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USDA finalizes specialty crop assistance program details
The USDA announced it has finalized the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program, announced late last year. Danny Munch, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the funds are part of the USDA’s broader Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The assistance is available to farmers who planted specialty crops in 2025 and reported those acres to the Farm Service Agency. Munch said the USDA is already preparing pre-filled applications for eligible farmers. For more information,...
HPAI continues to impact dairy and poultry industries
The current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which traces all the way back to 2022, is unusual in not only the fact that it’s infecting dairy cattle, but also that cases are continuing to be diagnosed in the warmer summer months. Bernt Nelson, an...
USDA extends comment period on packers and stockyards rule
The USDA recently extended the 60-day comment period for the latest Packers and Stockyards Act proposal by 15 days. Tanner Beymer, senior director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says that’s not enough time for USDA to properly...
Tips to earn top dollar at cattle auctions
It doesn’t matter whether cattle prices are high or low, producers want to make sure that they can do all they can to bring a quality animal to auction. When you can raise a quality animal, you can get the most money possible at an auction, especially when your animal...
Malaysia emerging as a promising destination for U.S. pork
U.S. pork exports to Malaysia have gained significant momentum in recent months, due in part to the impact of African swine fever on domestic production and tightening supplies of European pork. While Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, the non-Muslim portion...
Real Pork Scholars Program teaches valuable professional skills
National Pork Board’s Real Pork Scholars Program is a prestigious cohort-based program designed to build capacity for research and communication in the next generation of leaders in the U.S. pork industry. Current Scholar Lindsey Britton said the program helps...
A diversified nitrogen plan can withstand a wet growing season
The goal of Pivot Bio microbial nitrogen is to have a reliable source of nitrogen available for when the plant needs nutrition during the critical growth stages of the growing season. Because the microbes bind to the root, they are available when the crop needs them...
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More Ag News
Old farm bill doesn’t give farmers necessary risk management tools
As Congress returns to D.C., it is now expected that they will pass another extension of the 2018 farm bill. This is a far cry from what the ag industry was wanting- and hoping for- earlier this year. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, during a...
How to pick the right Christmas tree
If you haven't done so already, time is running out to pick that perfect Christmas tree. Barbara H. Smith is a horticulture specialist with Clemson University Extension, and she said the tradition of decorating the modern tree goes back almost 200 years. Smith gave...
Next Senate Majority Leader vows to upend slow Senate pace
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune vows to kick-start legislative action on farm and other legislation in 2025 when the GOP takes over leadership of the new Congress. Thune says that the Senate has not done enough during this Congress, beginning with the farm...
Soybean meal exports set a new record
U.S. soy remains America’s number one agricultural export, adding $31.2 billion to the U.S. economy in marketing year 2023-2024. Total soy export volumes were down from the prior year at 60.8 million metric tons, partly due to fewer carry-in stocks and the expansion...
EPA working on outreach with Farmers
Frequently, we find ourselves scratching our heads about AG’s relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More often than not, regulations and interpretations of their authority have ended up in the country's courtrooms. It’s been a strained...
