Prop 12, Q3 Addressed in Farm Bill Proposal
Controversial state policies, such as California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts Q3, are addressed in the new farm bill text. It says state and local governments cannot impose regulations on how livestock is produced outside of its borders, protecting farmers and…
Thompson Unveils Farm Bill 2.0 Text
Saying it is long overdue, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson released the farm bill text late Friday. The 800-page bill expands on the support for farmers in the One Big Beautiful Bill. It more than doubles the investment…
Bridge Payment Program for Specialty Crops Announced
Details of the $1 billion in Farmer Bridge Assistance for specialty crops have been announced. Sugarbeets and potatoes are among the nearly 100 specialty crops covered by the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program. Commodity-specific payment rates will be announced…
Lawfare Initiative Launched
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced the launch of the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework. “Together, we will ensure that no law, no regulation and no adgenda will ever stand in the way of America’s agricultural future,” said Rollins. USDA…
Chicago Fed: Credit Conditions Deteriorate
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago highlighted agriculture’s financial stress in a newly released report. It said agricultural credit conditions continued to deteriorate in the fourth quarter. Nearly six percent of the farm loan portfolio was at risk for major…
A Crisis of Confidence
Farm Journal’s first Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor of 2026 shows the U.S. agricultural economy started the year in a crop-sector recession. Row-crop producers are facing significant financial stress, while the livestock sector, especially beef cattle, remains comparatively strong. The survey…
Taiwan Agreement Strengthens Market for U.S. Beef
The U.S. Meat Export Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are praising a new Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the United States and Taiwan, announced by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The agreement expands market access for…
Crop Insurance Enhancements
The newly-released farm bill text builds on the support for crop insurance in recent farm bills. It calls for the development of new policies for specialty crops and establishes a specialty crop policy advisory committee. The Risk Management Agency would…
Thompson Unveils Farm Bill 2.0 Text
Saying it is long overdue, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson released the farm bill text late Friday. The 800-page bill expands on the support for farmers in the One Big Beautiful Bill. It more than doubles the investment…
Martin Takes Leadership Role with MN FFA Foundation
Staci Martin is the new chair of the Minnesota FFA Foundation Board of Trustees. Martin is the director of strategic initiatives and government relations at AgriBank. She has been a member of the board since 2018.
Bridge Payment Program for Specialty Crops Announced
Details of the $1 billion in Farmer Bridge Assistance for specialty crops have been announced. Sugarbeets and potatoes are among the nearly 100 specialty crops covered by the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program. Commodity-specific payment rates will be announced…
Correction
Mark Schoenfeld is a Region 4 director for the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association. In last week’s newsletter, Schoenfeld was incorrectly identified as a regional director for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
A Brand Realignment for GDM
The global seed company, GDM, has realigned its brands. The new structure is being anchored by two primary brands. AgriGold will serve the Central Corn Belt and Mustang Seeds will serve the Northern Corn Belt. The structure will be supported…
Beet Stock Values
Low American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock inventory lead to a quit week of stock trading. According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, there was only one brokered sale for 40 shares at $4,100 per share. “At the end…
Beet Stock Values
Low American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock inventory lead to a quit week of stock trading. According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, there was only one brokered sale for 40 shares at $4,100 per share. “At the end…
U.S. and Taiwan Ink Trade Deal
The new U.S.-Taiwan reciprocal trade agreement eliminates or reduces 99 percent of tariff barriers and provides preferential market access for exports, including beef, wheat, dairy and pork products. It also resolves nontariff trade barriers for U.S ag products, such as…
USMCA Reviewed in Senate Finance Committee
Agriculture was part of a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Idaho dairy farmer Ted Vander Schaaf said Mexico and Canada are the top two export markets for U.S. dairy products. When pressed, Vander Schaaf said the dairy…
Taiwan Agreement Strengthens Market for U.S. Beef
The U.S. Meat Export Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are praising a new Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the United States and Taiwan, announced by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The agreement expands market access for…
Cattle Country Conversations
In the latest edition of Cattle Country Conversations, we hear from AgCountry Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President of Credit Fallon Savage. Cattle prices are in lofty territory, but margins can be thin in this environment. Click here to listen…
MAP and FMD Funding Awarded
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has awarded more than $212 million through its Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program. Checkoff programs provide matching funds to leverage the impact of the market development efforts. MAP funding includes $14 million for…
Bilateral Trade Talks with Mexico and Canada
Rather than renewing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the Trump Administration is threatening negotiate separate trade deals with each country. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer appeared on Fox Business. “If there are areas where there is overlap, where it makes sense to…
Prop 12, Q3 Addressed in Farm Bill Proposal
Controversial state policies, such as California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts Q3, are addressed in the new farm bill text. It says state and local governments cannot impose regulations on how livestock is produced outside of its borders, protecting farmers and…
Crop Insurance Enhancements
The newly-released farm bill text builds on the support for crop insurance in recent farm bills. It calls for the development of new policies for specialty crops and establishes a specialty crop policy advisory committee. The Risk Management Agency would…
Martin Takes Leadership Role with MN FFA Foundation
Staci Martin is the new chair of the Minnesota FFA Foundation Board of Trustees. Martin is the director of strategic initiatives and government relations at AgriBank. She has been a member of the board since 2018.
