Author: staff

House Republicans passed their reconciliation bill by a one vote margin on May 22. The bill boosts farm programs and extends key tax breaks but cuts SNAP program spending. On this episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson joined the show to talk about why the bill is so important for agriculture. He also discussed the impact of federal downsizing at USDA and whether farmers should be worried about the president’s trade policy. Then, Jim Richards with Cornerstone Government Affairs and Anne Simmons with The Peterson Group, Inc. discussed the specifics of reconciliation and whether comprehensive…

Dana and Lauren Cavalea once led a fast-paced life in New York City, where he was the head strength training coach for the New York Yankees and she interviewed celebrities for ABC News. Today, they raise cattle and market beef from their upstate New York farm.  Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to 15 Minutes With a Farmer on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review us! Meet the Cavaleas In 2020, the Cavaleas purchased a farm near Greene, NY, around 3 hours northwest of Manhattan. It was meant to be a vacation property for…

Lurking beneath the soil, in residue, and adrift on the wind currents, a band of disease desperados waits to rob your yields. The prevalence of these diseases varies annually, as many factors influence which may have the biggest impact on yield. Staying informed, scouting fields regularly, and adjusting management strategies accordingly can help you stay ahead of these yield-robbing villains.  Let’s look at the most wanted culprits in corn fields — along with their rap sheets, and how you can bring them to justice. In many fields, corn disease pathogens sleep in the soil, waiting for the perfect conditions to…

Lurking beneath the soil, in residue, and adrift on the wind currents, a band of disease desperados waits to rob your yields. The prevalence of these diseases varies annually, as many factors influence which may have the biggest impact on yield. Staying informed, scouting fields regularly, and adjusting management strategies accordingly can help you stay ahead of these yield-robbing villains.  Let’s look at the most wanted culprits in soybean fields — along with their rap sheets, and how you can bring them to justice. These pathogens lurk in the soil, thrive in humid canopies, and strike when conditions are just…

By Cami Koons Iowa farmers have less than 10% of corn acres left to plant, which puts them a whopping 12 days ahead of last year’s pace and four days ahead of normal, according to the crop progress and condition report.  The report said farmers made “rapid progress” during the reporting period which had nearly a full week suitable for field work. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the rain and cooler temperatures forecasted this week might mean fewer days in the field, but could be helpful for young crops.  “We need the moisture across the state, and the widespread…

By John Hult A provision to let pipeline companies bypass state permitters is expected to be stripped from the “big, beautiful” federal budget reconciliation bill, but anti-pipeline activists want Congress to kill a carbon tax credit program before they pass the bill along to President Donald Trump. That was the message from a group of South Dakota carbon dioxide pipeline opponents during a virtual press conference Monday. Representatives from Dakota Rural Action, the South Dakota Property Rights, and Local Control Alliance, and the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association joined the call.  Last week, groups in the anti-carbon pipeline camp raised alarms about the…

By any measure, 2024 was a standout year for America’s leading landowners. Last year, the Land Report 100 added more than 1,000 square miles of farmland, cattle ground, and timber tracts to their portfolios. This impressive series of acquisitions marked the biggest buying spree since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago. Transactions ranged in size from as small as 3 acres to more than 100,000. There was, however, a notable exception to this trend: the record-setting sale of Brewster Ranch by Brad Kelley. At the beginning of the year, the Kentucky native ranked as the largest landowner…

By Jennifer Shutt WASHINGTON — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before Congress on Tuesday that a major report due out later this week from his agency will not disparage farmers or a commonly used pesticide. Kennedy, who has long been critical of certain aspects of modern agriculture and processed food, at a U.S. Senate hearing urged lawmakers to read the widely anticipated “Make America Healthy Again” report once it’s published Thursday, but didn’t go into details about any possible recommendations. “Everybody will see the report,” Kennedy said. “And there’s nobody that has a greater…

By Gary Schnitkey, Nick Paulson, Jonathan Coppess, and Carl Zulauf The House Reconciliation Bill includes changes to statutory reference prices used to trigger payments from the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program, as well as changes to Agricultural Risk Coverage (see Farmdoc Daily, May 14, 2025). We evaluate how these changes will impact Federal outlays of the six largest program crops, finding that the proposed changes, if enacted, will increase spending by $29.873 billion from 2025–2035. Proportional increases are larger for rice, peanuts, and cotton than for corn, soybeans, and wheat. Changes in the House Reference Bill for PLC and ARC-CO The…

Honda announced the return of the FourTrax line of multipurpose ATVs — the FourTrax Rancher, Foreman 4×4, and Foreman Rubicon — for the 2026 model year.  The FourTrax models will have new accessories for 2026 including the Mini-Pro Connect Line that allows owners to bring a camera, phone, tablet or Bluetooth speaker on the ride. Other features include a new audio system, gun-boot mount, steel baskets, and handguards. FourTrax Rancher The FourTrax Rancher is designed for recreational and work use, available in four different trims. Options include a 5-speed manual transmission, and Honda’s 5-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). All…