Since 2022, the U.S. poultry industry has been battling a particularly persistent strain of H5N1, or avian influenza, and more than 100 million birds have been affected over the last two and a half years. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), says turkeys and egg layers have been hit the hardest. “Broiler flocks tend to benefit from …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release their monthly Cattle on Feed Report this afternoon. And according to Mark Oppold, the report is expected to be fairly neutral for futures contracts. 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 …
The United States is facing its highest levels of food insecurity since the 2008-2009 economic downturn, according to Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. In a recent interview, Babineaux-Fontenot revealed that nearly 50 million Americans, including 14 million children, are experiencing hunger. These statistics, she emphasized, are a stark reminder of the growing crisis. Babineaux-Fontenot noted that while food insecurity …
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Ethnicity made a big difference in early American agriculture. German Americans, for example, brought with them practices and traditions that were quite different from those English and Scottish farmers. Germans adapted old -world techniques here, where land was more abundant in supply. They generally preferred oxen to horses for plowing, for …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), in partnership with Tuskegee University, are announcing the launch of the nation’s first federal sponsored Student Apprenticeship Program. The new program aims to increase the talent pipeline for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) from Minority-Serving Institutions and provide students with practical job experience. Under the program, apprentices will participate in orientation, technical training, and …
Last month, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and this includes projects in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. Partners will provide $968 million in contributions to amplify the impact of the …
There is a new number when it comes to the amount of peanuts expected from the 2024 crop. Tyron Spearman reports the average yield is up one percent from last month’s prediction. 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 …
Three companies are partnering to improving sustainability in beef production, Rusty Halvorson has the story. McDonald’s USA, Syngenta North America, and Lopez Foods are joining forces to improve sustainability in beef production. Their focus is on Enogen® corn, an innovation from Syngenta that boosts cattle feed efficiency. By helping cattle convert feed into energy more effectively, Enogen® corn reduces the …
A proposal by the U.S. Postal Service is something that many farm operations are watching closely. Mark Oppold has more details. 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 Enhancement BoardJanuary 16, 2026Florida …
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Westward expansion in the U .S. did not come easy or did not come early on. The British Empire attempted to restrict westward expansion with their ineffective Proclamation Line of 1763, of course abolished after the American Revolutionary War. The first major movement west of the Appalachian Mountains came from farmers …
