Author: staff

Government agencies are struggling to monitor and respond to highly pathogenic avian influenza, which is echoing the early months of the COVID pandemic. It’s been about five months since the Texas Department of State Health Services announced that a worker on a dairy farm had tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus after being exposed to apparently infected cattle. Since then, the U.S. public health response has been slow and disjointed, bringing back memories of how the federal government responded during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having a pandemic playbook in early 2020,…

The Michigan Agricultural Heritage Plate, adorned with a picturesque red barn, silo, and sunlit fields, does more than just decorate a vehicle — it fuels critical agricultural education for K-12 students. Originally available only for passenger vehicles, the plate was expanded in 2019 to include commercial and university vehicles, thanks to the efforts of Bob Craig, former development director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture. After launching his own business, Craig discovered he could no longer use the plate on his commercial vehicle, which led him to push for legislation to broaden access to the specialty plate. With support from…

The investigation follows Tyson Foods’ recent closure of nine meatpacking plants across the United States. The Packers and Stockyard Division is actively investigating Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat companies in the United States, according to interviews with contract growers and a U.S. Department of Agriculture employee. The PSD, an arm of the USDA, is tasked with investigating violations of the Packers and Stockyard Act and handing out enforcement actions. The act was created in 1921 to protect livestock and poultry producers from “unfair, unjustly discriminatory or deceptive practices.” The agency routinely investigates potential violations such as the suppression…

Today, the journal Science has published what is believed to be the most comprehensive scientific review ever undertaken into how climate change is likely to exacerbate the environmental impacts that agriculture already makes. The study catalogues the extent to which the long-term health of people and nature depends on the resilience and sustainability of food production systems in light of ongoing climate change. “The paper highlights where agriculture’s negative environmental impacts could be further magnified as the climate crisis deepens, exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient pollution, and habitat and soil loss,” said lead author Yi Yang, professor at Chongquing University,…

Near Prunedale, California, a barrage of gunfire led to the deaths of nearly 100 farm animals, and one suspect has been arrested in connection with the attack. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported that at around 3:25 a.m. earlier this week, it began receiving multiple calls about gunfire erupting off Avery Lane, a small road linked to Paradise Road. Deputies arriving at the scene said they were met with the unmistakable sounds of shots being fired. A shelter-in-place order was issued as deputies worked to locate the shooter. After three hours of gunfire, a suspect was apprehended, and the shooting…

Image by B Brown, Shutterstock Lallemand Animal Nutrition, a company that produces and develops yeasts and bacteria for the nutrition and well-being of livestock or pets, also focuses on promoting agricultural knowledge and continuous learning. Since its start, Lallemand Animal Nutrition has contributed over $130,000 to students pursuing higher education in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In 2024, they will mark the 10th year of the Lallemand Scholarship Program. The company offers the following scholarships to full-time students in these countries: Two $2,500 scholarships for undergraduate students One $3,000 scholarship for a master’s student One $3,000 scholarship for a doctoral…

The 56th Annual Butter Sculpture at the New York State Fair has come down, but it will not be wasted: Jack Klapper, co-owner of Noblehurst Farms, will recycle the butter in the farm’s methane digester and turn it into renewable energy. American Dairy Association North East, in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Noblehurst Farms, dismantled the 800-pound sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds. Ultimately, the butter — which was provided by O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia, New York, and was unsuitable for sale or consumption for a variety of reasons — will return to Western New York,…

As a graduate student at the University of Illinois in the early 1980s, I was introduced to the concept of anaerobic digestion of waste. This process greatly reduces the pollution liability of organic materials such as manure, sewage sludge and industrial wastes while producing biogas, a useful fuel. Because of that, I found myself working on the nexus of agriculture, environment and energy at a young age. I learned about the immense complexity of the climate riddle and how much farmers contribute to the solutions. I bristle when I read articles blaming American farmers for methane emissions from “cow farts,”…

Missouri agricultural leaders, FFA and 4-H members, elected officials, and partners collaborated at the Missouri State Fair to capstone the 2024 Drive to Feed Kids. With food insecurity affecting one in seven Missouri children, Missouri agriculture has banded together to take action to help change this reality through the Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids. In 2024, the effort to stand in the gap for those facing hunger in our state raised 711,000 meals. Over the past eight years, this collaborative partnership has raised resources to provide over thirteen million meals for children and families across the state. “Farmers…

Ten start-up companies offering agricultural innovations are now vying for a top prize of $100,000 in the 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, continues to elevate the importance of entrepreneurship in agriculture through the contest. “New ideas and innovative businesses have continually pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in farming,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We doubled the prize and the impact for this competition, which helps entrepreneurs grow their ideas into products that support farmers and ranchers in their mission to provide the food, fuel, and fiber we all…