Showing articles tagged with "Producing Excellence". Show all posts.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of Mexican militia over a French invasion in 1862. In the U.S., it has become a national celebration of Mexican heritage and culture recognizing the 31.8 million Americans of Mexican descent or origin. A growing number of Hispanic farmers – more than 82,000 Hispanic operators farmed in America in 2007, compared with just over 72,000 in 2002 – help raise the food that plays a large part in the celebration. If you’re out at a Cinco de Mayo festival, or even cooking at home, you may be tasting these typical ingredients. Read More
Farming and ranching require a lot of electricity – everything from lighting and heating animal shelters to powering cooling sheds and processing facilities. That electricity carries an environmental as well as financial cost, since much of our electricity is powered by coal which releases carbon into the atmosphere when it’s burned. Renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric dams provide power more cleanly, but are often far away from where our farms are. Read More
More and more consumers are becoming interested in buying local foods. Often it’s because the food is fresher or they just want to know where it comes from. Sometimes they want to support local businesses or reduce the environmental impact of trucking food great distances. Getting the local food from the farm to the table, though, often takes a different approach to distribution than with more conventional food. Read More
Most farmers and ranchers will say that it is imperative that they care for the land because it is what provides their livelihood as well as the food that sustains us all. But with fewer producers on less land needing to feed a growing population, it’s sometimes a challenge to find economical and operationally viable ways to improve long-term sustainability. Many Farm Credit customers, though, have done just that. Read More
Spring has sprung and farmers, ranchers and consumers across the country are gearing up for this season of rebirth and new growth. The season also brings a host of traditions, both religious and secular – and America’s farmers and ranchers provide food and other ag products to support them all. Read More
