Author: staff

Over 500 organizations and companies representing a wide range of Farm Bill stakeholders — including agriculture, nutrition, conservation, environmental, and rural development sectors — have submitted a letter urging Congress to pass a 2024 farm bill before the end of the year. “Every hour, we lose approximately 150 acres of natural land and 85 acres of farmland and ranchland to development,” said Lori Faeth, senior director of government relations for the Land Trust Alliance, on of the organizations that has signed the letter. “Farm Bill conservation programs are the largest single federal funding source for private land conservation, and it…

Tractor Supply Company has donated $100,000 to the Farmer Veteran Coalition Fellowship Fund. The fund provides micro-grants to veterans who are in their beginning years of farming or ranching. This is the sixth year TSC has partnered with FVC to assist farmer veterans from all branches of service as part of its ongoing commitment to veteran causes. Through the joint initiative, the Company has provided more than $550,000 in gift cards and funding to FVC, assisting more than 350 farmer veterans nationwide. “Whether it is part of their upbringing or a newly discovered interest, many of our nation’s military veterans…

The Defense Department has backed off on its proposal to consider lab-grown protein as a food source for troops, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced this week. The DOD itself did not make an announcement, but an official made the statement in a meeting with several U.S. senators, an NCBA spokesman said. In June, NCBA said the DOD had “sponsored” a research grant that will fund the development of lab-grown meat products by manufacturing company BioMADE. NCBA said it has worked with agriculture allies in Congress to secure the introduction of several amendments to the fiscal year 2025 Defense Appropriations…

Even as consumption of plant-based milk alternatives increases, newly published research shows that most milk alternatives come up short when stacked against the nutritional completeness of real dairy milk. This science in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that milk alternatives were generally lower in protein and saturated fatty acids than dairy milk, with high variability in added sugars content. In fact, the data discovered a high nutritional variability between alternative milk product categories, as well as within the categories themselves (meaning not all oat milks deliver the same nutritional values). Current dietary guidance primarily relies…

Ranching and beef experts and foodies: How do you pronounce “wagyu”? The word has some interesting regional differences in how it’s said, but according to the game show Jeopardy!, there is a right way … and a wrong way. After a contestant sounded it out like way-gu and was deemed incorrect by the game show’s host, a firestorm erupted on social media. The clue that led to wagyu was: “The name of this cattle breed prized for its marbled beef literally means ‘Japanese Cow.’” After contestant Meredith Miller’s response, host Ken Jennings said, “So close. You didn’t have a ‘y.’…

Pork producers from Virginia, North Carolina, and Iowa announced a donation of $100,000 worth of pork products, equivalent to 54,000 pounds, to the Capital Area Food Bank. “We strive to make sure we’re distributing healthy, nutritious food to our neighbors in need every day, and that includes protein products like pork,” Emily Laur-Bader, director of corporate partnerships at the Capital Area Food Bank, said in the wake of Monday’s donation. “This amazing donation is hugely helpful to us to ensure families in our region can access the food they need to thrive.” The $100K Pork Chop Challenge is a contest…

After the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Oregon saw its pig pens dismantled and removed over the weekend, just two weeks before the fair’s start, 4-H members and parents were relieved to see them returned Tuesday morning. The pens were escorted back by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Department after being taken by the Josephine County 4-H Association. “Volunteers and children with local agricultural programs were on hand at the Josephine County Fairgrounds to unload and set up the pens this morning,” a news release from Josephine County said. “Swine pens were removed from the Josephine County Fairgrounds July 21 by members…

A Kansas man accused of devising a scheme to steal from Montana and Wyoming ranchers who were trying to find hay to feed their livestock during a drought admitted to a fraud charge last week, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Jory D. Parks, 43, of Logan, Kansas, was arraigned on and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with wire fraud. Parks faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan Watters. Parks was released pending further proceedings. In…

Ruidoso Downs Race Track in New Mexico has reached an agreement with state racing officials and Downs of Albuquerque owner Paul Blanchard to relocate the rest of the 2024 racing season to Albuquerque. “We appreciate Chairman Billy Smith and Mr. Blanchard for their cooperation,” General Manager Rick Baugh told Ruidoso News. “We are all coordinating to do what is best for New Mexico’s racing industry.” Ruidoso Downs had to cancel five races on Saturday, and the entire race card on Sunday, due to flash flooding that severely damaged the track and two nearby bridges. The race track and casino are…

Just about everyone has heard of the “food dollar,” which represents $1 spent on food in the United States. There are lots of costs to producing food and many different businesses and people have a hand in getting our food from the farm to the store. Looking at the breakdown of the food dollar shows us where the money we spend on food truly goes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are three different ways to break down the food dollar, which describe different aspects of the food supply chain. And we can learn different things from each…