The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting public input – due by Feb. 16, 2024 – on how foreign filers report agricultural land holdings in the United States. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is proposing to update the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Report form so that reporting can include data on long-term lessees, data to assess the impacts of foreign investment on agricultural producers and rural communities, and to gather geospatial information. 

The American Farmland Trust is seeking corn and soybean farms in Pennsylvania to join a soil health practices study to test a new tool they are developing with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to predict the costs and benefits of practices like no-till, cover crops and nutrient management.

The results from the Predictive Soil Health Economic Calculator (P-SHEC) will empower farmers to make more informed decisions surrounding soil health practices on their farms.

The Trust is offering a $1,000 stipend for qualified farmers who participate in our tool-piloting process and a $100 “finder reward” for groups that put us in contact with farmers featured in our pilot process.

The Trust wants to work with a few farmers who are interested in soil health, but not yet using soil health practices, and want more information on the economic costs and benefits of certain practices.

Farmers should fill out this contact form to begin a conversation about joining the study. Questions should be directed to Jen Tillman, Research Scientist, JTillman@farmland.org or 360-928-6551.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging agricultural producers and forest landowners to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices in fiscal year 2024. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), which help a wide variety of producers, including urban and organic producers.

Navigating filing taxes can be challenging, especially if you are new to running a farm business, participating in disaster programs for first time, or trying to forecast the farm’s tax bill. Receiving funds from USDA through activities such as a conservation program payment or a disaster program is considered farm income that includes a tax liability for farm businesses. USDA technical assistance is free and creates no tax implications. 



At the end of the tax year, USDA issues tax forms 1098 and 1099 forms for farm loans, conservation programs administered by the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service including the Conservation Reserve Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, crop disaster payments, and the Market Facilitation Program. USDA also issues tax forms for recipients of assistance for distressed borrowers, including through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

If you have received tax forms related to your operation, USDA cannot and does not provide tax advice but wants you to be aware of options that may help manage your tax liability. USDA has partnered with experts to provide resources to help you make the right tax decisions for your operation. Monthly webinars are available for registration and to view on demand at https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/taxes.  

The Tax Estimator Tool is an interactive spreadsheet that producers can download to estimate tax liability. It is for informational and educational purposes and should not considered tax or legal advice. Producers may need to work with a tax professional to determine the correct information to be entered in the Tax Estimator Tool. 

We encourage you to visit https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/taxes for more information on how to find and work with a tax preparer as well as instructions on how to request copies of USDA documents and links to other helpful tax resources.  

The Penn State Institute of Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science and its Agriculture and Environment Center seek a dynamic self-starter with experience and training in agricultural and natural resource sciences to join its team in the AEC Lower Susquehanna Office as its Agricultural Outreach Specialist.

The work involves collaboration between Penn State researchers, Extension Educators, students and other staff and external partners working across the land and water interface.



 It is an exciting mix of outreach to farmers and other landowners, educational programming, volunteer and student intern coordination, and complex partnership and project management.

The positions can be searched by agency, location, salary and job type. 

• DEP Positions: 27 intern positions open in DEP at regional offices and Harrisburg, including for biologists, engineering, clean water, mining, waterways and wetlands, laboratories, coastal resources, watershed restoration, air quality, scientific and technical, Chesapeake Bay restoration, safe drinking water, and more.
• DCNR Positions: 71 intern positions open in DEP at regional and central office locations, including for geological survey, education and outreach, forest districts, conservation science and ecological resources and state parks. 
• Agriculture Positions: 8 intern positions available at regional offices and Harrisburg, including food inspection, food safety laboratory and veterinary labs.

Kick off 2024 by enhancing your Spanish language skills! 80% of the agricultural workforce in the U.S. speaks Spanish. If you’re interested in building your language skills to help enhance communication within your team and the dairy industry at large, sign up for an eight-week Spanish course. The rouse is available from January 16 – March 7, 2024. You will have 24/7 access to all course content through April 19.