Dealings with Department of Agriculture

[smom1976]

I have herd lots of people talk about calling the dept of Agri..

who has done it and what kind of things have you gotten out of it?

 

[digitS']

The gov'ment folks most likely to be of help to us little guys are those at Cooperative Extension.

Certainly the USDA isn't involved in backyard chicken activities that I'm aware of. The state ag departments are mostly concerned about promoting the state's ag products.

Cooperative Extension is the educational outreach part of our land-grant universities. Every state has one of these schools and most counties have an extension agent. There's been quite a bit of consolidation especially with the "urbanization" of counties and Coop Ext is involved in a lot of things that don't seem to have much to do with agriculture these days. But, they ARE the educators for the common folks and have the responsibility to get up-to-date info to us. That info should be understandable to nonprofessionals and to farmers, as well.

My local Coop Ext office has a dandy library

. Anyone can go in and browse and check something out.

Steve

 

[corancher]

I have contacted them. I was asking questions in regards to selling fresh eggs in Colorado. I was given very good information and was told where I was allowed to sell fresh eggs without having to go to the intent of having inspections. He informed me was very expensive to have the inspections and generally only farms that produced 100's of eggs per day would consider doing it. Without the inspections, new eggs cartons, sorting equipment for egg grading, and the equipment to check eggs for blood spots, I was informed that I could not sell to restaurants, and stores. He said I could sell at farmer's markets, road side stands, flea markets, to friends, family, people at work without worry of getting into trouble.

I thought very good information and very responsive.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

The only thing i worked with the usda was the FSA for a loan.

 

[ncgnance]

DigitS wrote...."Certainly the USDA isn't involved in backyard chicken activities that I'm aware of. The state ag departments are mostly concerned about promoting the state's ag products...."
I called the North Carolina Wildlife Management Division yesterday, regarding my rights in protecting my poultry from raptors, hawks, to be exact. The lady that I talked to gave me the number for USDA. According to her, the USDA has a form that I can fill out and send back to them. They will then issue a permit for me to dispose of the hawk that is killing my chickens. So, I guess you could say the USDA IS involved in backyard chicken activities to a certain extent.

 

[setter4]

I recently contacted the Co-op ext. about identifying the mites I had found. They were great.
I have also gone there to get info on home canning and am signed up for the next master gardener classes they offer.