labor force

Shrinking Labor Force Poised to Threaten US Economic Growth

Declining labor force participation, lower birth rates and a collapse in net migration are combining to squeeze the U.S. labor supply. The looming labor shortage could begin to weigh on businesses and strain economic growth as soon as later this year, according to a new quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. With the labor supply about to get tighter, businesses …

U.S. Ag Economy Outlook: Stable but Challenging for Farmers

USA Peanut Congress 2025: Ag Economy Stable, But Challenges Remain At the recent USA Peanut Congress, agricultural economist Jeffrey Dorfman of North Carolina State University provided an in-depth look at the U.S. economic and agricultural outlook for the coming year. Dorfman highlighted that supply chains are mostly back to normal, giving the broader economy a solid footing. However, housing remains …

trade agreement

Trade Update with China

We are hearing a lot of stories about the trade war currently underway with China. Mark Oppold has a look at what is being discussed by some about the situation. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch 27, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provided Opportunity To …

pivotal

Pivotal Week of the Year

With a big report coming out this week and other market factors being felt it could very easily be considered one of the most pivotal weeks of the year. Mark Oppold has more details. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch 27, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement …

farm bill

New Numbers for Beef Producers

New numbers for beef producers were available in a recent report. Rusty Halvorson has more on that, along with information about labor issues for hog producers. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch 27, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provided Opportunity To Highlight Difficult Farming SubjectMarch …

Duvall

Duvall Addresses Ag Labor, Other Topics at AFBF Convention

Speaking at the 2025 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention held this weekend in San Antonio, TX, AFBF president Zippy Duvall talked about the work the organization is doing when it comes to the agricultural workforce. ?“Your American Farm Bureau team is pressing House and Senate leaders to understand the urgency of ag labor reform. And we’ve hosted fly ins to …

dol

DOL is Cracking Down on JBS

Today, Rusty Halvorson has information of why the DOL is cracking down on JBS, and also a quick note concerning cage-free egg laying hens. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch 27, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provided Opportunity To Highlight Difficult Farming SubjectMarch 20, 2026Valley Helps …

electric vehicle

President Trump Overturns Electric Vehicle Mandate

President Trump signed several executive orders, including one on the Biden electric vehicle ‘mandate’ and the former president’s Green New Deal. “With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving the auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American auto workers,” the President said. “In other …

Chief Agricultural Negotiator

USMEF Pleased with Port Labor Contract Agreement

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is pleased with the recent agreement with the East and Gulf Coast Port Labor Contract. Rusty Halvorson has the story. The International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year master labor contract covering ports on the East and Gulf Coasts. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President …

h-2a

H-2A Program Sees Slight Increase

A recent report shows a small uptick in H-2A program usage for fiscal year 2024, suggesting that farmers and ranchers continue to rely on temporary workers. According to the Department of Labor, 384,900 H-2A positions were certified, marking a two percent increase—or 6,000 more positions—than fiscal year 2023. John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau …