Agriculture

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The National FFA Convention took place online October 27th to the 29th.  The 93rd annual convention is one of the longest running conventions in the U.S. and […]

MONTANA – Key gatherings of livestock and natural resource users will be attending their respective state conventions from home this year.  Both the Montana Stockgrowers Asssociation (MSGA) and the Montana […]

HELENA, MT – The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced that the Hemp Marketplace is now available to buyers and sellers of hemp and hemp derivatives. The online portal can be […]

DENVER, CO –  Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the, “Box Beef & Fed Cattle Price Spread Investigative Report,” which identified a number of systemic issues […]

ENGLEWOOD, CO – The Cattle Industry Annual Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show is one of the industry’s biggest events each year, bringing together cattlemen and cattlewomen […]

PHILIP, SD – The Cattle Business Weekly has announced its newest class of Top 10 Industry Leaders Under the Age of 40. This is the publication’s 15th year to select a group of […]

RAPID CITY, SD – The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is hosting its 129th Annual Convention and Trade Show, November 5-6, 2020 here.   Headlining the lineup of industry leading speakers at the […]

WASHINGTON, DC – USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report, released October 23, shows the number of animals on feed as of October 1 is higher than it was this time […]

STURGIS, SD – At cow culling time, producers often face some tough decisions.  Optimum culling of the herd often seems to require a sharp crystal ball that could see into […]

LARAMIE, WY – Ditching laptops and donning rubber boots and coveralls, University of Wyoming students prep within five minutes for class. This isn’t the standard dress for COVID-19 precautions but […]

RAPID CITY, SD – SDSU Extension is hosting cattle Artificial Insemination (AI) School in Philip and Brookings this fall. The school in Philip will be held at South Dakota State […]

BROOKINGS, SD – Losing beef cows with or without clear causes of death is a frustrating reality that many beef cattle producers face across the state and nation. Several environmental, nutritional […]

GREELEY, CO – Pilgrim’s Pride, one of the largest poultry producers in the United States, said it would pay $110.5 million to settle federal charges that it helped fix prices […]

 BUFFALO, SD – Bill was the gentle, old horse who babysat Jessica Routier during the day while her mom trained horses. “I don’t have a first memory of horses. They […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the Alliance for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation (AMPS Innovation), an industry coalition representing the makers of cell-based/cultured meat, poultry […]

ENGLEWOOD, CO – The American Sheep Industry Association Executive Board met via Zoom and supported a recommendation to move to a virtual board meeting in January 2021. The ASI Annual […]

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has released its plan to voluntarily increase price discovery in the cattle industry. The plan was developed by the association’s Live Cattle Marketing Working […]

WESTMINISTER, CO – The National Bison Association’s request for a $17 million purchase of bison meat under the Section 32 surplus removal program is being supported by 12 U.S. Sentors, […]

WASHINGTON, DC – To add to states like Montana and Wyoming that are helping to fund the upgrade and expansion of local meat processors, a federal piece of legislation supporting […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Multiple ag, trucking organizations and haulers are applauding the introduction of legislation that would provide livestock haulers more flexibility from hours-of-service (HOS) rules. The HAULS Act, introduced by Nebraska Senator […]

PIERRE, SD  – The 72nd Annual South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) Convention is going virtual this year. During a recent quarterly meeting, the SDCA Board of Directors decided the 2020 […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The USDA says placements of cattle into feedlots during August 2020 were 2.09 million head, 4% more than the same period in 2019.  Most of the placements […]

DES MOINES, IA – A legislative and subsequent voter approved law in California has implications across the United States as it relates to pork, poultry and dairy calf production.  In […]

LINCOLN, NE – A new report unveiled by the American Farm Bureau Federation provides an in-depth examination of the causes and price implications resulting from extreme market volatility in the cattle […]

DENVER, CO – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association released the following statement in response the Cattle Market Transparency Act, introduced by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.): “Price discovery is an issue […]

NEWELL, SD – 75th Annual Newell Ram Show was held September 17th with consignors from several states. Following are the results: Grand Champion Pair of Ewes, Flying O Sheep and  […]

WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, the administration announced details of the new $14-billion-dollar Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP2, that will provide direct payments to farmers and ranchers to partially […]

RENO, Nev. (AP) — The federal Bureau of Land Management has approved construction of three new corrals to hold more than 8,000 wild horses captured on federal rangeland to accelerate […]

BROOKINGS, SD – Since its inception in 2011, the beefSD program has provided intensive educational content that takes participants to the next level in beef enterprise management. Participation in the […]

HURON, SD – The South Dakota State Fair gets underway Thursday, Sept. 3 with Value Added Ag Day. It’s the 21st year the observation has kicked off the fair. South […]

PIERRE, SD  – The state department whose job – in part – is to draft policy, regulate and monitor agricultural production and industries impact on water, wildlife, air and land […]

WASHNGTON, DC – The USDA July Cattle on Feed Report shows placements of cattle into feedlots during July 2020 were 1.893 million head, 11% more than in July 2019. That […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Despite ongoing controversy and lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently awarded contracts to purchase up to eight million […]

