Author: staff
Every state in the country has seen an increase in temporary agricultural visa workers since 2018. These workers enter the country on H-2A visas, which allow companies and farms to hire seasonal labor. Southwest states such as Texas and New Mexico have seen drastic increases in the number of workers actively laboring in the state since workplace data became available in 2018. New Mexico started with just 308 visa workers harvesting crops in 2018. Last year, the state had 2,431 H-2A workers. H-2A visas continue to increase year over year, but the program’s overall number of new visas slowed from…
Agricultural Research Service scientists in Corvallis, Oregon, in collaboration with Oregon State University, developed a disease surveillance platform that could improve U.S. agriculture by unlocking the future of plant health. PathogenSurveillance is an innovative, open-source software tool that can quickly analyze and identify novel microbial variants based on DNA sequences. The automated PathogenSurveillance pipeline is an innovative workflow tool to help scientists respond in real-time to emerging, or re-emerging, invasive pathogens and pests. The surveillance platform will improve plant health and aid in reducing the spread of new and emerging diseases in agronomic, urban, and forest ecosystems. “This genomics pipeline…
Especially for a first-time attendee, the National Farm Machinery Show can be a bit overwhelming. Held each February in Louisville (for 2026, it is Feb. 11 through 14), the event eats up 1.2 million square feet of space across its three main exhibition halls at the Kentucky Exposition Center — it’s certainly a lot of ground to cover in just a few days. And most of all, you want to see the best stuff, right? New tractors, implement advancements, drone technology, tires, cattle chutes, grain bins, moisture sensors, solar panels — the NFMS will usher in around 800 exhibitors with…
It was a packed house for the 2026 Auction of Junior Livestock Champions, presented by Farm Credit in the new CoBank Auction Arena inside the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center. The standing-room-only crowd drove bidders to set five new records across the top eight animals, including the Grand Champion Market Steer, topping out at $320,000. The top eight champion animals collectively sold for a new record of $822,500, besting the old record by $185,000. Buyers gathered to show their tremendous support of youth exhibitors, the future leaders of agriculture. The private event aired live on 9NEWS and 9news.com, highlighting the top…
Sometimes when people picture a farm, a picturesque big, red barn, with a small open-cab tractor, a few chickens roaming around, and the white farm house comes to mind. This isn’t just because of movies and books. We’re still in the age where most people (maybe not all kids) have a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or some other relative or friend who had a farm. Many people picture farms like this because of their time visiting or growing up on a farm just like that image. But farms have changed drastically over the years. There’s nostalgia on a farm and…
Colorado has lost more farmland than any other state in the country over the past few years, and this trend could have a ripple effect on the economy of the state. According to the latest survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colorado has lost 1.6 million acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022, a 5 percent decline. This is significant because agriculture is the second-largest economic driver of the state, accounting for $47 billion in economic activity and 195,000 jobs. Details of this issue were a focal point of a recent joint hearing between the state Senate and House…
A Montana ag worker has filed a civil suit against Nutrien Ag Solutions, claiming that she was sexually assaulted while alone at one of the company’s facilities, and that she had previously expressed concerns to her employer about her safety at work. Brianna Nelson filed the lawsuit in Missoula County District Court, claiming that she was sexually assaulted in October 2024 while alone at Nutrien’s Havre, Montana, facility. She said she was long concerned about her safety at work and asked her employer to have security cameras installed, which had not been done. The suit names Nutrien Ag Solutions Inc.,…
National FFA Week is coming up fast, landing this year from Feb. 21 to 28, 2026, and chapters across the country are already lining up ways to celebrate agricultural education, leadership development, and the real-world impact FFA has on students and their communities. The National FFA Board of Directors originally designed the weeklong tradition in 1948. The weeklong celebration intentionally encompasses George Washington’s birthday on February 22, recognizing his legacy as an agriculturalist and farmer. The week is built for storytelling, too. Whether you’re an FFA member, alum, parent, supporter, or local partner, it’s a great time to share what…
A historic winter storm that swept across much of the United States this weekend is causing widespread disruption to agriculture, with ice, snow, and bitter cold resulting in barn collapses, power outages, livestock evacuations, and mounting economic losses expected to exceed $100 billion. Rural roads, especially, have been quiet in recent days as plows have struggled to keep up with the complicated mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. “This winter storm will shut it all down, and its effects will be widespread, impacting 200 million people in the United States,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. “The historic storm will result…
Image by Nokwan007, Shutterstock Top Third Ag Marketing, a division of StoneX Financial Services Inc., helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen to Mark Gold’s Weekly Grain Comments here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/top-third-agdaily-2026-01-26.mp3