Top Agriculture News

A connection between irrigation surface water and potential microbial contaminants could create a foodborne illness. Cases of such bacteria on leafy vegetables almost 50 years ago found irrigation water providing pathways for microbes. But as USDA researcher Yakov Pachepsky recalls, congressional and federal establishment of standards for microbes from a food safety perspective led to […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is making plans for a significant aid package for U.S. soybean farmers. The move aims to help them survive China’s boycott of American beans, which was sparked by Trump’s trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says substantial support for farmers is expected to be announced Tuesday. The aid comes amid a tariff war between the U.S. and China, where China has stopped buying U.S. soybeans. Trump plans to discuss soybeans with Chinese President Xi Jinping in four weeks. Farmers are struggling as China orders soybeans from Brazil and Argentina. They prefer trade over aid, hoping for a deal soon.

A news story recently sent confusion and concern throughout the ag community when it was reported that Northwest Farm Management was permanently laying off nearly 300 workers. That’s when CEO and Co-Founder Keith Veselka says he was alerted. “Oh yeah, it was quite a shock. I think I got a notification from my business partner. […]

On Monday’s stocks report, the big surprise was on corn stocks. USDA reported corn ending stocks at 1.532 billion bushels, which was 207 million bushels higher than their last estimate of carryout and 195 million bushels higher than the average trade guess. That counts as the second-biggest bearish surprise on the September stocks report since […]

The calendar has flipped to October, but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to stop looking at what happened in September. Weather-wise, we got state assistant climatologist Corey Davis here. Corey, what did September look like? Weather-wise, we know we had a lack of rain in the area. Did any of that rain over the […]

RALEIGH, N.C. – At the NC Chamber of Commerce’s Ag Allies Conference at North Carolina State University on Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden spotlighted the rapid rollout and expansion of the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP, which has already funneled more than $138 million to North Carolina producers—and billions more […]

 Farm bankruptcies are soaring year-over-year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Courts. Joe Peiffer, attorney with Ag & Business Legal Strategies in Iowa, says the numbers are alarming. “The Administrative Office of the United States Courts points out, in the first six months of 2025, 181 chapter 12 bankruptcies were filed nationwide. That’s […]

With the approach of New World screw worm now closer to our nation’s southern border, “that is in Nuevo Leon was made known to us on September 21, and we have boots on the ground in Mexico determining exactly what happened there.” Animal health officials, like Agriculture Department Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory […]

GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 1, 2025) — M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., associate dean and administrator of Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has received the 2025 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Outstanding Alumni Award from North Carolina State University. The CALS award “represents the fulfillment of the promise of the […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The outer bands of Hurricane Humberto are lashing Bermuda ahead of a more direct pass from the stronger Hurricane Imelda on the tiny British territory. Humberto is passing well north of the island in the north Atlantic, but wind gusts and some rain were forecast into Wednesday. Imelda had 85 mph winds late Tuesday and is forecast to strengthen. Its center is expected to be near the island Wednesday evening. A hurricane warning was in effect. The island’s international airport, schools and government offices were to close Wednesday. Both hurricanes were creating ocean swells that were likely to cause dangerous surf conditions on Bermuda, the Bahamas and the U.S. East Coast.