Posts By: Dennis Nuxoll

FSA Sets New Deadlines for Farm Program Sign-up

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) tweeted new deadlines for signing up for farm programs to adjust for the disruption caused by the government shutdown Below are the program extension dates from FSA: Market Facilitation Program Deadline to apply extended to Feb. 14, 2019 Marketing Assistance Loans If loan matured in December 2018, settlement date extended ...

Hong Kong Officially Lifts Ban on CA Romaine Imports

Hong Kong has officially lifted its ban on California romaine imports, which has been in place since November 2018. After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the outbreaks of E. coli were linked to California harvested romaine lettuce, Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety immediately suspended the import and sale of romaine from California. ...

Register for the AMS Webinar to Learn How to Become a Certified USDA Vendor

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invite processors and food producers to join a free interactive webinar to learn how to become a certified USDA vendor. AMS purchases over 300 different food products to distribute to millions of school children, families and others who qualify for the USDA’s nutrition ...

Register for the AMS Webinar to Learn How to Become a Certified USDA Vendor

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invite processors and food producers to join a free interactive webinar to learn how to become a certified USDA vendor. AMS purchases over 300 different food products to distribute to millions of school children, families and others who qualify for the USDA’s nutrition ...

MEMBER ALERT: Coronavirus Impacts Chinese Ports and Global Shipping Rates

The coronavirus in China is dramatically impacting the Chinese economy including China’s ports. Public reports from multiple sources indicate that Chinese ports of entry are running significantly behind in loading and unloading freight. Warehouses in and around ports as well as the port facilities themselves lack sufficient workers as people are either ill or fear ...

USDA Announces COVID-19 Relief Program

Last Friday, USDA announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), a new $19 billion relief program designed to support farmers, ranchers and consumers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. CFAP consists of two main components: Direct Support to Farmers and Ranchers The program will provide $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural ...

USDA CFAP Payments Target COVID-19 Losses – Apply Now

Have your operations been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? USDA is implementing Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. USDA’s Farm Service Agency are currently accepting CFAP 2 applications through December 11, 2020. CFAP 2 follows the first round ...

Congress Passes Budget: Top Items for WG Members

After months of negotiations, the House and Senate passed the budget for the federal government yesterday. Attached to the government spending package were several dozen smaller bills, with the text of the legislation totaling nearly 5,600 pages. Below are the significant items that will most affect Western Growers members: The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is ...

Sign Up Today for CFAP 2 Payments for COVID-19 Losses

USDA has reopened signups for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) as of April 5, 2021. As part of the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, farmers and ranchers will have at least 60 days to apply or make modifications to existing CFAP 2 applications.   CFAP 2 provides financial assistance that gives producers ...

WG Applauds Elaine Trevino Nomination as Chief Ag Trade Negotiator

Western Growers congratulates Elaine Trevino on her nomination to be the next chief agricultural trade negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. President Joe Biden announced Trevino’s nomination yesterday, and if confirmed, she will play a crucial role in elevating the importance of agricultural issues in U.S. trade negotiations. Trevino is a former ...

$650 Million in Pandemic Response and Safety Grants Available from the USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is requesting applications for the new Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program through its portal at https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda. The PRS Grant program will assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, distributors and farmers markets. Small businesses and non-profits can apply for a grant to cover…

USDA Wants to Reimburse You for COVID Expenses, Deadline Nov. 22

Did you spend money to make sure your workforce was safe from COVID? USDA has a program that you might be eligible for to reimburse you for some of those expenses. The deadline to apply for the USDA Pandemic Response and Safety Grant is next Monday, Nov. 22, 2021 and the USDA is asking specialty ...

USDA Now Accepting Applications to Help Farmers Cover Costs of Organic Transition, Certification

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week that the application period is open for its Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Both programs are intended to help growers and handlers who are certified organic, as well as growers and handlers who are transitioning to organic ...

Phase One of USDA’s Emergency Relief Program Available for Those With Federal Crop Insurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses. The total pool of funds available for all of agriculture…

Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Delivers Policy Statement to Congressional Leaders in Advance of Negotiations

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a 200-member coalition which is Co-Chaired by Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia alongside National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner, has sent a policy statement to Congressional leaders to announce the group’s stance on what exactly can be defined ...

Congress Grapples with Drought Action

For the last several years, farmers in California and throughout the West have faced water pressures and shortages as drought grips the country.  Early last year, both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would address the drought in California and attempt to provide some immediate assistance.  But like much of ...

With So Many Congressmen, Why Can’t California Get Anything it Wants?

California’s Congressional Delegation is the largest in the country at 53 members.  With that many members of Congress, other states usually harp about how California is able to secure anything it wants—but that feeling is more myth than reality because California’s Congressional delegation is sharply divided which undercuts California’s perceived strength. Indeed a simple analysis…

Farm Bill is Back With Challenges & Opportunities

By Dennis Nuxoll Every few years Congress turns its attention to reauthorizing the Farm Bill, and the time to do that has come around again with the bill set to expire in October of 2018. When farm bills roll around, the media is covered with stories about farmers getting production subsidies and fights about nutrition ...

New Members in Congress Offer Opportunities for Arizona Agriculture

By Dennis Nuxoll, Jonathan Sarager and Stephanie Metzinger   When Washington, D.C., greeted the 116th Congress in January, it welcomed a new slate of Arizona Capitol Hill delegates, who represent a shift in the state’s political landscape. Ann Kirkpatrick and Greg Stanton were added to Arizona’s nine-member contingent in the U.S. House of Representatives, flipping ...

Trade, Trade and Trade Again

It has been an incredibly busy few months for international trade here in Washington and Western Growers has been right in the middle of it all. Let me start by talking about the United States-Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA), which, as you all know, replaced NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The USMCA was signed ...