USDA's crop progress report for the week ended May 1 reported 14% of corn crops and 8% of soybeans have been planted.

The roughly 20-minute YouTube video promotes efforts undertaken by the NRCS and government farmers in the watershed, which includes portions of Western Ohio, Southern Michigan, and Eastern Indiana.

The Census of Agriculture is designed to be a complete count of U.S. farms, ranches, and operators. The agency defines a farm as anywhere $1,000 or more of fruit, vegetables or food animals are raised or sold.

The report shows prospective soybean plantings are greater than prospective corn plantings for the first time in at least two decades.

His in-person speech came as the USDA announced $250 million in funding for domestic fertilizer sources.

The still “coming of age” no-till practice received two significant shots in the arm when no-tillers were tapped for influential posts in D.C. Instead of bureaucrats, the USDA smartly veered from the norm to appoint two practical farmers, Missouri’s Peter Myers and Ohio’s Bill Richards, to help convince farmers of the merits of reducing tillage.

Projects must focus on the on-farm, on-ranch or forest production of commodities and show reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission or carbon sequestration as a benefit. The project description specifically mentions cover crops, no-till and low-till among the projects favored for selection, but indicates they won’t be enough by themselves.