Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Merger Advances Amid Agricultural Concerns Shareholders of Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) railroads have nearly unanimously approved the next step in the multi-year process to merge the two companies. If completed, the merger will create America’s first coast-to-coast railroad, promising faster delivery times and competitive rail rates for many industries. Potential Benefits Highlighted by Rail …
America’s Biggest Farm Boom: 1860–1910
A Half-Century That Transformed American Agriculture From the Civil War era to the early 20th century, the United States experienced the most dramatic growth in agricultural development in its history. As Mark Oppold explains in his American Agriculture History Minute, the 50-year span between 1860 and 1910 reshaped the nation’s farming economy, population distribution, and land value in profound ways. …
Trump Administration Releases Second Stage of Disaster Assistance to Farmers
USDA Launches $16 Billion in SDRP Disaster Assistance Following Government Reopening The Trump administration has officially begun rolling out long-awaited disaster assistance for America’s farmers and ranchers now that the government has reopened. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is moving forward with the distribution of $16 billion in SDRP assistance, which includes support through both the Emergency Commodity Assistance …
Women Farmers of the Civil War
Women on the Homefront: How the Civil War Transformed American Agriculture A Nation at War and Farms in Transition In the 1860s, as the Civil War pulled countless men into military service, American agriculture faced a sudden and profound shift. With many men marching off to battle, farms across the country were left in the hands of women, children, and …
USDA Provides Update on the Pace of this year’s Cotton Crop Harvest
USDA: Cotton Harvest Progress Near Average by Mid-November As the 2025 cotton crop harvest moves into its later stages, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey reports that national progress remains close to normal for mid-November, with only a few regional slowdowns. His latest update shows that growers across the country are making steady progress despite pockets of delays. Rippey explains, “The cotton …
Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Expands the promotion and educational work of the Florida Beef Council
How the Cattle Enhancement Board Strengthens the Work of the Florida Beef Council The Florida Beef Council (FBC) continues to elevate beef promotion and producer education across the state, thanks in large part to the support of the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board. According to Deanne Maples, this partnership has become essential in helping the Council expand its impact despite limited …
NCBA Shares Perspective on Recently Released WOTUS Rule
NCBA Responds to Newly Released WOTUS Rule: What Producers Need to Know The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is responding to the federal government’s newly released Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, and according to Mary Thomas Hart, NCBA’s Chief Counsel, the updated definition reflects an important shift toward clarity and practicality for agricultural landowners. Hart explained that the …
Early 19th Century Farming Shaped America’s Economy
In the early decades of the 19th century, the United States was a nation built on agriculture. As Mark Oppold explains in this American Agriculture History Minute, no one at the time would have been surprised to see that the U.S. economy was overwhelmingly agriculturally based. Farming was not simply an industry—it was the core of daily life and national …
How Supply and Demand Shaped Early U.S. Agriculture
Early Farmers and the Realities of Supply and Demand In this American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold explains how early American farmers and ranchers quickly learned a fundamental economic principle: the law of supply and demand. These producers discovered that market forces could just as easily boost their prosperity as threaten it, depending on how supply aligned with global demand. …
Agricultural Community Reacting to Proposed Waters of the US Rule
Ag Community Praises Newly Proposed WOTUS Rule The agricultural community is reacting strongly to the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ recent release of the newly proposed Waters of the U.S. Rule (WOTUS). After years of regulatory back-and-forth and ongoing legal disputes, many leaders in agriculture say the new proposal provides long-awaited clarity and relief for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. …










