Author: staff

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations officially launched the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 today with an opening ceremony live from FAO Headquarters in Rome and online. Held during the 179th Session of the FAO Council, the event officially kicks off the United Nations observance and is intended to set the stage for global action in 2026. The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer to spotlight the essential roles women play across agrifood systems — from production to trade — while often going unrecognized. Women farmers are central to food…

By Cami Koons The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development has awarded more than $3.6 million in “pass through” loans and grants to local utilities to benefit community businesses and emergency services.   Iowa’s Rural Development Deputy State Director Henry Kummerer announced the grants Thursday, which will impact Butler, Carroll, Decatur, and Webster counties.  The funding comes from USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program, which helps local utilities establish revolving loan funds to support projects that will create or retain jobs in their communities. According to USDA, the loans to the local utilities are interest-free. USDA awarded $1 million each…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has conditionally approved fluralaner topical (Exzolt Cattle-CA1) solution for the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm larval infestations in cattle. The product is also indicated for the treatment and control of cattle fever tick in beef cattle over 2 months of age and replacement dairy heifers under 20 months old. Under FDA’s conditional approval pathway, the agency determined the product is safe and has a reasonable expectation of effectiveness for its intended use. Intervet Inc., based in Rahway, New Jersey, has up to five years to submit additional effectiveness…

American Dairy Association North East is offering two scholarships for college students who have completed one year of post-secondary education and are interested in agriculture, dairy product marketing, dairy manufacturing, agricultural communications, journalism or dairy product nutrition. Applications are due online by December 31. Applications for the $500 Leo Briggs Memorial with American Dairy Association North East Scholarship must have exhibited leadership in dairy promotion, and applicants for the $1,000 Dawn Houppert Memorial with American Dairy Association North East Scholarship must be a current or former dairy ambassador or dairy princess from New York. All applicants must reside in the…

“I would like to say, to begin with, that you’re learning about a 92-year-old undiagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity redneck rancher with a sense of humor. And we can go from there,” explained Delbert Trew of Alanreed, Texas. Trew was born June 19, 1933, on his family farm in Perryton, in the middle of both the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. That year alone, more than 100 dust storms tore across the Perryton area, with that June being among the worst months ever recorded. Trew, a true Texas agriculturalist, has spent his life surrounded by the brutal realities and the rich…

Shortly past 8:30 a.m. CT, March corn was unchanged at $4.43½ per bushel. January soybeans were up 2½¢ at $11.18¼ per bushel. March CBOT wheat was down 5¼¢ at $5.33 per bushel. March KC wheat was down 4¾¢ at $5.24¾ per bushel. March Minneapolis wheat was down 3¼¢ at $5.73. This morning, USDA announced new export sales: Colombia is buying 100,800 metric tons of corn for the 2025/2026 marketing year.Mexico is buying 392,500 metric tons of corn for the 2025/2026 marketing year. Shortly past 8:30 a.m. CT, January feeder cattle were up $3.55 at $335.40 per hundredweight (cwt). February live…

The most problematic weed species have an unmatched potential to spread. Left unmanaged, both waterhemp and Palmer amaranth can produce up to 1 million seeds per plant, according to Ohio State University Extension. “Thirty years ago, weed control programs would cost $10–15 per acre,” said Josh Putman, a technical marketing manager for BASF. “Today, we are up north of $100 per acre, primarily due to the resistance and competitive nature of a lot of weed species.” Understanding how weeds spread is the first step in building an effective control program and reducing the risk of herbicide resistance. How Weeds Spread…

A new detection of New World screwworm in northern Mexico is raising alarms among animal health officials and border-state producers, even as Texas remains free of confirmed cases. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the Texas Department of Agriculture was notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of a detection in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, approximately 120 miles south of the Texas border. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the case in a 22-month-old bovine transported from Veracruz to a feedlot in Nuevo León, according to Miller’s statement. “The New World screwworm is one of the most…

Law enforcement in Cooke County, Texas, is investigating a case of suspected animal cruelty after a bison was unlawfully shot, decapitated, and left on private property south of Lindsay, according to the sheriff’s office. The incident occurred sometime between Nov. 23 and Nov. 26, 2025, on the Neu family’s bison ranch, a property near County Road 301 and FM 3208 (also reported as FM 3108), authorities said. Investigators believe the suspect or suspects removed the animal’s head and left the remaining carcass behind. “I could smell something dead, and I told my wife we needed to go check the fence…

Farmers may soon see short-term financial relief as the Trump administration prepares to roll out a long-discussed “bridge payment” intended to help producers weather ongoing market volatility and prolonged trade uncertainty. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed during a White House cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will announce details of the payments next week. While the administration has not yet released the final dollar figure, early estimates from several farm groups suggest the support package could total around $12 billion. Rollins said the aid is designed to provide a financial stopgap as longer-term trade and farm…