It’s in its fourth year at the Iowa State Fair and again, organizers are calling it a success. It’s the Bacon Buddies, a collaboration between the Iowa Pork Producers Association and the Iowa Special Olympics that gives individuals who have intellectual or developmental disabilities the opportunity to take a pig into the show ring. Their […]

Focusing on the diversity of the market opportunities for U.S. pork has paid off during the first half of 2023. June exports were up 12 percent in value from a year ago. Kelli Wicks, manager of international market development for the National Pork Board said the growth for pork goes beyond Mexico. “We are going […]

USDA is holding a Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing starting August 23 in Carmel, Indiana. American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Danny Munch says USDA will consider 21 proposals during the hearing. “The primary proposal was from National Milk Producers Federation’s original proposal made on May 1. The American Farm Bureau Federation, we got an additional […]

Certainly in modern times, this is by far and away the worst Hawaiian wildfire disaster we have seen. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey referring to the recent fires of the Hawaiian islands of Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. The West Maui wildfire destroyed the historic community of Lahaina and led to dozens of fatalities. […]

Previously an issue only cattle producers in the wet regions of the Gulf and Pacific Coasts had to deal with, liver flukes have become a worsening problem for beef herds across the country. Dr. Jody Wade, professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim, provides tips to protect your herd from these costly parasites. “Well, the biggest […]

It seems a foregone conclusion now that the 2023 Farm Bill will not be completed before the existing farm bill is set to expire on September the 30th. And North Carolina Democrat Congressman Don Davis is disappointed in that I’m not optimistic that we’ll be able to come back in September and have it done […]

The hustle and bustle of the school year is now underway for some and will soon be for others. Also keeping school officials and school nutrition experts and personnel busy this time of year: making sure students have healthy meals. To that end, this recent announcement of healthy meal incentives that Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl […]

Members of the House Agriculture Committee attended the Missouri State Fair on Monday, holding a farm bill listening session. Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson reports several common themes from farmers and ranchers. “I think one of the things that is kind of interesting, that makes a lot of sense, is some type of domestic promotion program […]

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking comments on a proposed rule to amend regulations governing its Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection program user fees. APHIS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection jointly administer the program to ensure that cargo and passenger baggage entering the country is inspected for […]

And now here’s a 1946 movie scene that’s set in a coffee shop…roll that film. I want a cup of coffee, black. Just a cup of coffee. That’ll be 20 cents. Stop the projector. Twenty cents for two cups of coffee? Wow. It’s no wonder US coffee consumption reached its peak in 1946 with the […]