The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), also known as Farm Bill 2.0, and agricultural groups are reacting to the passage. Agricultural Retailers Association President and CEO Daren Coppock said, “ARA applauds the House for advancing the Farm Bill, which delivers certainty for farmers, strengthens rural economies, and helps …
NCBA Shares Reaction to Farm Bill Passage and Support for FAIR Labels Act
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is reacting to the passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, also known as Farm Bill 2.0. Ethan Lane, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for NCBA said, “Thank you to Chairman GT Thompson, House leadership, and members from both parties for listening to real farmers and ranchers and passing the …
From Barren to Breadbasket: Lewis & Clark’s Agricultural Reality
A Historic Mission Beyond Exploration In this edition of American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold revisits the journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark—a mission that extended far beyond simple exploration. Commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, the expedition had a critical agricultural objective: assess the farming potential of lands west of the Mississippi River. At the time, America’s future expansion depended …
Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities to Develop Preliminary Data For Future Grant Projects
The Florida Cattle Enhancement Board provides opportunities for researchers to develop preliminary data for future grant projects funded by other sources. We recently sat down with Dr. Brad Daigenault with the University of Florida who provided insights on how the enhancement board funding provides an impact for further research studies. “Okay, so how do you make sure that yours gets funded? …
House Passes Farm Bill 2.0
From Washington, good news. The House of Representatives have passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The final vote this week, 224 in favor, 200 against. The statement from the Chairman of the Committee said, Working in Congress on behalf of our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities is an honor, even when we have to debate the Farm Bill through …
From Small Arkansas Startup to National Ag Leader: The Helena Story
Humble Beginnings Along the Mississippi River In 1957, a small chemical manufacturing company quietly opened its doors in West Helena, Arkansas, a town situated along the Mississippi River just south of Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, the agricultural landscape of the United States was rapidly evolving, with increasing demand for crop protection products and chemical solutions to improve yields and …
NCBA Pushes For Delisting Efforts and Changes to Endangered Species Act
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association highlighted delisting efforts and changes to the Endangered Species Act during last week’s legislative conference. We caught up with Garrett Edmonds with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to learn about these efforts. Edmonds said, “The Pet and Livestock Protection Act. Back in December, the House passed this legislation to reinstate the gray wolf delisting rule. …
Fed Meeting Review and China Trade Talks
To no one’s surprise, the Federal Reserve Board expected to leave interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of their meeting. Looking at CME’s FedWatch tool shows a better than 90% chance rates will not change at the June meeting or July meeting. There is no meeting in May. There’ll be a new Fed chairman when the board does meet in June …
Lewis and Clark: Discovering Agriculture in the American Frontier
More Than Exploration: Agricultural Discovery I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. While the expedition of Lewis and Clark is widely remembered for charting unknown territories and seeking a passage to the Pacific, their journey revealed much more than new land. It also uncovered sophisticated agricultural systems already thriving across the American frontier. Observations Along the Missouri River …
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Foundation Provides Record Amount Of Scholarships to Students
The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Foundation is providing a record amount of scholarships to students this year and we caught up with Erin Beasley with ACA to learn more. Beasley said,” Well this week we are honored to have our Alabama Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarship Banquet. This annual event takes place to award all of the scholarship winners for the year and so I’m …










