Author: staff

South Dakota could become the eighth state to restrict lab-grown meat under legislation introduced this week by a farmer-lawmaker who says the technology needs more scrutiny before reaching consumers. House Bill 1057, introduced Wednesday by state Rep. John Sjaarda, a Republican and South Dakota farmer, would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of lab-grown, cell-cultured meat products in the state for the next 10 years. The bill would also allow the state to remove any prohibited products from store shelves. Supporters frame the proposal as a pause rather than a permanent ban, giving regulators and researchers time to better understand…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program, which aims to encourage students at the Congressionally created 1890 land-grant universities to pursue careers in food, agriculture, and natural resource sciences. The application deadline is March 8, 2026. Students around the country can submit their applications online through an online application. The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is available to eligible high school seniors entering their freshman year of college who will attend one of the 1890 land-grant universities and pursue degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines. The…

The Trump administration is directing employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate foreign scientists who collaborate with the agency on research papers for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” The new directive, part of a broader effort to increase scrutiny of research done with foreign partners, asks workers in the agency’s research arm to use Google to check the backgrounds of all foreign nationals collaborating with its scientists. The names of flagged scientists are being sent to national security experts at the agency, according to records reviewed by ProPublica. At a meeting last month, USDA supervisors pushed back…

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is urging heightened vigilance from livestock producers along the Texas-Mexico border after Mexico confirmed eight additional cases of New World screwworm in the state of Tamaulipas. Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety, and Quality confirmed the new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed New World screwworm cases in Tamaulipas since December 30, 2025, to 11. Tamaulipas borders Texas from about Laredo down to the Gulf, raising concerns about the pest’s potential spread northward. “It’s just plain cowboy logic — when you’re seeing this many cases, this fast, it tells you there may…

Aarush Muthukrishnan, a 4-H member from Allegheny County, earned first place in the 13 to 15 age category of the national 4-H AI in Agriculture Challenge. This competition invites youth to explore how artificial intelligence can address real-world challenges in agriculture. Participants identify an industry problem and design an AI-based solution, applying STEM skills while envisioning a more sustainable agricultural future. Muthukrishnan’s project, TerraScan, is a low-cost, open-source AI robot that maps soil conditions to help small farmers in Pennsylvania reduce fertilizer use and limit pollution. In Pennsylvania, more than 28,000 miles of streams are polluted, according to the Pennsylvania…

I keenly remember learning the about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Pyramid — which was released here in the early ’90s — during my elementary and middle school years. Even as a child, it was easy to comprehend the widest part of the food pyramid contained the foods I should eat the most of, followed by smaller amounts of the upper levels. As you can see from the 1992 diagram below, fats and oils were the smallest level and therefore, meant to be consumed the least. This was in the days of ostracizing all fat, including the cholesterol in…

The winner of the 2026 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year award is Max, a 4-year-old Border Collie owned by Oklahoma Farm Bureau members John, Charla and Brynley Enns. AFBF, with support from Nestlé Purina PetCare, recognized Max as the winner, from among nearly 100 contenders. Max was selected by a team of judges. Members of the public voted online to select the People’s Choice Pup. Goose, owned by Kentucky Farm Bureau member Lindie Huffman, was named People’s Choice Pup. Two other dogs were finalists for People’s Choice Pup: Ruby Hope, owned by Indiana member Travis Burkhart; and Bubbles,…

Farmland values are still high historically, but according to a newly released 2026 land values report, current signs indicate a more complex situation driven by local and regional factors rather than nationwide trends. “After years of steady growth, we’re seeing the farmland market stabilize,” said Colton Lacina, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company, the company that created the report. “This isn’t a sign of collapse but a recalibration that reflects current commodity prices, input costs and regional production conditions.” Farmland demand now varies widely by location. Areas with high crop yields, diversified farms, and dependable…

Kansas is currently experiencing the most severe outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States, with nearly 414,000 birds affected, according to recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The majority of losses stem from a single commercial poultry operation in Pottawatomie County, where approximately 380,000 birds were impacted. However, cases have been confirmed in other regions, bringing USDA reports to four infected commercial flocks and six backyard flocks across the state. HPAI is a broad classification of avian influenza viruses that includes highly contagious strains such as H5 and H7. The disease is considered nearly 100…

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing to extend federal support for broadband infrastructure aimed at improving internet access in rural America. U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced the Middle Mile for Rural America Act, legislation that would reauthorize a U.S. Department of Agriculture program supporting middle-mile broadband projects for another five years. The bill proposes a reauthorization covering fiscal years 2026 through 2031, extending authority under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to fund middle-mile broadband infrastructure that connects rural communities to high-speed internet networks. “If we’re going to ensure reliable, high-speed broadband service to…