Grace Miller

House Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson plans to introduce a farm labor bill next week, stoking the hopes of ag leaders who say new worker rules are long overdue. 

 The Senate’s draft farm bill doesn’t include language for year-round E15 or the elimination of California’s Proposition 12, but Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman is still highly optimistic both measures will make it through Congress this year. The two biggest U.S. ethanol trade groups are defending the Trump administration against legal challenges to EPA biofuel-blending rules from environmentalists, biogas groups and oil refiners.

President Donald Trump made the biggest pitch for year-round E15 since his first term, calling on Congress to include the pro-ethanol measure in a nearly $88 billion legislative package to fund a raft of items, including the Iran war and $11 billion in financial aid for farmers. Members of Clean Fuels Alliance America gathered on Capitol Hill this week to stress the need to pass legislation to expand biomass-based diesel use in ocean-going vessels. 

Undersecretary Richard Fordyce said USDA isn’t in a hiring freeze, as lawmakers pressed him on staffing reductions at FSA and NRCS during a House Ag Committee hearing.

Laurel Firestone is stepping down from the California state water board. Marie Alvarado-Gil has conceded her state Senate race to Alexandra Duarte in District 4. 

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued USDA to release records about potential behind-the-scenes interests of President Donald Trump’s executive order to increase production of glyphosate. 

The Government Accountability Office released a report calling for USDA and EPA to improve how they support rural communities seeking water‑infrastructure assistance.

The World Food Prize Foundation named 40 people as the 2026 Top Agrifood Pioneers. The Sorghum Checkoff selected its Leadership Sorghum Class VIII, consisting of 15 participants. Abigail Buckwalter has been appointed president and CEO of Ocean Spray Cranberries. Invariant’s Food and Agriculture practice hired Christian Lovell as a senior manager, effective June 22. 

A New Mexico dog confirmed with a case of New World screwworm last week is no longer believed to have traveled to Mexico, New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte says. As Senate Agriculture Committee leaders prepare to release farm bill text, Vermont Sen. Peter Welch says lawmakers need to focus on the growing economic reality that farmers are spending more to produce crops than they're earning. 

Wine Institute elected its new board leadership. Jonathan Ocampo is joining ImmuCell Corporation’s sales team. Creekside Organics has added Marissa Dake as its sales director.