Author: staff

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the long-awaited Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, on January 7, dubbing it a “big reset” in nutritional advice that seeks to “put real food back” in American health. Clearly influenced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make American Healthy Again movement, the new guidelines even feature a reworking of the food pyramid, now depicted upside down. The document emphasizes minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods, including protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains, while encouraging Americans to reduce highly processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives. “As…

Running a temperature helps humans protect themselves from infections, but research testing avian flu viruses in mice suggests these strains share a trait with those that caused some of the world’s worst pandemics: the ability to resist a fever. Though more research is needed to see if the findings can be replicated and extrapolated to humans, the results suggest that this trait enables viruses to continue sickening their hosts, increasing the threat of severe disease in humans. A study published in the journal Science finds that bird flu viruses, which have adapted to tolerate temperatures of 40 to 42 degrees…

The U.S. dairy industry has scored a significant trade win ($128 million in U.S. exports in 2024) after Colombia officially ended its investigation into U.S. milk powder imports and confirmed that no additional tariffs or countervailing duties will be imposed. The decision preserves long-standing market access for American exporters and reinforces the importance of fair and transparent enforcement of trade agreements. Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism formally dismissed the case on December 30, 2025, concluding that accusations of unfair subsidies and harm to local dairy producers were not supported by evidence.  The investigation began in 2024, when Colombian…

Finding one tick on your body is scary enough. Tick-borne diseases are serious, but what if you found more than 10 on yourself in just one month? That’s the plight of some farmers as the threat of ticks and tick-borne diseases grows, according to new research featuring experts at Binghamton University, State University of New York. New research led by Mandy Roome, associate director of the Tick-borne Disease Center at Binghamton, reveals that farmers and outdoor workers in the Northeast are facing an escalating threat of tick-borne diseases, which could be devastating to their livelihoods. Ticks are surging and spreading…

DAILY Bites AFBF urged EPA and the Army Corps to finalize a clear, durable WOTUS rule that reduces uncertainty for farmers and ranchers. The group said the proposal aligns with Supreme Court precedent, especially Sackett v. EPA, by narrowing jurisdiction and defining key terms. AFBF backed clearer wetland standards, continued exclusion of prior converted cropland, and keeping most ditches and groundwater outside WOTUS. DAILY Discussion The American Farm Bureau Federation submitted formal comments on Monday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army regarding a revised definition of “waters of the United States.” In its comments,…

Farmer sentiment dipped slightly in December as producers grew a bit less optimistic about the long-term outlook for U.S. agriculture, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The barometer index fell three points from November to a reading of 136, driven primarily by softer future expectations. The Future Expectations Index dropped four points to 140, while the Current Conditions Index held steady at 128. The survey was conducted Dec. 1 to 5, 2025. Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, October 2015-December 2025 (Image by Purdue) Brazil competition and soybean export worries chip away at optimism Purdue economists Michael…

A peer-reviewed study, recently published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, found Bayer’s Preceon Smart Corn System features several significant benefits — including a lower carbon intensity score and significantly more robust root masses — that can lead to more sustainable corn production and help growers deliver on climate goals. Analyzing several years of data, Bayer and university researchers demonstrated that short-stature corn systems (SSC) reduced the carbon intensity of growing corn by an average of 13 percent, thanks to higher yield potential, better root systems, and more effective management of inputs. The Preceon Smart Corn System is a short-stature…

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today led the Senate in introducing legislation to help protect farmers from fatal tractor rollovers through a U.S. Department of Agriculture cost-share grant program for retrofitting older tractors with rollbars and other protections. Hyde-Smith, with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jim Justice (D-W.Va.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), on Monday introduced the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety Act (ROPS Act) to continue operation of the National ROPS Rebate Program. Mississippi farmers rely on this effective program, which could expire without congressional action. “We need to extend this small, but important program that can save lives in rural…

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…