USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer says the diverse mix of crops and livestock, along with commodity prices, plays a critical role in shaping farm income. “?Farm income is a mix of a lot of different things and, you know, corn and beans and wheat and cotton and rice, but there’s horticultural products. There’s livestock products, all of those things filter …
American Agriculture History Minute: Settling and Farming the Plains
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Iowa is located where the great eastern forests and the prairies of the western United States met. There’s not a straight line where trees stopped and grass took over, but it is in Iowa where trees finally gave way to the endless miles of the Great Prairie. Settlers on the prairie …
Peanut Organizations Fighting Aflatoxin
Various peanut organizations have teamed together in the fight against aflatoxin. Tyron Spearman has more details about a recent event which updated the research efforts. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received By LegislatorsJanuary 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Supports Beef Education and Promotion ProgramsJanuary 23, 2026Florida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle …
CattleCon 2025: A Can’t-Miss Event for Future Agricultural Leaders
CattleCon 2025 is being called a can’t-miss event for future agricultural leaders. Rusty Halvorson has more information on how FFA and 4-H members can get free admission. CattleCon 2025 is heading to San Antonio, Texas, from February 4-6, and it’s shaping up to be the biggest cattle industry event of the year. Future agricultural leaders, especially FFA and 4-H members, have a …
New Nominee Pleases Wall Street
As we all know, ag futures and stocks can go up or down at most anytime, depending on the news of the day. And according to Mark Oppold, news earlier this week did allow some gains to be found on Wall Street. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received By LegislatorsJanuary 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Supports Beef …
Three Senators Push to Keep Dicamba Banned
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing renewed pressure to deny applications re-registering the controversial weed killer Dicamba from three of the biggest crop protection companies. Three Senate Democrats are urging the EPA to deny applications to re-register the herbicide, saying the weed killer cannot be used without causing unreasonable adverse effects. The herbicide, which was pulled from the market …
Trump Announces Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China
President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled plans to impose significant tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China. The proposed measures include a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% tariff on products from China. Trump announced these moves via his Truth Social platform, framing them as part of his broader strategy to address illegal …
American Agriculture History Minute: Homestead Act of 1862
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. By 1813, the western frontier had reached the Mississippi River. St. Louis was the largest town on the frontier and it even then called the gateway for travel on westward. There was wide agreement on the need to settle new territories quickly, but the debate polarized over the price the government …
New Appointees to National Peanut Board
It was recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture named 9 members and 9 alternates to the National Peanut Board (NPB). Tyron Spearman has more details. The following members and alternates will serve terms until December 31, 2026: The following members and alternates will serve terms beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027: “Congratulations to the newly appointed Board members …
New Beef Outlook Indicates Less Production in 2025
While many across the country are enjoying turkey on this Thanksgiving Day, we want to think about another protein looking ahead into next year. According to a report from Rusty Halvorson, the latest beef outlook is for less production in 2025. U.S. beef production this year is running a little higher than had been expected despite a gradually diminishing supply …










