Edible flowers have budding health and market potential
Source: VA Farm Bureau ETTRICK, VA — A recent Virginia State University workshop explored ongoing research into edible flowers’ untapped powers—from emerging culinary uses to whole health benefits. “Flowers are food for the soul and tummy,” emphasized Theresa Nartea, VSU professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension small farm marketing & agribusiness specialist, during a Feb. 27 workshop at VSU Randolph Farm . Young farmers from across Virginia learned about innovative resea
Georgia launches 2026 Farm Passport program
Source: GA Farm Bureau by Jay Stone Let the 2026 Farm Passport travels officially begin! Georgia Farm Bureau’s Certified Farm Markets (CFMs) program has launched the 2026 Farm Passport program, which has been enjoyed by thousands of patrons since its inception in 2019. The Passport program encourages people to discover Georgia, support local farmers, and experience fresh food. Image Credit GA Farm Bureau The 2026 Farm Passport program opened on March 21 and continues through
USDA launches national campaign to promote updated “Product of USA” label
Source: USDA News Release WASHINGTON, D.C. — On National Agriculture Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a nationwide public awareness campaign to educate meat, poultry, and egg producers about the updated “Product of USA” voluntary labeling standard that took effect January 1, 2026. The rule reserves the label exclusively for products from animals “born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States,” ending the long‑standing practice that allowed impo
New funding is focused on connecting farmers with local markets
Source: USDA news release Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced it has awarded over $26.8 million to grant projects through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). The program helps local and regional food entities develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. LAMP includes the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), an
Bear, deer crop damage impacting farmers in Southside Virginia
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
Economic storm worsens for America’s farmers
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
Maryland's Small Acreage Cover Crop Program now accepting applications
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 chicken community to celebrate March 19, National Poultry Day
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
USDA’s definition of a “farm” remains one of agriculture’s most persistent controversies
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
New variety of Virginia-type peanut can promote cardiovascular health
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
