Firefighters and farmers serve as the backbones of our local communities, united by a shared commitment to safety and service. As our first line of defense, firefighters face numerous risks navigating hazardous environments with smoke and carcinogens.

In this Equipment Roundup, DTN/Progressive Farmer looks at New Holland's Guardian sprayer winning an award at Brazil's Agrishow 2024, AGCO announcing a new mental health initiative, Busch Light reviving its Corn Can to help raise money for Farm Rescue and FuelPro unveiling a new 750-gallon trailer.

More farmers are in talks with companies to have solar panels installed on their farms, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

The trifecta of government agencies that oversees different aspects of biotechnology have laid out a roadmap for clarifying and streamlining regulatory authority for food safety and spelling out federal rules for everything from microbial bio-stimulants to cell-cultured meat products.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan faced skepticism from Republican senators Wednesday about the potential for power generators to use carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

In a groundbreaking advancement, Bayer Crop Science researchers have been able to artificially inoculate tar spot in field test plots, a key step in helping to gain a deeper understanding of how to manage the disease.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is offering increased cost-share incentives for cover crop planting through the state’s Water Quality Initiative (WQI).

A market analyst says recent rains have delayed U.S. corn and soybean planting progress more than expected.

In its Friday, May 10, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, USDA will update old-crop estimates as well as establish new estimates for the 2024-25 season. The Crop Production report from NASS will give the first production estimates for this year's winter wheat crops with state breakdowns.

Passage of a new farm bill this year remains a long shot, but the House Agriculture Committee’s planned markup of a bill on May 23 could help some vulnerable Republicans while putting pressure on a handful of Democrats who are in close re-election races.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced approximately $22.3 million available to community-based and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and Tribal entities that help underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers own and operate successful farms.

Kansas State University today announced that ADM, a global leader in human and animal nutrition, has pledged $1 million to Kansas State University’s Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation, one of four new or renovated facilities included in the university’s visionary Agriculture Innovation Initiative led by the College of Agriculture.

The U.S. Ag Secretary says he’s optimistic about at least one farm bill proposal.

Corn planting progress fell behind the five-year average pace last week for the first time this season, while soybean planting continued ahead of the average pace, USDA NASS said in its latest weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

Farmer sentiment plunged in April as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 15 points below a month earlier to a reading of 99. The barometer’s sub-indices both declined from a month earlier, with the Current Condition Index at 83, down 18 points, and the Future Expectations Index at 106, down 14 points.

Illinois is the 20th state to discover the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is extending the H2Ohio enrollment deadline for row crop producers who farm in Ohio’s 64 counties outside of the Western Lake Erie Basin. Farmers will have until Friday, May 31, 2024, to enroll.

Officials continue to dig into dueling farm bill frameworks.

The active weather pattern this spring continues Monday and will bring about a significant risk for an outbreak of severe weather across the Central and Southern Plains this afternoon and evening. Strong, long-tracked tornadoes, massive hail and a couple of lines of significant wind damage are going to be possible.

Leaders at the National Corn Growers Association said Friday that they are worried about the availability and price of inputs after the Commerce Department announced plans to raise tariffs on phosphorous fertilizers imported from Morocco from 2.12% to 14.21%.

March exports of U.S. pork were steady with last year’s volume and edged higher in value, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Beef exports were below last March’s large volume but export value was the highest since June 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s timeline for reviewing a new dicamba label submitted by Bayer could mean growers won’t be able to use the herbicide next year.

The Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says farmers need the certainty of a five-year farm bill.

The House and Senate plans for the farm bill go in opposite directions when it comes to eligibility for farm program payments.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced a long-awaited final rule imposing requirements on farmers for ensuring that agricultural water doesn't contaminate produce with dangerous pathogens.

Leaders of the U.S. ethanol industry are seeking to intervene in a legal challenge of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, which effectively bans the use of renewable, crop-based biofuels like corn ethanol as a feedstock for decarbonizing the aviation sector.

On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1084 to prohibit the sale of lab-grown meat in the state of Florida. Florida is taking action to stop the World Economic Forum’s goal of forcing the world to eat lab-grown meat and insects, “an overlooked source of protein.”

The House Ag Committee has released a summary of the new farm bill that includes new investments for agriculture.