Toss-up races in House have agriculture tint Six of the 19 toss-up races for U.S. House seats in the Nov. 5 general elections involve members of the Agriculture Committee, three Republican and three Democratic incumbents. The races in districts from California to New York State could have a large impact… Continue reading

Nebraska governor says no to lab-grown meat If Gov. Jim Pillen has his way, Nebraska legislators will pass a law banning the sale of “lab-grown meat” — the industry prefers the term cultivated meat — during its next session. Florida and Alabama enacted state bans on the alternative meat this… Continue reading

Labor Day 2024 is a day to celebrate the achievements of the millions of men and women who keep America running. This year, don’t forget to thank a farmer. Approximately 2.8 million Americans work directly on a farm. Nearly 20 million more work in food and other agricultural-related industries. Farming… Continue reading

Reduced interest overseas in U.S. soybeans The new soybean marketing year opens on Saturday, and early orders for the U.S. crop are the smallest of the Biden Harris years, said a research brief from rural lender CoBank. Global demand is down in the face of the strong dollar, slow economic… Continue reading

USDA deregulates GM wheat, says it is safe to grow in the U.S. For the first time, the Agriculture Department approved cultivation of genetically modified wheat in the United States on Tuesday, deregulating a drought- and herbicide-tolerant variety developed by an Argentine company. A U.S. wheat industry official said it… Continue reading

Fertilizer projects get $35 million in USDA grants Seven projects, from Oregon to New York, will receive a combined $35 million to expand independent domestic fertilizer production, with one-third of the money going to an aluminum sulfate producer in Virginia, said the Agriculture Department on Wednesday. Drugs often used on… Continue reading

Judge blocks federal rule allowing H-2A workers to unionize U.S. district judge Lisa Wood issued a 17-state injunction on Monday against a Labor Department regulation that would allow farmworkers in the United States on H-2A visas to unionize. The National Council of Agricultural Employers said the injunction was a victory… Continue reading

Bird flu slows for the summer Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry and dairy cattle have dropped off sharply in recent weeks, according to USDA databases. There was a similar but longer lull a year ago in bird flu, which has become the largest animal disease event… Continue reading

Tim Walz and Dems try to flip the script on Republicans in rural America Continue reading

Mexico is on China’s heels as top U.S. food and ag export market China was less than $500 million ahead of Mexico as the leading customer for U.S. food and ag exports as the fiscal year entered its final months, according to USDA data released Wednesday. The agricultural trade deficit,… Continue reading