DENVER, CO – It will be another three weeks before the sheep industry gets any definitive answers surrounding alleged anti-trust violations over the purchase and closure of the former Mountain […]

WASHINGTON, DC – All sheep are now classified for federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments. Previously, only lambs and yearlings were eligible for the program payouts. The program provides $16 […]

BROOKINGS, SD – SDSU Extension will host Farmland for the Next Generation, an eight-week virtual workshop series, beginning August 31. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture […]

PIERRE, SD – The rules to produce industrial hemp in South Dakota are slowly making progress. Representative Lee Qualm of Platte says the state rules have been submitted to the […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The Bureau of Land Management has started testing a  new fertility control vaccine that could help address the growing overpopulation of wild horses on public rangelands. Researchers […]

GREELEY, CO – Following lawmakers’ requests to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to open an investigation into the acquisition of the Mountain States Rosen (MSR) lamb processing plant by […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined the contents of some unknown seed packages Americans have been receiving. “We have identified 14 different species of […]

HELENA, MT –  Governor Steve Bullock and the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced that over $7.5 million in grant funding has been awarded through the Montana Meat Processing […]

CORVALLIS, OR – Ranchers, farmers and butchers who want to learn about direct marketing meat can participate in the new Western Meat School,  a new  learning short course created for […]

BROOKINGS, SD – The South Dakota Sheep Growers Association announced Dr. Kelly Froehlich and Ms. Jaelyn Whaley will be joining South Dakota State University Extension this fall. Dr. Froehlich will […]

CHEYENNE, WY – The Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust (WSGLT) is pleased to announce that Ogden Driskill of Devils Tower, WY will be the recipient of the 2020 Kurt Bucholz […]

PIERRE, SD- The “Sturgis Beef Throw Down” will take place with Food Network Celebrity Chef Justin Warner leading the tour to some of South Dakota’s favorite Black Hills breweries during […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Chinese buyers booked their single biggest-ever purchase of U.S. corn, extending their flurry of large U.S. purchases even as tensions between Washington and Beijing rise. Reuters reprots […]

GREELEY, CO – The U.S. sheep and lamb industry is asking for federal intervention in the purchase of  the Mountain States Rosen processing plant  by JBS USA Holdings, Inc., a […]

AURORA, CO – At the summer business meeting of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association underway now, in person and online, members spent hours before passing the trade organization’s first step […]

United States Cattle on Feed Down Slightly First Look…..Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head […]

WASHINGTON, DC – USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced changes to the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) insurance program for cattle and swine beginning in the 2021 crop year. Changes […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is adjusting membership on the Beef Promotion and Research Board that is responsible for administering the collection of the Beef Checkoff and […]

ARLINGTON, VA – How best to combat the misperceptions and falsehoods surrounding animal production practices and sustainability?  Ranchers, farmers, practicing veterinarians, and industry professionals who want to make a difference […]

WORTHINGTON, MINN. – Ridley Block Operations (RBO) is voluntarily recalling Ultralyx 12% Protein Sheep with batch number HB01679401. The product has been found to contain elevated levels of copper. With prolonged […]

WASHINGTON, DC –  Industry organizations and producers are calling a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)  another end-run attempt to madate […]

WASHINGTON, DC – China booked its second-largest single-day U.S. corn purchase on record, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data released on Friday, as the country works to fulfill […]

BILLINGS, MONT. – Strategically, it’s an opportune time for opponents of the Beef Checkoff Program to launch another national petition drive to end it. The level of frustration and distrust out […]

Washington, DC – With the announcement from USDA of the first purchase of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine for a U.S.-only, national vaccine countermeasure bank, U.S. cattlemen and pork producers may be […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The 2021 House Ag Appropriations bill passed out of committee with winners and losers. US Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) is a member of the committee. The bill […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA), National Farmers Union and 11 other organizations are calling for a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on reauthorization of the Livestock Mandatory […]

YANKTON, SD – Ten thousand pounds of frozen pork were given out in a drive-through in Yankton this week. Stacey Sorlien with the South Dakota Pork Producers (SDPP) Council says […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Over 18,000 ranchers and farmers in South Dakota are set to receive approximately $250 million in COVID 19 aid. The USDA says more than 319,000 farmers and ranchers […]

Washington, D.C. – Legislation that will allow state inspected meat to be sold across state lines through e-commerce, allowing small producers and processors more options to directly market to consumers has […]

MILES CITY, MONT. – Miles Community College and Montana Farm Bureau have teamed up to make a meat processing certificate/degree a reality. For the past several years, MCC has been […]

WASHINGTON, DC – A coalition of more than 150 agriculture, trade and related groups led by the National Pork Producers Council sent a letter to Congress warning of a major […]

STURGIS, SD – Members of the South Dakota legislative Ag Land Assessment Task Force are hoping that adjustments made to the states production-based valuation of ag land will address concerns […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Bayer has announced a massive settlement of court cases involving its Roundup and dicamba products and PCB water litigation with no admission of fault. The company says […]

