What Will Future Farm Bills Look Like?
The House Agriculture Committee passed Farm Bill 2.0, and now it's a question of when the full House of Representatives will take up the issue. Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union, says that while he appreciates the work done on the skinny Farm Bill, and some programs are being reauthorized, there's not ...
2025 Year-End Pork Exports Nearing Record Volume and Value
2025 proved to be another strong year for U.S. pork exports, with a volume of 2.9 million metric tons, landing three percent shy of the 2024 record, but it was still the third-highest on record. Value was three percent down from 2024's record, but the second-highest at $8.4 billion. Andy Tauer, vice president of intern...
AEWR Lawsuit Hearing Coming March 18
Agriculture is watching as a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's revised H-2A wage calculation will be challenged in a California courtroom next week. The United Farm Workers' claim foreign guest workers are being harmed by the new Adverse Effect Wage Rate. Michelle Grainger is the co-lead of the Ag Wage Ref...
New Grants Aim to Boost Agricultural Processing in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (SFN) - North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler says a new round of funding is now available through a state initiative designed to help farmers and businesses expand agricultural manufacturing and food processing within the state. Speaking with SFN, Troxler highlighted the North Carolina Ag...
Carolinas see record warmth, storms as spring pattern begins
If you stepped outside over the last week or so, you noticed one thing: it is hot. Temperatures in the 80s and low temperatures in the 60s are at least 20 degrees above what we're normally used to this time of year. We've got state assistant climatologist Corey Davis here. Corey, let's talk about it. Spring has sprung....
Coming Relief for Ag Areas in Drought Coverage?
Will there be sufficient precipitation in the nation's ag production regions by the time planting of fall-harvested crops begins later this month and through April? USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says if rains this past week in areas suffering significant soil dryness continue for the next few weeks, concerns should be...
Sale Barn Owner: Beef Prices Holding Up Despite Outside Challenges
Despite outside geopolitical circumstances and other disruptions causing market volatility, the cattle market seems to be holding up better than expected. Ben Hale, the owner of Western Livestock Auctions in Oklahoma, said beef prices are holding up despite the challenges. "Despite everything, whether Trump and th...
Dry in the South as Cotton Producers Get Ready to Plant
It's dry in some of the southern U.S. states. Dr. Ken Lege, a cotton specialist from Texas A & M AgriLife Extension, said this is typically a drier time of the year in the South. "This is typically when we have our driest conditions. It's this time of year, so it's not the time to panic just yet. We think abou...
Time to Finalize Crop Insurance Coverage
Farmers across the country are being reminded to finalize their crop insurance coverage for the 2026 crop year before the March 16 deadline for most spring-seeded crops. New data released by National Crop Insurance Services shows participation in the program continues to grow nationwide. Farmers purchased 2.54 million ...
What Next for Year-Round E15?
Recent legislation that had been introduced to advance year-round access to E15 fuel in all 50 states failed in Washington, D.C. The bill failed due to a combination of legislative strategy and political dynamics. The decision was made despite the support from various stakeholders and the fact that a compromise deal ha...