Author: staff

More than 100 USDA agency offices are some of the latest to be selected by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for lease termination. They’re on a list of nearly 750 government offices on the department’s so-called “Wall of Receipts,” falling under the real estate category. Agencies affected include Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) and their locations cut across 39 states and four territories. Will one of your local offices be affected? Take a look at this map of office locations to find out. Natural Resources Conservation Service The mission of the NRCS is to…

Whether it’s understanding how to manage a weed like waterhemp or helping a grower find the best products for their dollar in this tight economy, Nick Groth is up for the challenge.  Groth is an agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection covering the state of Wisconsin. His educational background includes bachelor’s degrees in agronomy and soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in agronomy from Iowa State University. Before his role with Syngenta, he worked for several years in ag retail. During the growing season, Groth is a contributing agronomist for Successful Farming’s coverage of…

By Jacob Fischler The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will seek to undo more than 30 regulations, including some aimed at lowering carbon emissions and curbing pollution, as well as redefining what waters and wetlands the federal government can regulate, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. The agency will take 31 actions covering a host of issues that amounted to “the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history,” Zeldin said in a brief video posted to the EPA website Wednesday afternoon. Zeldin framed the moves as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to encourage energy production and cut regulations focused on slowing climate…

By Joshua Haiar Summit Carbon Solutions wants the schedule of proceedings for its South Dakota permit application “paused for review and adjustment” after the state’s Legislature and governor approved a ban on the use of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines. The company filed a motion Wednesday with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission asking for a suspension of the scheduling order and an indefinite extension of the deadline for regulatory action on the application. The existing schedule includes a multiday evidentiary hearing in August and September. Summit cited House Bill 1052, signed last week by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden, as a significant…

By Leah Douglas March 13 (Reuters) – Several U.S. farmers and non-profit organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Thursday, arguing it is illegally withholding Department of Agriculture grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. The USDA has frozen a broad swath of grants as it conducts an agency-wide spending review, including money for conservation and other farm programs funded by the IRA. The five farmers involved in the suit were awarded grants from a USDA Rural Energy for America Program to install solar panels. The three non-profits involved were awarded Forest Service grants. The farmers have entered into contracts with solar installers and incurred costs…

Over the last month, a growing number of residents across the U.S. have been receiving unsolicited packets of seeds in the mail, apparently from China. According to an initial statement by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), one of the first reported packages containing unidentified seeds was delivered to Clute, Texas. That Feb. 4 statement said that the TDA promptly forwarded the package and contents to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).  It was confirmed in a Feb. 7 statement from TDA that the contents of that first package were seeds of an aquatic plant Nelumbo nucifera, more…

DAILY Bites Researchers at UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute successfully developed pig retinal organoids, finding they share similarities with human retinal organoids, making pigs a valuable model for testing ocular therapeutics. By leveraging single-cell RNA sequencing and immunocytochemistry, scientists identified key genetic and cellular similarities between pig and human photoreceptors, advancing the potential for stem cell-based vision restoration. The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, aims to explore cell replacement therapy for retinal injuries common in the military, with ongoing pig transplants to assess the integration of lab-grown photoreceptors. DAILY Discussion Inside the human eye, the retina is…

1. Soybeans, Grains Higher in Overnight Trading  Soybean and grain futures were higher on technical buying and reduced forecasts for global inventories.  Investors who were short the market, or had bet on lower prices, likely bought back contracts and booked profits after prices declined this week.  Also boosting prices overnight are concerns about declining world stocks. Global stockpiles are forecast at 121.4 million metric tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report this week. That’s down from the February outlook for 124.3 million metric tons.  Larger crush rates will lead to lower ending stocks, the agency said.  Still,…

DAILY Bites Oregon farm leaders warn that House Bill 2548 could impose excessive regulations, further harming the state’s struggling agricultural industry. Opponents argue that Oregon already has strong labor protections, and the bill represents unnecessary government overreach. Lawmakers and industry leaders fear the bill will force more small farms out of business, accelerating the loss of family-owned operations. DAILY Discussion House Bill 2548 is facing strong opposition from Oregon’s agricultural community, with industry leaders and lawmakers warning of severe consequences for family farms. Opponents argue that the bill represents government overreach and could further damage an already struggling industry. Tami…

“Safety third!” If your collar’s blue enough, or if you keep company with a rowdy crowd, you’ve heard this mantra — maybe even utilized it yourself. Naturally, in the real world we know we can’t always do things by the book and our risk-taking capability needs to be somewhat healthy. But when it comes to our youth, we want our margin for error to be as close to nonexistent as we can possibly make it. Too often in agriculture, we become overly familiar in our surroundings; our workplace is usually the backyard after all. And it’s easy to overlook how…