BILLINGS, MT – It’s a new version of a decades-old event.  As the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE)  gets ready to celebrate its 53rd year, guidelines set by the county […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Is it a trade deal or a case of whiplash? The question is a fair one as the much-touted U.S. – China Phase 1 trade deal gets […]

WASHINGTON, DC – A backlog in processing plants due to COVID-19 outbreaks that closed or curtailed operations at packing plants has resulted in the lowest number of fed cattle marketed […]

“All I’ve ever done besides hunt dinosaurs is cowboy.” Clayton Phipps was born and raised on a cattle ranch in Garfield County in eastern Montana but has gained fame as […]

WASHINGTON, DC – A recently introduced bill would help boost mental health services in rural areas. The Farm Bureau-backed Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2020 (S. 3917) would direct […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The Farmers to Families Food Box Program will extend the contracts of select vendors from the first round of the USDA program. Beyond direct support to farmers and […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Words matter. When President Trump called for a halt to all cattle imports into the U.S. in response to domestic cattle producers claiming meat packers use those […]

GREELEY, CO – As the U.S. cattle industry continues a decades-long battle with the beef packing industry amid charges of collusion and price-fixing, the CEO of the second-largest chicken processing […]

STURGIS, SD – A U.S. appeals court has issued a ruling vacating the EPA’s registration of three dicamba herbicides, calling into question the continued use of the herbicide in South […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Ethanol production moved higher last week, the fifth week in a row with an increase. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 765,000 barrels a day, […]

PINEDALE, WY – The oldest active cattle drive in Wyoming is under threat. Several environmental groups have sued the Forest Service and Fish & Wildlife Service in order to halt grazing on […]

BROOKINGS, SD – Due to packing plant shutdowns across the country, many pork producers are struggling to find places to harvest their animals. This is having a dramatic impact on […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Chinese government officials told major state-run agricultural companies to pause purchases of some American farm goods including soybeans as Beijing evaluates the ongoing escalation of tensions with […]

WASHINGTON, DC – USDA’s Risk Management Agency is making further adjustments to assist producers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) are authorized to extend the deadlines for […]

MILWAUKEE, WI – Amid cancellations of state fairs across the country, including North Dakota and Minnesota, the chairman of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis has made the […]

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), is now accepting applications from agricultural producers who have suffered losses due to the coronavirus […]

BILLINGS, Mont. – On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced yet a second resolution regarding Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (M-COOL) for beef. R-CALF USA CEO Bill […]

PIERRE, SD- South Dakota is home to nearly 30,000 farms and ranches with nearly 14,000 of these raising beef accounting for 3.9 million head of cattle, outnumbering state residents by […]

SPRINGDALE, ARK. – Tyson warned Monday that it expects more meat plant closures this year and that it will continue producing less meat than usual, as workers refrain from coming […]

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced details of $470 million in Section 32 food purchases to occur in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, in addition […]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – A union representing employees at a South Dakota pork processing plant says it will partially reopen Monday after shuttering more than two weeks ago because […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Congress has set aside about sixteen billion dollars for livestock producers to offset prices that crashed due to the coronavirus pandemic and packing plant closures. South Dakota […]

WORTHINGTON, MN – The big JBS pork processing plant in Worthington was partially re-opened, but for a terrible purpose. Minnesota Agriculture Secretary Thom Peterson says the plant is euthanizing pigs that […]

LUVERNE, MN – It has been a busy week for rendering plants picking up dead livestock being euthanized because of the pandemic. Dennis Klarenbeek owns D and J Rendering of […]

PIERRE, SD – The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the U.S. meatpacking industry, but public health experts say the risks posed to workers and the U.S. food supply chain by airborne […]

BILLINGS, MT – R-CALF USA along with some of its members launched a petition urging the President and Congress to immediately pass Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef, pork and […]

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer notified Congress that Canada and Mexico have taken measures necessary to comply with their commitments under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), and […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Producers signed a record 1.77 million contracts for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2019 crop […]

BILLINGS, Mont. – Launched Thursday morning by R-CALF USA and several of its rancher-members, the petition urging the President and Congress to immediately pass Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef, […]

PIERRE, SD – Today, in conjunction with Earth Day, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Blair Brothers Angus has been selected for the South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award®. Given in honor […]

DENVER, COLO. – A study  commissioned by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and conducted by Oklahoma State University,  says as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, cattle losses […]

RAPID CITY, SD – The South Dakota Stockgrowers are supporting a recent grass-roots push to increase the amount of negotiated cash trade withing the fed cattle markets.   Specifically, the […]

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas ranchers eager to prepare their land for cattle grazing have mostly brushed off the plea from state health officials to voluntarily cut back this […]

RICHLANDTOWN, PENN.  – Smithfield Foods Inc. announced it will close two more pork-processing plants because of the coronavirus pandemic, reducing meat supplies for grocery stores and deepening challenges for the […]