Bridge Payment Program for Specialty Crops Announced
Details of the $1 billion in Farmer Bridge Assistance for specialty crops have been announced. Sugarbeets and potatoes are among the nearly 100 specialty crops covered by the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program. Commodity-specific payment rates will be announced…
A Brand Realignment for GDM
The global seed company, GDM, has realigned its brands. The new structure is being anchored by two primary brands. AgriGold will serve the Central Corn Belt and Mustang Seeds will serve the Northern Corn Belt. The structure will be supported…
Lawfare Initiative Launched
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced the launch of the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework. “Together, we will ensure that no law, no regulation and no adgenda will ever stand in the way of America’s agricultural future,” said Rollins. USDA…
Ground Beef Processing Plant to Close
Cargill plans to shut down its ground beef processing plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and shift production to its other plants. Layoffs will begin April 11 and the plant will close at the end of May.
Potato Growers Heading to D.C
Potato growers are ramping up advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., to address transportation, labor, and policy challenges affecting the industry. Gary Shields, executive director, Northland Potato Growers Association, says federal policy remains a top priority for maintaining a competitive and…
USDA and HHS Roll Out Updated Dietary Guidelines
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday the implementation of the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Rollins said the guidelines will be applied “through rulemaking and education.” At the same time,…
Crop Insurance Boost Brings Relief to Farmers
NAU Country’s Vice President of Farm Services Rich Morrison says changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill delivered meaningful improvements to crop insurance and risk management tools. The subsidy levels for the Supplemental Coverage Option, Enhanced Coverage Option and Margin…
Pulse Industry Seeks Clarity After Trade Language Shift
The U.S. decision to remove references to pulses and agricultural purchases from an updated India-U.S. trade framework is raising concerns among American pulse growers. “Removing these references to certain pulses and other agricultural purchases has created some uncertainty in the…
Baselining Barley
The American Malting Barley Association has released its first-ever emissions report. The study was conducted to outline the barley industry’s sustainability story. The total carbon intensity score was 15.7 pounds per carbon equivalent for every bushel of barley produced. Thirty-three…
Farm Profitability Pressured by Fertilizer Costs
NDSU Extension has released projected crop budgets for 2026. “One of the problems is that fertilizer costs per acre are higher,” said Ron Haugen, farm management specialist, NDSU Extension. “The actual fertilizer nutrients in the soil are higher, so the…
Smart Fungicide Planning
White mold pressure was commonplace this past year. Those fungal spores will remain in the soil for up to ten years. Channel Technical Agronomist Lindsey Novak, who is based in Bismarck, advises farmers to have a fungicide plan in place…
Prop 12, Q3 Addressed in Farm Bill Proposal
Controversial state policies, such as California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts Q3, are addressed in the new farm bill text. It says state and local governments cannot impose regulations on how livestock is produced outside of its borders, protecting farmers and…
Additional Portion of ELRP Funds Released
Livestock producers were eligible to for disaster relief due to drought and wildfires in 2023 or 2024. In May of last year, USDA released 35 percent of the estimated losses through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program. The Agriculture Department is…
Lawfare Initiative Launched
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced the launch of the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework. “Together, we will ensure that no law, no regulation and no adgenda will ever stand in the way of America’s agricultural future,” said Rollins. USDA…
Ground Beef Processing Plant to Close
Cargill plans to shut down its ground beef processing plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and shift production to its other plants. Layoffs will begin April 11 and the plant will close at the end of May.
Taiwan Agreement Strengthens Market for U.S. Beef
The U.S. Meat Export Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are praising a new Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the United States and Taiwan, announced by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The agreement expands market access for…
Cattle Country Conversations
In the latest edition of Cattle Country Conversations, we hear from AgCountry Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President of Credit Fallon Savage. Cattle prices are in lofty territory, but margins can be thin in this environment. Click here to listen…
Data to Share Pork Sustainability Story
Pork producers are available to track metrics on crop production, water use and other sustainability efforts through the Pork Cares Farm Impact Report. National Pork Board Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr says these third-party, confidential reports allow farmers to share…
Prop 12, Q3 Addressed in Farm Bill Proposal
Controversial state policies, such as California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts Q3, are addressed in the new farm bill text. It says state and local governments cannot impose regulations on how livestock is produced outside of its borders, protecting farmers and…
Crop Insurance Enhancements
The newly-released farm bill text builds on the support for crop insurance in recent farm bills. It calls for the development of new policies for specialty crops and establishes a specialty crop policy advisory committee. The Risk Management Agency would…
Thompson Unveils Farm Bill 2.0 Text
Saying it is long overdue, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson released the farm bill text late Friday. The 800-page bill expands on the support for farmers in the One Big Beautiful Bill. It more than doubles the investment…
Bridge Payment Program for Specialty Crops Announced
Details of the $1 billion in Farmer Bridge Assistance for specialty crops have been announced. Sugarbeets and potatoes are among the nearly 100 specialty crops covered by the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program. Commodity-specific payment rates will be announced…
Additional Portion of ELRP Funds Released
Livestock producers were eligible to for disaster relief due to drought and wildfires in 2023 or 2024. In May of last year, USDA released 35 percent of the estimated losses through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program. The Agriculture Department is…
Lawfare Initiative Launched
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced the launch of the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework. “Together, we will ensure that no law, no regulation and no adgenda will ever stand in the way of America’s agricultural future,” said Rollins. USDA…
Thompson Announces Reelection Plans
House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has announced his plans to seek reelection. The Pennsylvania lawmaker has served ten terms in Congress. He assumed the ag committee chairmanship three years ago.
