justice

Agriculture Industry Reaction To Make America Healthy Again Proposal

The agriculture community is reacting to the release of the report by the Make America Healthy Again Commission headed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While the report includes items like vaccines, the use of digital devices and the lack of physical activity, many in the agriculture industry are weighing in on how the report impacts …

electrification

American Agriculture History Minute: Urban Electrification in the 1920s

Mark Oppold presents an American agriculture history minute, discussing the evolution of electrification in America during the early 1900s. He highlights how electric power transformed from a luxury to an essential utility in urban areas by the 1920s, with more than half of urban homes having electric lights and appliances. Mark then contrasts this urban development with rural conditions, noting …

lame duck session

US Agriculture Secretary Questioned on Hurricane Helene Relief

The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations held a hearing earlier this week to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the US Department of Agriculture. During the hearing, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins answered questions from the Senators and in his questioning, Senator Jon Ossoff pointedly asked Secretary Rollins about the status of disaster relief funding in …

American Agriculture History Minute: Allis Chalmers Company Beginning

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Edward P. Allis was an entrepreneur who in 1860 bought a bankrupt firm at a sheriff’s auction, the Reliance Works of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under his leadership, began producing steam engines and other mill equipment. Thomas Chalmers was a Scottish immigrant to America, came to the U.S. about 1842, and was working …

commodities

Tracking Agricultural Commodities in April

With April almost over, Mark Oppold takes time to review how certain agricultural commodities have performed thus far this month. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities to Develop Preliminary Data For Future Grant ProjectsMay 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Critical Funding To Enhance Brahman GeneticsApril 24, 2026Strong Relationship Exists Between the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board and UF-IFASApril 17, 2026Florida …

western Great Plains

American Agriculture History Minute: Western Great Plains Becomes Open Cattle Range

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The western Great Plains became open range country hosting cattle ranching. In the spring and fall ranchers held roundups where the cowboys would brand new calves, treat them and sort them for sale. Ranching began early in Texas gradually moving northward. Cowboys drove cattle north to the railroad lines, cities like …

American Agriculture History

American Agriculture History Minute: Mid-1800s Rapid Agriculture Growth

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The history of agriculture in the United States, of course, goes back to the first English settlers. In colonial America, agriculture was the primary livelihood for 90% of the population. In fact, most towns were shipping points for the export of agricultural products. Most farms were geared toward production for the …

tariff relief package

Agriculture’s US Tariff Rollout Response

The announcement of tariffs by the President of the United States is gaining reactions from the agriculture community. While the proposed tariffs include a baseline 10% tariff for all countries, others will see additional reciprocal tariffs. In an interview on Fox Business, the US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins explained what agricultural producers could expect. Ethan Lane, Senior VP of …

commodities

How Agricultural Commodities Fared in First Quarter of 2025

With March over, we just completed the first quarter of trading in 2025. So today, Mark Oppold takes time to review how certain agricultural commodities have performed thus far this year. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities to Develop Preliminary Data For Future Grant ProjectsMay 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Critical Funding To Enhance Brahman GeneticsApril 24, 2026Strong Relationship …

florida

Florida Governor and Cabinet Approve Protection of Agricultural Lands

(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/03-05-25) – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced that the Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, have approved the preservation of nearly 6,500 acres of working Florida farms and ranches through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Rural lands protection easements prevent …