A deal has been reached in Washington that will likely avert a weekend government shutdown. The stopgap measure pushes back two appropriations deadlines including the deadline for agencies including USDA.

Early Wednesday, Quentin Shieldknight, who farms in the Texas Panhandle near Spearman, Texas, loaded up hay to take much-needed cattle feed to friends of his in Canadian, Texas who suffered fire damage at their place.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for again extending the New Swine Inspection System line speed trials through Jan. 15, 2025.

Farmers who have experienced discrimination from USDA in farm lending programs should get assistance sometime this summer, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Wednesday that lacked the partisan vitriol of the secretary’s appearance last week before the House Ag Committee.

Tractors are in the streets in Paris, Rome, Brussels and many other cities and towns across Europe this winter. The continuing farmer protests in several European countries have many motivations, some common to all and some particular to specific nations.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in his state as widespread wildfires destroyed homes and structures and led to a mix of mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders for several towns on Tuesday.

Price uncertainty and the prospect of a government shutdown are top of mind as Farm Service Agency officials remind farmers of impending deadlines.

John Deere (NYSE: DE) announced today its new lineup of high-horsepower four-track tractors, including an industry-leading 830 horsepower option.

Clean Fuels Alliance America and its members on Tuesday thanked Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for introducing the bipartisan Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Vessels Act.

EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are using "secret guidance" to implement wetlands regulations, ag stakeholders said at a listening session Tuesday addressing the murky issues surrounding the “waters of the U.S.” rule.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst says the EPA’s recent decision to allow year-round sales of E15 in eight Midwestern states was long overdue.

As we near the end of meteorological winter and head into spring at the turn of the month this week, the weather pattern is certainly becoming more active.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issue this safety advisory to provide notice of the possibility of catastrophic failure of certain hazardous materials packages commonly known as “nurse tanks.”

The Federal Trade Commission announced a challenge to Kroger’s $24.6 billion proposed acquisition of Albertsons, arguing the move would raise grocery prices for consumers and threaten workers’ livelihoods.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and a delegation of farmers and other agricultural industry leaders just returned from a trade mission to Mexico that was held February 18-24. The mission, coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), was focused on increasing exports of manufactured products and agricultural goods.

Lawmakers have until Friday to pass the first of their fiscal 2024 spending bills, including the measure needed to fund USDA, or they’ll have to pass another stopgap spending measure to avert a partial shutdown of the government. The Biden administration also is scheduled to announce a critical update of the GREET model that’s used to measure the carbon intensity of biofuels.

Placements of U.S. cattle into feedlots declined in January, just not quite as much as what some analysts were expecting.

Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank was blunt in his assessment of where things stand on the development of the Midwest Carbon Express CO2 pipeline, during the National Ethanol Conference in San Diego on Tuesday.

Starting next Wednesday, dairy producers will be able to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup begins Feb. 28, 2024, and ends April 29, 2024. For those who sign up for 2024 DMC coverage, payments may begin as soon as March 4, 2024, for any payments that triggered in January 2024.

Wyffels Hybrids completed their Atkinson Production Facility expansion and modernization project with a new Quality Assurance (QA) Lab. After ten years of consecutive sales growth, Wyffels Hybrids is expanding capabilities and increasing efficiencies for everything from production to distribution. The new QA Lab is a key part of the process.

Friday's Feb. 1 Cattle on Feed report is going to be one that the industry quickly searches for, as everyone wants to know just how low the placements were in January.

The U.S. EPA has finalized a rule allowing the year-round sale of E15 fuel blends in eight Midwestern states.

USDA's Equity Commission issued a final report Thursday that includes a recommendation for reforms to commodity programs to address “historical inequities and discrimination” in the way farm subsidies are distributed.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed pesticide registration plans to meet its Endangered Species Act obligations that could significantly affect farmers’ livelihoods.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union sent a letter today requesting that USDA bring stability to Class I milk prices.

The chief ag negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says there have been some challenges reducing tariffs as work continues to improve global market access for U.S. biofuels.

Internet service providers will soon be competing to provide high-speed, broadband internet service to the most remote and hard-to-reach areas in the country.

Cold air has been hard to come by for the U.S. this winter. Thanks to a very strong El Nino that has had a persistent influence on our winter pattern, temperatures have been record breaking in many ways.