How to "Beat the Drum" for Dairy and Agriculture
Many agriculture groups talk about the importance of advocating for agriculture, but how exactly do farmers do that? Cody Carpenter, the owner of Redrock View Farms in Wisconsin, talks about how he advocates for dairy farming when he connects with elected officials. "The thing that I tell legislators is this isn't...
Ag Economy Barometer Drops in April
The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer saw farmer sentiment drop in April. Michael Langemeier, director of the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture, said uncertainty is taking a toll on farmers' optimism. "Farmer sentiment fell in April, as concerns about rising input costs, tighter availability,...
Recent rain eases fire danger, but drought concerns remain across North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (SFN) - Recent rainfall has brought some relief to North Carolina, but N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler says drought concerns remain - especially in the Piedmont. Troxler said the latest drought monitor maps have not shown major improvement because they account for long-term rainfall deficit...
Deltapine NPE Program Launches 19th Season, Showcasing Next-Gen Cotton Varieties
ST. LOUIS (May 5, 2026) - The Deltapine® New Product Evaluator (NPE) Program kicks off its 19th season with growers evaluating cotton varieties for the Class of '27, continuing a long-standing grower-seed brand partnership focused on delivering improved performance and advanced agronomic traits. "Cotton grower...
Support for Local Ag Markets Via LAMP
Coming soon, the application deadline for grant programs under the umbrella of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Local Agriculture Market Program. "For the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Local Food Promotion Program and Regional Food Systems Partnership Program, the due date for those applications to AMS ...
Larew Talks Farm Bill, E15, Fertilizers, and the Aging Farm Population
There's no doubt it's been a rough go for the U.S. agricultural sector in recent years. Rob Larew, the president of the National Farmers Union, spoke about the movement of the Farm Bill during NAFB's recent Washington Watch event. "Times are tough. Obviously, a little bit of hope out there. We see some movement on...
What's Next for the Farm Bill in the Senate?
Now that the 2026 Farm Bill has passed out of the House, it's on to the Senate next. John Boozman, the chair of the Senate Ag Committee, said it's a different process in the Senate. "We've got a little bit different situation in the Senate, in the sense that, as we do things, because of the filibuster, we need 60 ...
Growers Fear Fertilizer Prices in 2027 Will Be Out of Reach
A recent survey by the National Corn Growers Association left no doubt that high fertilizer prices will continue to be a big concern for farmers, especially in 2027. Jed Bower, an Ohio farmer and president of the NCGA, talked about the rising level of concern. "Fertilizer is completely out of sight for what it cos...
Kieffer: Still Work to Do on the High Costs of Inputs
High input costs continue to be a concern for farmers across the country. The USDA is working with multiple agencies to address the issue. Sam Kieffer is the CEO of the National Wheat Growers Association. "The International Trade Commission is sitting right now on a process of whether or not the countervailing dut...
State's ban on open burning lifted for 81 North Carolina counties
RALEIGH - The N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning for 81 counties effective 8 a.m. Sunday, May 3. The statewide ban on open burning went into effect March 28 due to hazardous forest fire conditions, and the ban remains in effect for Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gast...