Author: staff

Communication with loved ones, neighbors and mental health professionals can be a key piece of addressing the stressors and mental health issues that affect farmers at higher rates than other professions. According to the National Rural Health Association, suicide rates are “significantly higher” in rural areas than in urban areas and farmers die by suicide at a rate 3.5 times higher than the general population. Mental health hotlines for farmers have seen more calls this year. In addition to the normally stressful profession, farmers have another year of unstable trade, less than desirable markets, high input costs and the phrase…

An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has affected more than 184 million domestic poultry since 2022 and, since making the leap to dairy cattle in spring 2024, more than 1,000 milking cow herds. A new study led by Iowa State University researchers shows that the mammary glands of several other production animals — including pigs, sheep, goats, beef cattle and alpacas — are biologically suitable to harbor avian influenza, due to high levels of sialic acids. “The main thing we wanted to understand in this study is whether there is potential for transmission among these other domestic mammals…

Lallemand Animal Nutrition has awarded $14,000 in scholarships to five students pursuing careers in animal science, nutrition and veterinary medicine, continuing its commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders in animal agriculture. Now in its 11th year, the Lallemand Animal Nutrition Scholarship Program recognizes students whose academic achievement and leadership demonstrate potential for long-term impact across the industry. Since launching the program, LAN has awarded more than $140,000 to students across the United States and Canada. “Each of these students represents the talent and commitment needed to move animal agriculture forward,” said Jeff Ast, commercial director for North and…

A New World screwworm case has been confirmed about 197 miles from the U.S.–Mexico border — the first reported detection in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The case was identified in a six-day-old calf, according to Mexico’s animal health agency SENASICA. While NWS has not been detected in the United States, the northward movement of the pest has U.S. and state officials emphasizing vigilance because the parasite can cause severe tissue damage and death in livestock if untreated. Earlier in December, NWS was detected approximately 120 miles south of the Texas border. In September, a case was detected less than…

Oregon’s agricultural education programs could face major disruptions if lawmakers approve proposed state budget cuts that would remove $1.1 million in state funding for Oregon FFA and key grants supporting agricultural educators. In an interview with RFD-TV, Oregon FFA CEO Kjer Kizer said the proposed reductions would affect more than 15,000 students and could roll back years of progress in expanding access to leadership development, career training, and statewide opportunities tied to agricultural education. “Oregon FFA has been supporting students since 1929,” Kizer said. “Modern FFA is an integral program with agricultural education … and as a direct result from…

Officials said that they hoped to release the rates for the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program during the last week of December — and sure enough, squeaking in on the last day of the year, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins unveiled the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. With farmers hamstrung during 2025 by a complex mix of low crop prices, high equipment and crop input costs, and the ripple of a prolonged trade war, the money geared largely toward row-crop producers is aimed to help close the gap in commodity losses. “America’s farmers have endured a year of…

With Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins wrapping up her first calendar year as head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she released a statement highlighting the research priorities and development activities that agency is going to pursue for 2026. She emphasized that her approach (a Secretary’s Memorandum) will intentionally distance the USDA from the initiatives of the Biden Administration, which she argues were built on “misguided policies focused on DEI and environmental justice in agricultural research, extension, and education programs.” She said these things “diverted resources away from solving actual challenges that American farmers and ranchers are facing.” Image by Heidi…

A century of shifting federal priorities transformed wolves from ‘public enemies’ into protected predators, and reshaped life on working lands. Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series exploring the impact that wolf reintroduction in the U.S. has had on livestock operations. Humans and animal interactions have long been complex, and as development and commercialization has minimized encounters in urban and suburban parts of the United States, rural ranchers are bearing the brunt of evolving ecological policy. And though this issue goes back more than half a century, the toll to modern ranchers is accelerating. In the 1960s,…

Mallory O’Steen is the Senior Southeast Program Manager for American Farmland Trust (AFT). Based in Athens, Georgia, her work focuses on securing a brighter future for farms and farmers in her home state and across the region. Lately, she has been directing more time and energy toward supporting aging farmers in the succession planning, or “farm transfer,” process. Such efforts are essential to the success of Georgia agriculture. Without help, many farm families risk losing their land and legacy. Below, Mallory is in conversation with Brooks Lamb, AFT’s Special Advisor for Strategic Communications. Together, they discuss the challenges of generational…

In a December column on AGDAILY, Perspective: USDA ‘regenerative’ program capitalizes on a buzzword, Amanda Zaluckyj voiced her frustration with the hollowness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s use of “regenerative” in the agency’s new $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program. Ms. Zaluckyj has rightly asserted that “Regenerative has turned into more of a trendy buzzword than an actual, scientific approach to agriculture.” Instead of using buzzwords to deploy funding, what would truly benefit producers is if USDA actually helped them learn how to regenerate their soil. Since there is no mention of any means to facilitate farmer and rancher education…