Daily News Radio Reports Focused on Agriculture!

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

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

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: Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture FRANKFORT (Feb. 20, 2026) – The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved $700,317 for agricultural diversification and rural development projects across the Commonwealth at its monthly board meeting in February. “Diversity in our agricultural landscape spells success for our farm producers,” Commissioner of Agriculture and Board Chair Jonathan Shell said. “The projects awarded today by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board

Source: Univ. of Maryland by Graham Binder Seeking to combat diet-related illness in food-insecure communities across Maryland, Professor and Extension Specialist Hee-Jung Song is creating a produce-prescription program, backed by almost half a million dollars in funding from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The program will provide locally sourced fruit and vegetables to Marylanders at-risk of heart disease and associated illnesses and track both their

by Jeff Ishee February 19, 2026 - A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the nation’s agricultural landscape continued to contract last year, with thousands of farms disappearing amid ongoing economic pressures. According to the USDA, approximately 15,000 farms were lost nationwide in 2025, marking one of the steepest single‑year declines in more than a decade. Total land in farms, at 873,950,000 acres, decreased 2,510,000 acres from 2024. See the full re

Source: Virginia Farm Bureau ASHLAND, VA — Beneath the ice-glazed blanket of snow testing Virginians’ patience is the promise of a verdant spring. While frozen conditions disrupt life on the street level, plants and grasses are insulated from extreme cold as slow-melting snow provides steady moisture and atmospheric nutrients. A winter storm in late January created a dense snowpack in many parts of Virginia. Image credit - Jeff Ishee Depending on conditions, soil-enriching e

by Jeff Ishee February 2, 2026 - We were recently invited to take an owner-guided tour of Noer Vineyards in Verona, Virginia. According to owner John Noer, the operation recently opened for limited sales after several years of construction and planting. When the entire acreage is under vine (approx. 200 acres), it will be one of the largest family-owned vineyards in the Mid-Atlantic region. Stunning view from atop the ridge where the future tasting room may be situated. This

by Jeff Ishee Updated Jan. 30, 2026 - A surge of Arctic air pushed sub‑zero temperatures into the Mid‑Atlantic region in late January, raising serious concerns for livestock producers already battling frozen ground, icy winds, and strained infrastructure. Reports have been received about collapsed poultry houses and greenhouses due to heavy sleet and snow. Barns, hay sheds, and other farm facilities also did not survive the storm in some areas. Agricultural experts warn that