Markets back open today. It appears that there are a lot of nervous traders on Wall Street and to a lesser degree in Chicago. Federal Reserve Board’s September meeting opens a week from today. Latest CME FedWatch tool gives traders reason to be nervous in our view. Current FedWatch tool shows a 38% chance there’ll be no change in rates, …
America’s Early Forest Management Begins in 1876
From Settler Clearing to Forest Conservation As early American settlers cleared land for homesteads, farms, and growing communities, the federal government increasingly recognized that the nation’s forests were an important natural resource that needed to be studied and managed. The beginnings of organized federal forest management can be traced to 1876, when Congress created an office within the U.S. Department …
Commodity Performance Report
With eight months of trade now in the books, we review our list of 48 commodities today and their performance since New Year’s. Surging energy prices continue to have heating oil, gasoline and crude oil remaining numbers one, two and three on the list, but a strong July and even stronger August certainly helping the grain trade move into positive …
Smith-Lever Act Created USDA Extension Service in 1914
A New Era of Agricultural Education More than a century ago, the United States took a major step toward connecting agricultural research with the farmers who needed it most. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Cooperative Extension System, creating a formal partnership among the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land-grant universities and local communities. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture …
Court Rejects H-2A Wage Plan, Current Rates Remain in Place
A federal court ruling has created new uncertainty for agricultural employers who rely on the H-2A guestworker program, although growers should not expect an immediate change to the wages they are currently paying. A federal district court in California has ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2025 methodology for calculating H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rates, commonly known as AEWRs, …
Reopening Border for Mexican Live Cattle
Earlier this week, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials viewed the re-entry of live cattle imports through an Arizona port of entry. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins shares more. “Douglas, Arizona, at the livestock port of entry, everything we’re doing, everything we’ve been doing, everything we’re going to implement here at this port in Douglas is prioritizing …
George Grant and the Four Bulls That Started Angus in America
A Scottish Vision Comes to the Kansas Prairie In 1873, Scottish cattleman George Grant arrived in Kansas with a bold vision for American agriculture. Grant came from Scotland as part of a group of British settlers who hoped to establish a community of wealthy, stock-raising families on the Kansas prairie. He settled in Victoria, Kansas, where he sought to develop …
FFVA President Mike Joyner Talks USMCA, Farm Bill and Key Issues Facing Specialty Crop Growers
From trade and the Farm Bill to labor and food safety, several major policy issues facing specialty crop growers could see important developments in Washington over the coming months. Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner joined AgNet Media for an in-depth conversation about those issues and what they could mean for growers in Florida and across the nation’s …
George Grant and the Early Rise of Angus Cattle in America
American Agriculture History Minute In 1873, Scottish Angus cattle made an important early appearance in the United States when George Grant brought four Angus bulls from Scotland to Victoria, Kansas. Grant hoped to introduce the new breed to American cattlemen and demonstrate the potential of Angus cattle in the U.S. livestock industry. Although Grant died just five years later, his …
NPPC Voices Thoughts on Farm Bill 2.0
With the upcoming Farm Bill 2.0 review happening later this week, several agricultural-related organizations are voicing their opinions of what should be included in the bill. One organization in particular that has been very vocal for several months is the National Pork Producers Council. The NPPC is especially concerned about Proposition 12. According to the NPPC resource website, California’s Proposition …










