Top Agriculture News

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is looking for a few good men and women. But NRCS chief Terry Cosby told reporters they’re having a hard time finding the right people because of a lack of soil training. “It seems to me that anyone that’s in agriculture, a foundational course would be soil. You have to […]

We don’t have to worry about any dry spots in most places, especially after the rains we got this past week. Let’s get the update from assistant state climatologist Corey Davis of the State Climate Office of North Carolina and wow, we really had some big rain events. What was that all about? “Well, Mike, […]

Some small towns in North Dakota worry they’ll go to pot if marijuana is legalized; school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans; and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.

Non-native pest is significant threat to honeybees RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division is asking North Carolina residents to be on the lookout for the early-stage nests of the Yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina). While this invasive hornet species has not been found in North Carolina, it has been collected […]

North Carolina got the all-clear from the World Organization of Animal Health last week that the dairy herd that had contracted avian influenza had now tested negative. But the U.S. dairy industry and federal officials continue steps to eliminate the H5N1 virus in dairy herds across several states. Officials at the state level are also […]

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management, or FARM Program, is the U.S. dairy’s on-farm national responsibility program. One of the important parts of the program is on-farm biosecurity. Emily Yeiser-Stepp, executive director of the National Dairy FARM Program, says biosecurity is more important than ever after the recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza […]

Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) led 70 colleagues in sending a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The officials are asking for a reversal of the USDA’s decision to cancel or discontinue several NASS reports. The July Cattle Report, the Cotton Objective Yield Survey, and […]

Farmer sentiment dropped sharply in April, as indicated by the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. It fell 15 points to an April reading of 99. Both of the sub-indexes of the barometer also dropped. The Current Conditions Index dropped 18 points to 83, while the Future Expectations Index fell by 14 points to 106. […]

In 2023, the U.S. became a net food importer for the first time, which the Midwest Food Products Association says isn’t a good thing. Jason Culotta, president of the Midwest Food Products Association, says the imbalance began due in part to a growing emphasis placed on “fresh fruits and vegetables.” “Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially, […]

“We are seeking to address a need that we’ve heard from across the country related to a need for more farm labor and stable, affordable suitable house for that workforce.” What USDA Rural Development Undersecretary Basil Gooden is referring to is a recent Notice of Funding $48 million for farm labor housing. “We have two […]