Author: staff

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. When President Donald Trump campaigned for his second term on the promise of deporting millions of undocumented workers from the United States, farm groups were quick to voice their discontent. An immigration policy focused solely on removing those without legal status “would cripple agricultural production in America,” according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, a powerful agricultural lobbying group.  Economists, labor organizers, and immigrant rights advocates agreed. About 40 percent of farmworkers in the country are foreign-born, unauthorized workers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently found.…

The Dairy Alliance, a nonprofit funded by dairy farm families in the Southeast, is again partnering with college athletes to show how real milk can play a vital role in athletes’ performances on game day. This year in its Milk’s Got Game campaign, the alliance is working with SEC football players Gunner Stockton and Talyn Taylor of Georgia and Jake Merklinger of Tennessee, along with their mothers, to promote how milk supports strength, recovery, and hydration for active lifestyles. “Growing up, my mom always made sure milk was part of my everyday routine,” Georgia quarterback Stockton said. “It gave me…

PepsiCo and Unilever are partnering to launch an initiative designed to strengthen farmer-facing support organizations across North America. Supporting Trusted Engagement and Partnership (STEP) up for Agriculture’s goal is to help these organizations by equipping them with tools, training, and resources needed to support farmers on the ground. The approach is designed to accelerate adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on farms and throughout the supply chain. “PepsiCo is rooted in agriculture, and farmers are at the heart of our food systems. STEP up for Ag is about investing in the organizations that support farmers every day, aiming to ensure they…

By Ryan Hanrahan USA Today’s Marc Ramirez reported that “Nebraska has confirmed its first case of bird flu in a dairy cattle herd as a lingering 18-month outbreak continues to afflict livestock nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Sept. 15.” “The state’s department of agriculture, aided by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in a press release that it had confirmed the case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a central Nebraska herd and that the herd had been quarantined,” Ramirez reported. “Though decelerating, cases of H5N1 bird flu have now been confirmed in more…

The U.S. Drought Monitor issued another report showing the expansion of drought conditions due to scant rainfall across the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast regions. Extreme drought was introduced near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, as well as eastern Ohio and portions of West Virginia along with drought expansion across portions of Texas, Oklahoma, and the eastern Plains. U.S. Drought Monitor map showing drought intensity levels. One-category improvements occurred in localized areas in western Texas northward through western Nebraska. Along the Rockies, above-average precipitation yielded fairly widespread 1-category improvements. Northern California and the Intermountain West received above-normal rainfall,…

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with China has reverberated in Argentina, denting the country’s massive soy crushing industry even though overall soybean sales hit a six-year high. Soaring exports of raw beans to China from the South American country have slowed supply to local processors. The paradox of a booming export market causing domestic pain has industry leaders worried. Idle capacity at Argentina’s powerful crushing facilities, which process soybeans into meal and oil for export, rose to 31% in July and has “widened” since, according to the CIARA-CEC grain exporters and processors chamber.…

By Roberto Samora SAO PAULO, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Brazil’s beef exports to the United States are seen falling further in September from the previous months, the head of local beef lobby Abiec said on Wednesday, in a move linked to higher tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on goods from Brazil. Roberto Perosa said that beef exports to the U.S. should fall to about 7,000 metric tons in September, from around 9,000 tons in August and 30,000 tons per month in the period preceding the tariffs, which came into force in August. Why It’s Important The U.S. used to be the second-largest buyer of beef from Brazil, the…

By Bo Erickson and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – As U.S. farmers enter autumn harvest season worried that low crop prices and a trade war could hurt their livelihoods, Republican farm-state lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump’s administration to issue economic aid for farmers by year’s end. Discussions between lawmakers and the administration highlight the trade-offs Republicans face between loyalty to the president and representing constituents who have contacted their offices and flocked to town halls in their districts, worried about the impact of Trump’s trade policies. Four farm-state members of Congress told Reuters they are in talks with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other…

Wheat variety selection sets the stage for the entire crop, but there is no single “silver bullet” variety, explained Dennis Pennington, wheat specialist with Michigan State University Extension. Instead, choosing the right wheat is about balancing yield potential, disease resistance, and agronomic fit for the farm. Yield Is Only Part of the Equation “Yield is the number one thing to look at,” Pennington said. “But yield alone isn’t enough. No variety wins every trial every year. Look for consistency in the top 10% of plots over multiple years and locations similar to your own.” Mark Lubbers, WestBred winter wheat technical…

Key Takeaways Corn harvest has started in 11 states and is 7% complete, which matches the five-year average.  Texas and North Carolina are leading in harvest progress, with Texas at 71% and North Carolina at 59% corn harvested.  Seven states have not yet reported any harvest activity as of Sept. 14. In the USDA Crop Progress report released on Sept. 15, 11 states reported harvested corn, adding three more states to the list from the prior week. Harvest progress across the 11 states was 7%, on track for the five-year average. Here’s a closer look at the states that reported harvest activity…