The Roots of Rural Education One-room schoolhouses hold a unique and enduring place in American agricultural history. As highlighted by agricultural historian Mark Oppold, these modest structures were more than just places of learning—they were vital community hubs that helped shape rural life across the United States. One of the earliest known examples is the Eureka Schoolhouse, constructed in 1785 …
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper is calling for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct an antitrust investigation into the proposed acquisition of Restaurant Depot by Sysco Corporation. In a letter sent earlier this week, Commissioner Harper highlighted that Sysco already controls nearly 20% of the food service market and that “This proposed acquisition …
About 20 to 25 percent of the peanuts in America are exported to foreign countries and other areas. The main two buyers are of course Mexico and Canada. They’re our next-door neighbors. But in February this year the U.S. exported 54,792 metric tons. That is an increase of 49 percent compared to that same period last year. The increase was driven by …
Drought conditions have impacted the progress of planting across the southeast. Brad Rippey USDA Meteorologist provided an update on the progress of corn planting across the country. “With that variable weather in the Midwest, rain followed by cool weather, we did see some progress slowing down. For example, Illinois only planting 9% of the corn during the week, so that overall progress …
The Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, in conjunction with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, announced earlier this week that the U.S. Department of Justice has began antitrust investigations into the meatpacking industry. During a press event, Acting AG Blanche highlighted the ongoing work that has been done to address the price of pork, chicken, turkey, and beef. Secretary Rollins …
Weekly planting updates, no surprise showing soybean planting nationwide at a record pace corn planting as expected making good progress. Last week as well up nearly 15% in one week, but we’re keeping an eye on that northern belt weather north of I-90. As spring wheat planting the slowest in three years. We see sorghum planting in that area the slowest in four …
A Constant in Agricultural History Farmland values have always played a central role in the story of American agriculture. From the earliest days of settlement to today’s highly productive farming regions, the worth of land has reflected not only its productivity, but also its location, accessibility, and long-term potential. As highlighted by agricultural broadcaster Mark Oppold in his American Agriculture …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced an investment of funding to support projects to address plant pests and diseases. The announcement included more than $90 million under Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act and includes 441 projects that “ will strengthen the nation’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to invasive plant pests and diseases; safeguard the U.S. nursery …
Farm Bill 2.0 has passed the U.S. House of Representatives 224 to 200, and this strengthens the operation of the Market Loan Assistance Program that was in that first bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was passed earlier in the year. The good news in this part of the 2.0 is that the bill includes important provisions related to international and …
We all saw the headlines a week ago today, the Federal Reserve Board leaving interest rates unchanged. But Bottom Line analysts found some interesting side notes since then that will be interesting to follow in the months ahead, especially with the new Fed chairman. Last week, 12 governors voted, and 11 voted to leave rates unchanged. The Fed governor, Stephen Miron, dissented in favor of …
