source: American Farm Bureau Federation March 19, 2026 - Severe weather, high expenses and global uncertainty are hitting farmers from all sides, squeezing them to the breaking point. Fifty-four agriculture groups laid out the challenges facing rural America in a letter to President Trump dated March 19. The letter recognizes progress made last year in enhancing farm risk management tools and securing much-needed tax relief for farmers, but says additional resources are need

Annapolis, MD -(March 17, 2026) —The Maryland Department of Agriculture today announced that the sign-up period for its Small Acreage Cover Crop Program runs March 16 through April 24, 2026. This program provides grants to help small farms and urban growers plant cover crops on their production areas to build healthy soils, improve crop yields, protect local water quality, improve climate resilience, and provide other environmental benefits. This program is for urban and sma

Delmarva's chicken companies spent $1.2 billion on corn, wheat, soybeans, and other feed ingredients in 2025. Georgetown, DE – The Delmarva chicken community raised 628 million chickens, produced 4.7 billion pounds of shelf- and table-ready chicken and generated $4.6 billion in sales in 2025. The annual statistics , compiled by Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) and shared to celebrate National Poultry Day (March 19), measure the broad, stabilizing contribution that the chi

By Jeff Ishee For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has relied on a deceptively simple definition of a farm: “any place that produces, or normally would produce, at least $1,000 in agricultural goods in a given year.” The threshold, first adopted in 1975, was designed to standardize federal reporting and ensure consistent national statistics. But nearly 50 years later, the definition remains one of the most debated in American agriculture, influencing everything fro

Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service WASHINGTON, DC - Big, crunchy, flavorful Virginia-type peanuts are a snackable favorite, and ARS scientists at the Wheat, Peanut, and Other Field Crops Research Unit in Stillwater, OK, recently released a new heavyweight to the peanut family. ‘Contender’ is a new Virginia-type peanut that contains high amounts of oleic fatty acids, which can promote cardiovascular health and extend peanut product shelf life. Peanuts normally have a

Source: Georgia Farm Bureau From March through June, Georgia farmers will harvest strawberries, Vidalia onions, and blueberries. First cuttings of hay for livestock will be harvested. Many farmers are beginning to plant corn, and in May and June, they will plant their peanut, cotton, and soybean crops. Dairy cows are being milked multiple times a day, table eggs are being picked up daily, and cattle and chickens are being raised. Georgia’s agricultural community has two weeks

by Jeff Ishee Virginia’s farmers’ markets trace their roots to the earliest days of the Commonwealth, when town squares served as hubs for trading produce, livestock, and handmade goods. By the 18th and 19th centuries, cities like Alexandria, Lynchburg, and Roanoke had established some of the nation’s oldest continuously operating markets, anchoring local commerce and community life. The Leesburg Farmers' Market has a strict 125‑mile vendor radius — All vendors must be locate

By Ryan Hanrahan, University of Illinois' FarmDoc project Progressive Farmer's Russ Quinn reported that "farmers could see even higher fuel and fertilizer costs for this spring with the start of the military conflict between the U.S. and Israel against Iran in the Middle East." "The now closed Strait of Hormuz moves about 20 million barrels of crude oil and other petroleum products each day, which is about 20% of global demand. Diesel futures prices moved to a two-year high o

by Jeff Ishee Mountain State Maple Days in West Virginia will return on March 21 with sugar camps, small‑town hospitality, and a new regional twist that’s drawing visitors deeper into West Virginia’s maple country. The statewide celebration marks the second of two official maple weekends, inviting travelers to explore farms, restaurants, and community events across Pendleton, Pocahontas, Grant, and Randolph counties. Image credit - Jeff Ishee This year’s event expands with th