Environmental Protection Agency Awards $2 Million In Water Quality Grants
In a check presentation ceremony held recently on the banks of the Big Sunflower River in Coahoma County, Mississippi, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt (center) presented checks totaling $2 million to improve water quality and crop production in the Mississippi River Basin. From left, Pruitt is joined by EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford, Iowa Department of Ag & Land Stewardship Water Quality Initiative Coordinator Matt Lechtenberg, EPA Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn and Delta F.A.R.M. Chairman Dan Branton.
Texas Farmer Appointed To FCIC Board Of Directors
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue appointed Rickey L. Bearden of Plains, Texas, to the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. Board of Directors. Bearden will serve a four-year term of office.
The FCIC board oversees the federal crop insurance program, managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency. The Board reviews crop insurance products presented by outside parties and RMA, and determines which programs will best help farmers and ranchers.
Crop insurance provides protection against a loss in production due to natural perils such as adverse weather conditions, insects or plant disease, or wildlife.
Rickey Bearden is a third-generation farmer with a 9,500-acre family farm, which includes cotton, peanuts, wheat and grain sorghum.
He has served with organizations such as Cotton Incorporated, Plains Cotton Growers, the National Cotton Council and Cotton Council International. Bearden is currently on the boards of directors for the Southwest Council of Agribusiness and Plains Cotton Growers.
For more information, visit: https://www.rma.usda.gov.
Ready Row Unit Offers New Way To Upgrade Planters
When farmers trade planters, the goal is to get the latest technology as well as an updated row unit. But the planter’s tool bar typically is in great shape.
Instead of trading for an updated planter, farmers can now keep their tool bar, add new row units, and then add the technology they want on top of this foundation.
“Rather than spending significant dollars on new iron that is not exactly what a grower wants, he can spend fewer dollars on outfitting his current toolbar, customizing the portions of the planter that provide return on investment, and end up with a planter equipped exactly how he wanted it to begin with,” says Precision Planting Integrated Marketing Manager, Bryce Baker. “Precision Planting offers new, innovative technologies that can be added to the Ready Row Unit.”
The Precision Planting Ready Row Units are assembled in an ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility located in the United States. The unit is fully customizable to an operation’s needs with different gauge wheel options, closing wheel options, hopper configurations and fertility attachments. The Ready Row Unit also comes ready to accept a wide range of Precision Planting products.
“Producers can improve planting in 2019 to run faster with precise depth control and even on-the-go furrow sensing for adjusting depth and row cleaners for the optimum planter pass,” Baker says. “The planter you already own is capable of more than you can imagine.”
Please visit precisionplanting.com.
Delta Council Officers Announced
Delta Council recently held its 83rd Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Mississippi, where its 2018-2019 president and vice-presidents were announced.
This year’s president is Woods Eastland of Indianola. A retired CEO of Staplcotn, Eastland has served on numerous national agricultural boards and commissions. He also served as chairman of the National Cotton Council and has been an elected director of Delta Council for many years. He and his wife, Lynn, have two children and three grandchildren.
Elected as vice-presidents for 2018-19 are Stanley Ayers of Leland, John Rodgers Brashier of Indianola, Pete Hunter of Clarksdale, B. Jones of Tchula, Floyd Melton III of Greenwood and Ransom Myers of Dundee. Andy Anderson of Rolling Fork is serving a second term as treasurer.
Delta Council is an area economic development organization representing the 18 Delta and part-Delta counties of Northwest Mississippi.