By Clint Thompson Georgia cotton growers impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 will benefit from disaster assistance funding announced earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Taylor Sills, executive director of the Georgia Cotton Commission, discussed the impact that the funding will have on his growers who are struggling through challenging times. “Our industry is in …
USDA: Cotton Harvest Progress Near Average by Mid-November As the 2025 cotton crop harvest moves into its later stages, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey reports that national progress remains close to normal for mid-November, with only a few regional slowdowns. His latest update shows that growers across the country are making steady progress despite pockets of delays. Rippey explains, “The cotton …
How the Cattle Enhancement Board Strengthens the Work of the Florida Beef Council The Florida Beef Council (FBC) continues to elevate beef promotion and producer education across the state, thanks in large part to the support of the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board. According to Deanne Maples, this partnership has become essential in helping the Council expand its impact despite limited …
USDA Releases 2025 Peanut Crop Estimates: Record Year Ahead for the Southeast Despite recent disruptions in Washington, the USDA Ag Statistics Service has released its 2025 peanut crop estimate, offering an early look at expected acreage, yields, and total production across key Southeastern states. Based on interviews with farmers and verified FSA acreage reports, the numbers point to a strong …
NCBA Responds to Newly Released WOTUS Rule: What Producers Need to Know The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is responding to the federal government’s newly released Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, and according to Mary Thomas Hart, NCBA’s Chief Counsel, the updated definition reflects an important shift toward clarity and practicality for agricultural landowners. Hart explained that the …
Likelihood of Federal Reserve December Rate Cut Falls Below 50% The probability of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut at the December meeting has fallen sharply over the past month, according to CME FedWatch data. Diverging Opinions Among Fed Board Members Despite the overall decline in market expectations, there is not unanimous agreement within the Federal Reserve. A few board …
In the early decades of the 19th century, the United States was a nation built on agriculture. As Mark Oppold explains in this American Agriculture History Minute, no one at the time would have been surprised to see that the U.S. economy was overwhelmingly agriculturally based. Farming was not simply an industry—it was the core of daily life and national …
Early Farmers and the Realities of Supply and Demand In this American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold explains how early American farmers and ranchers quickly learned a fundamental economic principle: the law of supply and demand. These producers discovered that market forces could just as easily boost their prosperity as threaten it, depending on how supply aligned with global demand. …
Ag Community Praises Newly Proposed WOTUS Rule The agricultural community is reacting strongly to the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ recent release of the newly proposed Waters of the U.S. Rule (WOTUS). After years of regulatory back-and-forth and ongoing legal disputes, many leaders in agriculture say the new proposal provides long-awaited clarity and relief for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. …
USDA Reports Record-High Peanut Production Expected for 2025 USDA has released new numbers following the government shutdown, and the latest data show that the U.S. peanut industry is heading toward a record-breaking harvest. According to updated projections, the country “will now have three million seven hundred and thirty five thousand five hundred and fifty tons.” This represents an increase of …
