Agriculture

WASHINGTON — Several agricultural groups representing hundreds of thousands of farmers are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to swiftly grant the biofuel sector an emergency waiver for E15 sales. In a March 26 letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan,... Read More

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — America’s farmers are feeling a bit more optimistic about the year ahead due to their expectation that inflation will continue to subside, according to a new report from Purdue University. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy... Read More

WASHINGTON — After three weeks of what even newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., concedes was a time of “tumult,” the House is once again working on legislation to fund the government, support U.S. allies abroad and, not least,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The temperature is dropping, the leaves are colorful and your thoughts are probably turning to comfort foods like soups, stews and baked goods. You may be adding squash, pumpkin and apples to your recipes. There’s a reason these... Read More

WASHINGTON — As House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., begins his first full week at the helm of the Republican Conference, a group of colleagues are urging him to quickly move on passing the next farm bill. The previous farm bill,... Read More

PAVILION, N.Y. — As the days grow shorter and autumn advances toward winter, it’s inevitable to look back at the previous summer and remember the good times enjoyed with family and friends. For many, those good times involve hours spent... Read More

ALPINE, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. West Coast produces over 90% of America's wine, but the region is also prone to wildfires — a combustible combination that spelled disaster for the industry in 2020 and one that scientists are scrambling to neutralize.... Read More

WASHINGTON — With a partial federal shutdown growing ever more likely come midnight Saturday, the Biden administration on Monday began underscoring the consequences of Congress not quickly taking steps to avert it. At Monday afternoon’s press briefing at the White... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With House Republicans in an uproar and the Senate only now leaning into getting its version of fiscal year 2024's spending plans done, it's a certainty that the farm bill, which sets the nation's agricultural policy for... Read More

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A long stretch of hot, dry weather has left the Mississippi River so low that barge companies are reducing their loads just as Midwest farmers are preparing to harvest crops and send tons of corn and soybeans... Read More

WASHINGTON — With Congress preparing to return to Washington, the National Governors Association has weighed in with a lengthy list of priorities it believes should be considered when deliberations over the next farm bill begin next week. In a letter... Read More

WASHINGTON — Congress won’t return to Washington until Sept. 12, but already the battle lines are being drawn over proposed additions to the upcoming farm bill. As a result, those drafting the massive agriculture and nutrition spending package have already... Read More

WASHINGTON — A lot of things don’t go as smoothly as they used to in Washington, but Rep. Glen “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., chair of the House Agriculture Committee, is bullishly predicting the $1.2 trillion farm bill currently before his panel... Read More

The last few years have shown us just how fragile our agriculture and food production systems can be. Whether driven by the war in Ukraine, extreme weather events or the COVID-19 disruption, we have seen how important continued access to... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency disregarded ethanol production's impact on endangered species and other aspects of the environment when it issued the latest iteration of its annual renewable fuel standards, a new lawsuit claims. The agency published its “final... Read More

MADISON, Wis. — Once a honey bee gives its heart to a flower patch it is far more faithful than the roving bumble bee. In fact, 76% of honey bees in a recent study revisited the same plot of alfalfa... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Xochitl Torres Small as deputy secretary of the Agriculture Department, a much-anticipated outcome that nevertheless took awhile to come to fruition. As previously reported by The Well News, President Joe Biden... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Department of Agriculture is making $23 million in grant funding available to support processing capacity expansion, on-farm improvements and technical assistance services to producers through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives. Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov... Read More

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new research project led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is looking at the best ways to couple crops with solar panels in a variety of settings. While the Biden administration has placed an emphasis on... Read More

WASHINGTON — Seven national associations, representing everyone from farmers to retailers to renewable fuel producers, are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt a “market-oriented, technology-neutral” approach to setting the next round of tailpipe emissions standards. In April, the EPA... Read More

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Farmers are feeling more optimistic about the financial future of their own farms and their industry as a whole, according to the latest Ag Economy Barometer compiled by Purdue University and CME Group. The monthly measure... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Department of Agriculture is investing up to $450 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and provide consumers with additional cleaner fuel options at the pump. The infusion of significant money... Read More

WASHINGTON — Two new agreements reached between the American Farm Bureau Federation and agricultural equipment manufacturers represent a dramatic expansion of farmers’ and ranchers’ right to repair their own farm equipment. The memoranda of understanding with manufacturers AGCO and Kubota,... Read More

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration wants to put conserving vast government-owned lands on equal footing with oil drilling, livestock grazing and other interests, according to a top administration official who defended the idea against criticism that it would interfere with industry. The proposal... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed declaring salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products in an effort to further control contamination and reduce foodborne illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella... Read More

During California's prolonged, wet winter, beekeeper Gene Brandi said he had to spend twice as much money on a sugary syrup to feed his honeybees and keep them alive. That's because the bees sent to pollinate blooming almond orchards took longer... Read More

WASHINGTON — It is one of the most important bills the Congress regularly deliberates, a sweeping, multiyear package that governs the nation’s food and agricultural programs and has to be reauthorized every five years. And in addition to developing and... Read More

WASHINGTON — The New Democrat Coalition has thrown its support behind recent rule changes adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will help provide millions more children with school meals. “Last year, as part of the New Democrat Coalition’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — In February, Biden tapped Xochitl Torres Small, currently USDA undersecretary for rural development, to serve as the agency’s deputy agriculture secretary. As she awaits confirmation, she’s using every tool at her disposal to ensure rural America is getting... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a proposed rule on Monday with new regulatory requirements to better align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumers’ understanding of what the claim means. The proposed rule allows the... Read More