The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $25 million in a new sterile fly dispersal facility in Arizona, as part of its ongoing effort to keep New World screwworm from reaching American livestock herds. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the funding during a visit to the Douglas Port of Entry in Arizona, where USDA officials are preparing to resume livestock …
Westward Expansion After the Revolution: How Early American Pioneers Found Food and Survival
The First Wave of Westward Migration The conclusion of the American Revolutionary War marked the beginning of a new chapter in the nation’s history. With independence secured, thousands of settlers looked beyond the Appalachian Mountains in search of fertile land and new opportunities. The first major westward migration originated primarily from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina, as pioneering families ventured …
Cyrus McCormick’s Mechanical Reaper Changed American Agriculture
The Farm That Inspired an Agricultural Revolution Innovation has always played a vital role in the success of American agriculture, and few inventions have had a greater impact than the mechanical reaper developed by Cyrus McCormick. While Cyrus is widely remembered as one of the pioneers of modern farming equipment, his inspiration began on his family’s Virginia farm. Cyrus’s father, …
2025 Georgia Quality Cotton Award Winners Announced
The 2025 Georgia Quality Cotton Awards were presented at the 2026 Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting on July 29, 2026. The awards are co-sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and Bayer Crop Science/Deltapine and administered by the University of Georgia (UGA) Cotton Team. Dr. Yangxuan Liu, extension economist at the University of Georgia, conducted the analysis. Dr. Phillip Roberts presented …
USDA Expands Interstate Shipping for GA Meat Processors
Georgia meat processors are gaining access to new markets thanks to an agreement announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and the state of Georgia have finalized a Cooperative Interstate Shipment, or CIS, agreement. The program allows qualifying state-inspected meat processors to ship products across state lines under the USDA mark of inspection. Secretary Rollins says …
Georgia Peanut Commission Announces New Award
The Georgia Peanut Commission based in Tifton, Georgia has announced a new award. It’s available to everyone across the nation. It’s a cash award for food entrepreneurs. The Georgia Peanut Innovation Award will recognize and reward the most unique and viable new peanut concept inspired by Georgia peanuts and Alabama and Florida peanuts. It’s a $10,000 cash prize. It will …
What to Look for Ahead of Sept. Federal Reserve Board Meeting
Analysts at the CME Group and certainly on Wall Street already looking ahead to the September meeting of the Federal Reserve Board. The board we mentioned yesterday does not meet in August, so the next date for market watchers, September 15th and 16th. Updated rate decision comes early afternoon on the 16th. CME FedWatch tool shows near certainty there will …
Cyrus McCormick’s Reaper: The Invention That Changed American Farming
Cyrus McCormick’s Journey Was Built on Persistence Innovation often takes time to gain acceptance, and few stories illustrate that better than the remarkable journey of Cyrus McCormick. His determination and willingness to persevere through years of setbacks helped transform American agriculture and laid the foundation for the modern farm equipment industry. According to today’s American Agriculture History Minute with Mark …
Federal Reserve Board Concludes Meeting
The Federal Reserve Board concludes its two-day July meeting today with an announcement on interest rates early afternoon. A week ago today, the CME FedWatch tool showed an 80 percent chance the Fed would leave interest rates unchanged. We know what’s happened to crude oil in the past seven days, one of several factors the Board considers when looking at …
How Immigrant Farmers Shaped America’s Agricultural Communities
The Lasting Legacy of Immigrant Farming Traditions in Early America America’s agricultural heritage is deeply rooted in the traditions, skills, and cultures of the immigrants who settled across the young nation following the Revolutionary War. While the United States became known as a melting pot of people from around the world, those diverse backgrounds also played a major role in …










