Top Agriculture News

A national coalition of U.S. farmers has launched an advocacy campaign to highlight the country’s growing agricultural labor shortages. USDA data shows nearly 70 percent of crop workers from 2020 to 2022 were foreign-born, and the number of seasonal H-2A visa workers has increased more than seven-fold since 2005.   Kristi Boswell, advisor to the “Grow […]

President Donald Trump’s proposal to buy Argentinian beef as a way to help lower U.S. beef prices has resulted in backlash from American cattle producers. Ben Weinheimer, president and CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, said his organization is trying to take a more measured response. “Argentina, itself, consumes 75 percent of what they […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage. Melissa made landfall Tuesday in southwestern Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Officials warned of devastating damage and urged residents to seek shelter as the hurricane crossed the island. Melissa’s winds tied records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall. The storm is expected to move toward Cuba, where authorities prepared for evacuations. The hurricane has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean. Relief efforts are underway, with supplies and emergency services ready to assist.

The annual Global Ethanol Summit, hosted by the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council, recently concluded in Washington, D.C. Jacob Knaebel, director of market development for the Missouri Corn Growers Association, talked about what went on at the event. “There are participants from all across the globe. We’re talking folks in the oil industry, and people […]

South Korea ranked as the fifth-largest market for U.S. pork year to date. Andy Tauer, vice president of international market development with the National Pork Board, says strong consumer demand in South Korea is expected to keep growing, potentially moving the country even higher on the global demand scale. “And through the first seven months […]

 President Trump fired back at American cattle producers upset by his plan to buy beef from Argentina to help lower beef prices in the U.S. Arlan Suderman, the chief commodities analyst for StoneX, said the president’s post on Truth Social claimed credit for the high prices beef producers are experiencing. “Basically, he’s attacking the cattle […]

The trade war has had an impact on the farming community, but the depth and extent haven’t been fully determined. Earlier this year, many producers reported challenges in getting some of the fertilizers they needed for their operations. As the trade war with China has continued, that’s really impacted farmers in the Midwest growing soybeans. […]

Even if they haven’t finished harvesting this year’s crop, U.S. farmers are already turning their attention to 2026. Mike Zuzolo, president of Global Commodity Analytics, expects to see some movement in the corn market in early 2026. “I think there should be. I have said to clients and subscribers for several months now that I […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days. The notice comes after the Trump administration said it will not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the benefits flowing into November. The Trump administration blames Democrats, who say they won’t agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

One of the most economical and practical things you can do for the plants in your landscape and vegetable garden is to start a compost pile. We’ve discussed it fairly often on the “WPTF Weekend Gardener” over the last 40 years. The first step is to find a relatively shady well-drained location in your back yard. You don’t have to buy a container, just build your own or find a proper spot on the ground. A wire cylinder 3 to 4 feet in diameter will work or build a three-sided box that’s 4 to 5-feet high and wide. However, if you prefer, ready-made bins are easy to find.