Source: Brownfield Ag News

A high tunnel pilot project for urban farmers in Cleveland was announced on Monday by 11th District Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. The Congresswoman tells Brownfield the high tunnels will extend the growing season for urban farmers, while helping increase the availability of locally grown produce.

“But primarily it’s about nutrition,” said Representative Fudge. “It’s about feeding people, it’s about letting people know that I care, that USDA cares and that we are going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that we make our communities healthier and safer places.”

Source: www.ideastream.org

Nearly $270,000 altogether was announced by City of Cleveland and Congressional officials at Regents Community Garden, an urban farm founded on a site that used to contain several shuttered homes.

Source: Twin Cities Daily Planet

Consumers will pay more for food the next one to three years as the drought's impact works its way through the food chain. Yes, most Minnesota farm fields still look pretty good and should produce crops given periodic rainfall through the remainder of the year. But it is the total, drought-shriveling crop, not the local harvest that will drive up food prices.

Source: the Progressive Farmer

"Some of these sectors -- particularly in hog production -- have done fairly well in using price risk tools, primarily in the futures market," AgriBank Chief Credit Officer Jeff Swanhorst told DTN. "Depending on the work they've done, most of those individuals are protected through all of 2012, so the massive run up in feed prices will not materially affect them."

Source: www.agweb.com

Nationally, dairy customers are the most stressed of all of Farm Credit’s agricultural customers, says Bill York, CEO of AgriBank, St. Paul, Minn. Corn and soybean farmers will have crop insurance to fall back on if crops fail. But dairy producers will struggle to find enough feed to get through the next year, and will pay dearly for it if they find it. “We’re looking at 12 months of uncertainty,” he says.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

WINNEBAGO, Ill.—A historic drought across the middle of the U.S. is shriveling crops—but not many farmers' incomes, as widespread use of crop insurance and record corn and soybean prices cushion the blow to growers.

Farmers already are giving up on crops in parts of the Midwest as hot, dry weather shrinks corn stalks and leaves some cobs without a single kernel. Still, economists don't expect incomes for commodity-crop farmers to slip drastically, keeping one of the strongest sectors of the U.S. economy humming.

Source: KUMV - TV

Financial help may be coming soon to rural oil towns in western North Dakota. AgriBank has teamed up with Farm Credit Services to start a unique grant fund specifically designed to help communities affected by oil development.

Source: KFYR - TV

"It is our privilege to establish the Rural Community Grant Fund. As a responsible corporate citizen, we believe it is important to partner with the rural communities impacted by the mineral exploration in western North Dakota. This fund will provide an opportunity for residents to seek grant money annually for projects and programs to build, enhance and sustain their communities well into the future," said AgriBank CEO Bill York.