Author: staff

The Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. in Elk City, Oklahoma, is facing an unprecedented tragedy: the loss of 70 to 80 bucking horses, a devastating blow to its 95-year-old family-owned business. Founded in 1929 by Elra, Jake, and Lynn Beutler, the company has grown into a cornerstone of the rodeo community. Elra’s grandson, Bennie, and his son, Rhett, continue the legacy. The sudden loss of so many horses is an irreparable setback to their generations-deep breeding program, which cannot be easily replaced or replicated. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry said that in a statement on Thursday that…

Imag By Noppadon stocker, Shutterstock The National Corn Growers Association has announced the awardees for the 2024 NCGA Scholarship Programs. A committee of grower leaders selected eleven outstanding students to receive scholarships for this fall semester. NCGA is proud to continue supporting these vital programs in partnership with BASF Corporation. “At NCGA, we are committed to securing a strong future for corn farmers through every initiative. These scholarships represent a key investment in cultivating the next generation of ag industry leaders and problem-solvers,” said Dan Nerud, Nebraska grower and chair of the NCGA Member & Consumer Engagement Action Team. “The…

Philip Nelson has long been a stout advocate for agriculture. As past president of Illinois Farm Bureau and former director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, he found himself in the thick of five farm bill discussions, as well as being called into D.C. to testify about our industry before the House and Senate ag committees. He was also the driving force in the middle 2000s to create an agricultural specialty license plate that benefits the Illinois Agricultural Association Foundation’s Ag in the Classroom efforts. In just its first five years, the money raised through that specialty place topped $310,000 — and…

Emily Hornberger of Snyder County, Pennsylvania, and Ava Kaskela of Chester County, Pennsylvania, were recently awarded scholarships through the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow program. The students were recognized with the scholarships after completing and passing at least one of the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow certification exams and associated coursework during their high school careers. As college freshmen for the 2024-25 school year, both Emily and Ava received a $3,000 scholarship to support their academic studies in dairy-related fields. “These students both have unique experiences in the dairy industry, and they are extremely passionate about making dairy a…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cleared a major regulatory hurdle for Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp.’s HB4 wheat technology, potentially paving the way for the first genetically modified wheat to enter the North American market. This milestone, announced today, marks a transformative moment in agricultural biotechnology, though it is not without its challenges. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service conducted a thorough analysis of HB4 wheat. It concluded that it poses no greater risk of becoming a plant pest than traditional wheat varieties. As a result, HB4 wheat will not be subject to the stringent regulations under 7…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its latest agricultural trade forecast, predicting a sharp rise in the trade deficit for the upcoming fiscal year 2025. The forecast anticipates a record deficit of $42.5 billion, a significant increase from the $30.5 billion deficit projected for FY 2024, which ends on September 30th. This widening gap is attributed to both a decline in agricultural exports and a rise in imports. Notably, soybean exports are expected to decrease by $1.5 billion to $22.9 billion, while corn exports are forecast to drop by $900 million to $12.2 billion. On the import side, the…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced updated guidelines this week for how it supports documentation of animal-raising or environment-related claims on meat and poultry product labels. The USDA highlighted that claims such as “Raised Without Antibiotics,” “Grass-Fed,” and “Free-Range,” along with environmental claims like “Raised using Regenerative Agriculture Practices” and “Climate-Friendly,” are voluntary marketing assertions. These claims aim to emphasize specific practices related to the raising of animals or the implementation of what some consider to be more environmentally sustainable methods. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized the importance of these updates, stating that they are part of the USDA’s ongoing…

The 2024 presidential election cycle has been a doozy: Amid an assassination attempt on GOP candidate Donald Trump, the ascendance of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket after Joe Biden stepped down, and the frenzy over the selections of Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates, respectively, it has been hard to look away — even for a moment. But with the broad swath of the nation still under the label of rural America, it’s vital to keep an eye on how the policies coming…

A group of 69 elementary and middle school teachers from 22 states provided their students with hands-on learning experiences at local dairy farms this spring. The teachers who are enrolled in the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s Discover Dairy program received dairy farm field trip grants through the Dairy Excellence Foundation, Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. The grants, which amounted to more than $30,000, allowed more than 2,900 students to tour dairy farms in their community and talk firsthand with dairy farmers and their families. During the farm tours, students discovered how farmers care for their cows, conserve their…

University of Missouri researchers are working to develop the first-ever vaccine proven to protect cattle from a devastating tick-borne cattle disease known as bovine anaplasmosis. The research is vital to the state’s economy as it aims to protect Missouri’s $1.6 billion cattle industry. Bovine anaplasmosis — which is common in Missouri — infects the red blood cells of cattle and causes hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses nationwide each year and nearly $1 billion in losses worldwide, primarily due to reduced cattle production, treatment costs and deaths. Roman Ganta, a McKee endowed professor in Mizzou’s College of Veterinary…