High cost of health care and unpredictable year-to-year incomes have strained farmers’ ability to access health insurance nationwide. Minnesota has a new plan.

Minnesota Farmers Celebrate Their New Public Health Care Option

Funding for the water quality sensor system that monitors ag-related pollution has been axed, making it harder to hold the industry accountable, and nearly impossible for citizens to check the quality of their drinking water.

Iowa’s Water Crisis Isn’t Drying Up Anytime Soon

The Securities and Exchange Commission wants broader emissions reporting up and down the supply chain. Trade groups are claiming it will break the small family farm. 

Why Are Farm Groups Opposing Climate Disclosures?

Animal waste accounts for 11% of farming’s greenhouse gas emissions. Advocates are looking to the Farm Bill for help. 

Can the Farm Bill Fix Agriculture’s Methane Problem?

By integrating trees and pasture, farmers can increase their bottom line and protect livestock from hotter summers.

Silvopasture Is an Ancient, Climate-Smart Farming Practice. Can the Farm Bill Help Spur its Renaissance?

The new law gives hope to farmers in other states that costly downtime and repairs could cease to be the norm.

Colorado Became the First Right-to-Repair State — Who’s Next?

Climate change is making agricultural labor more dangerous. The Farm Bill can add key protections.

How a Climate-Smart Farm Bill Can Save Lives

A group of 150 USDA canines is tasked with sniffing out potentially dangerous meat and produce before it enters our borders. Their funding is far from secure.

Meet the Elite Squad of Beagles Keeping U.S. Agriculture Safe

Nutrition experts say this year’s bill should give more funding and focus to farmers who grow the food we should be eating.

Why Does the Farm Bill Consider Fruits and Vegetables “Specialty Crops?”

Xylazine, one of the most common sedatives in large-animal veterinary care, is increasingly being mixed with fentanyl for human use. The results are disastrous. 

“Vital” Sedative for Cattle and Horses Is in DEA Crosshairs

The federal government created an uproar by slaughtering New Mexico’s “feral” cattle via helicopter. Ranchers and animal advocates aren’t happy, but disagree on the best path forward. 

Is There a Better Way to Deal With Wild Cattle?

Last year, the DOJ exposed a price- and wage-fixing conspiracy by some of the largest U.S. poultry producers that they said “harmed a generation.” Will the government follow through on holding them accountable?

Big Poultry’s Anticompetitive Practices Come Home to Roost

A new, statewide tax credit program aims to bolster new farmers’ success, while addressing the issue of the rising average age of the American farmer.

Ohio Wants More New Farmers, So It’s Paying Them to Learn About Finance

As the state considers permanent restrictions on the crop in the Willamette Valley, a decades-long debate is pitting farmers against each other.

The Battle Over Canola Farming in Oregon Heats Up

With a deadline for an international agreement on the horizon, the push to ban genetically modified corn imports to Mexico is reigniting old industry questions.

U.S. and Mexico Have 1 Week Left to Settle Corn Clash

The proposed pipeline would enable ethanol plants to sequester carbon dioxide out of state. It is profoundly unpopular.

 Proposed CO₂ Pipeline Through Iowa Angers Farmers and Environmentalists Alike

Should meat from cattle raised in, say, Brazil, be allowed to carry a sticker that says “Made in USA?” The USDA wants your thoughts.

“They’re Doing Fraud”: Meat Producers Weigh in on USA Labels

In the wake of new Food and Drug Administration guidance, dairy state politicians are again trying to make almond milk change its name.

Fighting to Keep Milk a Household — But Not Plant-Based — Name

Aiming to address a state labor shortage, a proposed bill would also let employers off the hook if child workers get injured.

Iowa Pushes to Let 14-Year-Olds Work in Meatpacking Plants

The program hopes to support underserved farming communities throughout the state, while offering schools an affordable way to provide local food.

Oklahoma’s New Lunch Program Puts a Twist on the Farm-to-School Model

A reintroduced bill in Congress might help with a shortage of meat processing plants. Experts say there’s a lot more to the problem.

Will More Money for Small Meat Processors Fix the Supply Chain?

Consumers are thirsty for raw milk, and more states are looking to legalize its place on grocery store shelves. But is it safe?

The Growing Movement to Liberate Raw Milk

Many American farmers are locked into costly annual contracts for seeds that used to be free. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are focused on China.

Seed Thieves

The real threat to our food security, according to researchers, is broader corporate ownership and consolidation of American farmland — including by domestic investors.

Congress Wants to Block Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland. Is This a Red Herring?

The 2018 Farm Bill strengthened future organic protections, after some high-profile, unsavory incidents. Now they’ve arrived and stakeholders seem (mostly) pleased.

USDA Is Cracking Down on Organic Fraud. Will It Rebuild Public Trust?

Once every five years, farmers are invited to complete an updated USDA survey. Participation isn’t simply encouraged, however: It’s a legal requirement.

Time Is Running Out to Complete the Census of Agriculture

Farm equipment manufacturer John Deere has failed to gain farmer confidence in its promise to make tractor and other repairs more accessible. 

Not Everyone Is Celebrating This Week’s Right-to-Repair News

Since 9/11, an enormous amount of money and resources have been devoted to protecting our food and farms from terrorist attacks. It’s unclear how worried we should actually be.

Are the Threats of “Agroterrorism” Overblown?

Global conflict and extreme weather have led to higher-than-ever input costs and reduced revenues. Producers are struggling to stay afloat. 

Organic Producers Ask Congress for Emergency Aid

An FDA decision will come to fruition soon, meant to help prevent antibiotic resistance in both humans and animals. How will it affect farmers and ranchers?

The Age of Over-the-Counter Antibiotics for Livestock Is Ending

Agriculture workers could greatly benefit from proposed legislation mandating PTO during hurricanes, wildfires, and more. But who gets to take it? And who will foot the bill?

A Safety Net for Farmworkers During Climate Disasters

This year, Farm Bill watchers see lots of room to fund programs that could better support climate goals.

How to Build a Climate-Smart Farm Bill

After years of inaction — and outside pressure — the agency is proposing sweeping new changes to how it handles the foodborne bacteria. It starts on the farm.

Poultry Farmers Are on the Front Lines of USDA’s New War on Salmonella

California’s Proposition 12, mandating 24 feet of space for pigs, has ramifications for pig farmers — and commerce — everywhere.

Should California’s Animal Welfare Laws Affect National Pork Production? The Supreme Court Is About to Decide.

Banned in Europe, this class of honeybee-harming pesticides is facing a possible ban in New York. Some researchers see a downside.

Legislation