Author: staff

Another member of the historic Kennedy family is in political office, this time in the cabinet of President Donald Trump.  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmental lawyer, vaccine skeptic, and former independent candidate for president, was confirmed Thursday morning by the Senate. Kennedy’s confirmation process was filled with uncertainty, as he defended statements he made alleging that vaccines could cause autism, which he made without evidence supporting the claim.  Kennedy, 71, was confirmed 52-48, with Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) the only Republican senator to vote against him. Now as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), he…

At the close, May corn was up 2¢ at $5.06 per bushel. March soybeans increased 2¼¢ at $10.30 per bushel. Don Roose, President of U.S. Commodities, said the corn market continues to be in a 12¢ trading range at the expected top, but grain looks to be on hold today. “The soybean [is] technically breaking down as harvest is starting to ramp up in Brazil. Northern Mato Grosso, before long, is going to have almost a billion bushels that’s going to be harvested…. So, I think it’s the weight of the South American harvest that’s pressuring the market.” Roose pointed to…

Snowfall has been sparse across Nebraska this winter, but a cattleman said the lack of snow has made for “beautiful cattle feeding” conditions. Craig Uden, a fourth generation cattleman and part-owner of Darr Feedlot in Central Nebraska, said there have only been about six inches of snow all winter long. Despite the lack of snow, Uden said the weather has been “wonderful for cattle feeding conditions.” A lot of Uden’s cattle have been able to stay in the corn fields as a result of “so many 50 to 60℉ days. It’s actually been a tremendously easy year to winter cows,”…

By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK, Feb 13 (Reuters) – U.S. senators reintroduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would allow nationwide sales of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol year-round, a plan that has the support of a leading oil trade group. Senator Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, introduced the bill with senators including Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, and said it would do away with patchwork regulations that would have the blend containing 15% ethanol, known as E15, only available in certain areas of the U.S. Year-round sales of E15 have been long sought by the biofuel industry and corn…

He said he has long “disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions.” He said overhauling the U.S. food system “simply cannot succeed if we do not have the partnership of America’s farmers.” He said declines in rural health are “undoubtedly related to the intensity of chemical pesticides.” After a 52-48 largely party-line vote in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was given the keys to realize his Make America Healthy Again vision as the new secretary of Health and Human Services. While much of his tense confirmation hearings the last week of January focused on RFK…

Was there ever any doubt that Brooke Rollins would be confirmed as the next Secretary of Agriculture? The Texas native and former CEO of the nonprofit America First Policy Institute cruised through the full U.S. Senate, being confirmed Thursday by a vote of 72-28. Senators described her as a “terrific nominee” and lauded her “long personal and professional connection to agriculture and rural America.” And during her confirmation hearings last month, Rollins presented a command of the room, giving strong answers to questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. “I appreciate Mrs. Rollins committing to getting the much-needed economic…

Pasteurization is the only widely recognized method of killing H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu, in milk. However, pasteurization can be expensive, and fewer than 50 percent of large dairy farms pasteurize waste milk. Waste milk includes colostrum, the first milk after calving, milk from cows treated with antibiotics or other drugs, and any other factor that can make milk unsuitable and unsellable for human consumption. On farms, raw waste milk poses a potential risk of spreading avian flu, which has been confirmed in dairy cattle in 16 states so far. University of California, Davis, researchers have found that…

By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) – Bird flu infections were detected among cattle veterinarians tested last fall, including two people with no known exposure to animals with the virus, according to a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. Bird flu has infected nearly 70 people in the U.S., with one death, since last April. Most of those infections have been among farmworkers exposed to infected poultry or cows. The CDC report said the virus was found in three out of 150 veterinarians who were tested in September 2024. Two of those veterinarians were not…

Vans equipped somewhere between a doctor’s office and hospital, with an AI agent to guide medical generalists through unfamiliar diagnoses and procedures, could improve access to health care in rural areas. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, is investing in the development of such a clinic, with the University of Michigan leading one of two large teams designing and building the AI component. Even before rural hospitals began scaling back services and shutting down, getting consistent medical care was challenging for people living in remote areas. The new program to improve access conjures Knight Rider crossed with…

As we celebrate National FFA Week, Successful Farming staff members recall their favorite memories and lessons learned in FFA. They all agree their experience gave them important skills and tools they use to this day. Stormy Miller National Account ExecutiveStuart, Iowa, West Central Valley FFA Chapter I owe a lot of thanks to my advisor and chapter for allowing me to find my place in the ag classroom and spark my passion for ag. Being the youngest of 3, I joined FFA because it was just ‘something we did.’ After attending Greenhand Camp my freshman year, I was immediately drawn…