What's happening across the country, and what it means for your operation.
Eighty-five cattle herds confirmed this year, fresh poultry outbreaks in South Dakota, and a virus that has been circulating in U.S. dairy cows since March 2024. The biosecurity conversation is not over.
1h ago
USDA reopened the Douglas, Arizona port to Mexican cattle in late August, the first step in a phased reopening. For feeders it means supply. For cow-calf operators enjoying record prices, it means competition.
1h ago
South Dakota pasture values rose nearly 16 percent even as the drought footprint doubled. Nebraska alfalfa is up $10 to $20, Wyoming baled hay up to $30. A state-by-state look at what feed is costing going into fall.
13h ago
A late-August rally built on falling crop ratings and Black Sea shipping trouble has the trade looking for USDA to cut the corn yield below 180 on September 11. Cattle feeders are watching the same report from the other side.
1d ago
Beijing committed to 25 million tons a year through 2028. Through mid-August it had booked 5.7 million of the 2026 crop, plus a big flash sale. But a 10 percent tariff still points private crushers to Brazil, and U.S. beans are trading 50 to 60 cents over.
2d ago
The House passed its version 224-200. The Senate Ag Committee recessed its August 6 markup without a vote after a fight over who pays for SNAP. Here is what is in both bills and what happens if the deadline passes.
2d ago
The Chicago Fed's second-quarter survey shows land holding its nominal value while the real decline is the largest since 2016. Repayment problems are at their highest since 2020. Iowa and Illinois are up; Indiana and Wisconsin are down.
4d ago
The 90-day tariff pause on Brazilian and Argentine beef drew immediate fire from cattle groups and Republican lawmakers. The September 4 executive orders on labeling and direct sales were the response.
5d ago
No new U.S. detections since the Zavala County calf in June. USDA reopened one Arizona port on August 24 under a joint protocol with Mexico, with two New Mexico ports to follow. Where the sterile fly supply stands.
6d ago
An NDSU analysis finds the California price premium never faded. The House farm bill carries language stopping one state from dictating housing standards to farms in another. Hog producers want it; the Senate version is where it lives or dies.
6d ago
August Class III came in at $16.64. With feed costs climbing on the grain rally, the September Dairy Margin Coverage margin is projected around $8.23, under the $8.50 Tier I trigger. Payments are expected through December.
Sep 3
The FTC and five states settled with Deere in July. For ten years, farmers and independent shops get the same fault-code, reprogramming, and emissions-reset tools dealers have. Here is how to use it, and where it stops.
Sep 3
Placements down 11 percent, marketings down 7 percent, both record lows for July. On-feed inventory is still 2 percent above last year because cattle are staying on feed longer. What the numbers say about the next six months.
Sep 2
The $16 billion Supplemental Disaster Relief Program has been extended one last time. Payment factor is now 70 percent. If you had a 2023 or 2024 weather loss, indemnified or not, the FSA office needs your paperwork this month.
Sep 2
Heifer-retention insurance, a guaranteed loan program for regional packers, and a federal buy-American-beef push headline the August 31 announcement. What is real money and what is still a proposal.
Sep 1